These Vegan Enchiladas Verde are made with roasted zucchini and corn and topped with homemade salsa verde for a healthy and delicious plant-based dinner.
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I cannot seem to get enough green in my life these days.
And who can blame me? After the long winter we have had with record-breaking snow and rain and far too many sunless days, I am loving these spring vegetables. And I'm pretty sure if you try these vegan Enchiladas Verde, you're going to love them too!
For the past few months, I've been eating (mostly) gluten-free.
I eat this way because my body feels so much better when I eliminate gluten. I sleep better, have more energy, and feel generally more positive. But, despite how much better I feel, it can be a challenge to eat both gluten-free and plant-based. Specifically, when I'm not prepared. Without easy-to-make options, I'll often find that I skip meals altogether. And without sufficient meal planning, I end up eating the same foods, which gets old and rarely fills me up.
Besides being insanely delicious and using my new favorite homemade salsa, I also love these enchiladas because they do just the opposite - satisfy my tastebuds and fill me right up!
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN ENCHILADAS VERDE
Enchiladas are one of those meals that are deceptively simple to make. Especially when you are omitting the meat! To keep things simple – one of my constant goals in life and on My Darling Vegan – I used store-bought salsa verde. However, if you are so inclined, you can make your own.
Once you’ve got your ingredients set aside, enchiladas are simple to throw together.
STEP ONE: MAKE THE CASHEW CREME
Begin by making the cashew creme. When it comes to cashew creme, you really should use a high-powered blender. I recommend a Vitamix, which is what I use.
These blenders can be pricy, but my Vitamix is, by far, the most used gadget in my kitchen. Most other blenders are simply not powerful enough to create a cream out of cashews and you’ll end up with gritty cashew cream. However, if you don’t have a high-powered blender, you can soak the cashews for about 6 hours ahead of time and they will blend up fairly well.
With a Vitamix, you can just throw your ingredients into the blender and blend for about 30 seconds until you have a smooth, delicious cream.
STEP TWO: MAKE THE FILLING
Mix together the zucchini, onions, corn, and garlic. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over vegetables and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes at 350F, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are fragrant with brown spots on the outside.
Meanwhile, sauté the kale and black beans until the kale is slightly wilted. Mix all the vegetables together, along with ½ cup of salsa verde and set aside.
STEP TWO: FILL AND ROLL
Because we are working with corn tortillas, it's important first to make them pliable. To do this, wrap them in a slightly damp cloth or paper towel and microwave them for about 30 seconds until steaming. The steam will soften the tortillas so that they can be rolled without tearing.
Place ½ cup green salsa on the bottom of a 9x12 baking dish. Put about ¼ cup of filling in each tortilla and roll. Repeat until all the tortillas are rolled and the filling is gone.
STEP THREE – BAKE AND SERVE
Bake the vegan enchiladas uncovered for about 45 minutes until the edges are bubbling up and the middle is cooked all the way through. Remove from oven, top with your favorite toppings, and serve!
SERVING AND STORING VEGAN BLACK BEAN ENCHILADAS
Once the enchiladas are baked, I drizzle with extra Serrano Cashew Cream and add avocado, cilantro, and green onions. This gives the dish the perfect creamy fresh finish.
Uneaten enchiladas can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, gently heat in the oven or the microwave. You can also store the enchiladas in the freezer for up to 2 months.
MORE EASY GLUTEN-FREE WEEKNIGHT MEALS
Here are a few of my favorite vegan weeknight recipes.
- Tofu Stir Fry with Broccoli and Bell Peppers
- Instant Pot Portobello Pot Roast
- Red Lentil Cauliflower Curry
- Vegan Burrito Bowls
- Classic Homemade Ratatouille
But before you go, let’s take a look at this simple enchiladas skillet below.
Vegan Enchiladas Verde
Ingredients
Cashew Cream
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup cashews
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 serranos pepper roasted (optional)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon agave or maple syrup
- salt, to taste
Enchiladas
- 1 cup Salsa Verde or store bought green salsa
- 10 corn tortillas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 15 oz can of corn
- 3 small zucchinis
- ½ white onion thinly sliced
- 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups loosely packed kale chopped
- 1 15 oz can of black beans
- salt and pepper to taste
Toppings
- 1 avocado
- 1 handful cilantro
- 2-3 green onions
Instructions
- To make the cashew creme, place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Place in a refrigerator until ready to use. If you don't have a high-powered blender, soak the cashews for at least 4 hours first.
- Make the Salsa Verde according to these directions.
- To make the enchiladas, preheat the oven to 350. Slice zucchini in ½" pieces and mix it with sliced onions, corn, and garlic. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over vegetables and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are fragrant with brown spots on the outside.
- In a large skillet, sauté kale and black beans until the kale has wilted a bit.
- Add the roasted vegetables to the kale/bean mixture along with ½ cup of salsa verde. Set aside.
- Soften the corn tortillas to make them pliable. To do this, wrap them in a slightly damp cloth or paper towel and microwave them for about 30 seconds until steaming. The steam will soften the tortillas so that they can be rolled without tearing.
- Place ½ cup green salsa on the bottom of a 9x12 baking dish. Put about ¼ cup of filling in each tortilla and roll up. Repeat until all the tortillas are rolled and the filling is gone.
- Bake for about 45 minutes until the filling is bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving with cashew cream and toppings of your choice.
Lauren says
Are you supposed to mince the garlic or leave it whole?
Sarah McMinn says
Mince it.
Sarah says
Came to this recipe as a way to use up some leftover green enchilada sauce. So tasty! I initially thought the cream tasted too sweet on its own, but it was perfect with the enchiladas. I prepped the filling the night before. I’m thinking I might prep a larger batch of filling and just freeze the extras for next time. Thanks for a great recipe!
Kristin H. says
Love these! Every time I make them I end up with 14 or more so I want to freeze half and bake later. When making the frozen ones later should I still bake at 350 for 45 minutes?
Sue says
Are the beans drained and rinsed? I'm making this tonight....
Sarah says
Yes, if they are canned they should always be drained and rinsed.
Pat Mueller says
The cashew cream sauce was delicious. My husband required a second taste to confirm it wasn’t dairy. I had difficulty with the corn shells splitting. Was a messy serve up, not suitable for company, but very yummy. Will make again.
Patty says
I’m going to make these! I’ll be using store-bought salsa verde to save time. Just to clarify, a half batch of your recipe is 2 cups (one half of the 4 cups). But this recipe calls for one cup total (1/2 in the bottom and 1/2 in the mixture). Maybe I’m misreading the recipe...could you clarify? Thanks!
Sarah says
Thanks for pointing that out! I fixed the recipe. It should be 1 cup. Sorry about the confusion.
Kristin H. says
I'm wondering if I should have covered them with foil while they baked as they came out dry. Other than that they were so easy to make and tasted delicious!
Sarah says
I didn't have that issue, but you should definitely try that next time. That would help.
Sherry says
Does your weekly meal planner use mostly gluten free ingredients ? Being vegan and GF is a challenge.
Sarah says
It's about 65-70% gluten-free.
Hannah says
I made these tonight and they were a big hit with the entire family. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Bridgette U. says
Could I use a different kind of nut? I am allergic to cashews. I can eat Pecans, walnuts, and almonds. This looks so good!
Shannon says
What are you supposed to do with the cashew cream?
Sarah says
It goes on with the other toppings. I just edited the recipe to make that clearer.
Teisha Forbes-Rielly says
These are currently chillin' in the oven! I ended up making 12 of them in a 10 by 12 dish 😀
Sarah says
Awesome! I hope you enjoy them.
Carly says
Can this be prepped the night before and baked in the morning? I want to make this and take to work for my co-workers.
Sarah says
Yeah, that should work just fine.
Michelle says
These look sooo good, especially with the homemade salsa verde. I plan to make them this weekend.! Keep up the great recipes!