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Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas are so filling you won’t even miss the meat! Along with the black beans, they’ve got sweet potatoes and roasted poblanos for added flavor. Topped with a homemade enchilada red sauce and plenty of melty cheese these vegetarian enchiladas only take 20 minutes to prep. Serve with a Caesar Salad and Churros for the best dinner!
Vegetarian enchiladas are a wonderful meal to add to your dinner rotation when you are looking for a lighter/meatless meal to serve. They are delicious no matter if you are vegetarian or not! These Spinach Enchiladas are filled with fresh spring veggies and these Delicata Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas are DIVINE!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas
- Enchilada sauce – This recipe shows you how to make a homemade red enchilada sauce. I highly suggest, if you have the time, to make it from scratch because it will make these vegetarian enchiladas so much more delicious!
- Roasted veggies and canned black beans – Sweet potato, poblano peppers or red peppers and black beans are incredibly satisfying so you won’t even miss the meat! Roasting the vegetables gives them a sweeter and a slightly smoky flavor.
- Cheese – The more the better! I used shredded Monterrey Jack but a Mexican-style cheese blend or 3 of your favorite cheeses would taste amazing as well!
- Sour cream – Makes the filling creamier, swap in yogurt if you want to make it a little healthier! You could add cheese to the filling but I like the hint of tangy flavor the sour cream adds!
- Pepitas (optional) – These are the edible dark green part of the pumpkin seed. I like to include them for added crunch.
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below!
How to Make Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas:
- Roast the vegetables. Toss the sweet potatoes and poblanos with olive oil and roast in the oven until softened and caramelized.
- Meanwhile, make the enchilada sauce. Heat up the olive oil then add the spices and flour. Cook for about a minute then add the tomato paste and stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking frequently to get rid of any lumps. Once the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and set aside.
- Mix the filling together. In a bowl, combine the roasted vegetables with the beans and sour cream.
- Assemble! Place about a half cup of filling on each tortilla then roll up and place in a pan with a little bit of enchilada sauce. Continue until all the filling has been used then pour over the rest of the sauce and top with cheese.
- Bake. Bake the enchiladas until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbly. Serve with sour cream.
Tips and Tricks
- Flavor! Make sure whatever vegetables you add are cooked with enough seasoning so that your filling isn’t bland. Taste it to see if it has enough salt or spice!
- Think about texture. If you really need something to substitute the meat think of using jackfruit or even rice to bulk up the filling.
- Cheese. Make sure to cook the cook until it is melted/slightly crispy because that way it will taste the best!
- Want to freeze? Just assemble the enchiladas up until the point that they baked, cool completely, and wrap up and freeze. Just cook for an extra 15-20 minutes when you go to bake them.
- Tortillas. Instead of whole-wheat tortillas swap in corn or regular flour tortillas.
Recipe FAQs
What is the secret to non soggy enchiladas?
Adding too much enchilada sauce can cause your tortillas to turn out soggy. To make crispier enchiladas, don’t add enchilada sauce to the bottom of the pan and only add enchilada sauce to cover the tortillas, you don’t want them soaking in sauce too much if you want them to turn out crispy.
How do you make enchiladas vegetarian?
It’s all about the filling! Swap out meat for black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, poblano or red peppers, spinach, jackfruit or even rice. The main thing to keep in mind is to season the veggies really well and to roast the peppers and sweet potatoes because it will give them additional flavor!
More Vegetarian Recipes
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Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas Recipe
Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas are so filling you won't even miss the meat! Along with the black beans, they've got sweet potatoes and roasted poblanos for added flavor. Topped with a homemade enchilada red sauce and plenty of melty cheese these vegetarian enchiladas only take 20 minutes to prep. Serve with a Caesar Salad and Churros for the best dinner!
Equipment
- 1 (9×13-inch) baking dish
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 1 medium saucepan
- 1 Whisk
- 1 medium bowl
Ingredients
Roasted Veggies:
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 poblano peppers or red peppers, cut into 1-inch squares
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or more if needed
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon chili powder or Ancho chile powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- Freshly ground pepper
Enchiladas:
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 6 to 8 whole grain tortillas, (8-inch)
- 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, (4 ounces) OR a blend of cheeses
- 1/4 cup raw pepitas, optional (I forgot these at the store SMH)
- 1 avocado, sliced into thin strips
- Handful of chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F with racks in the middle and upper third of the oven. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment for easy cleanup. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
To Roast the Veggies:
- On the prepared baking sheet, combine the sweet potato and poblanos. Drizzle the olive oil over them and toss until all sides are lightly and evenly coated, adding more oil if necessary. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper and arrange the ingredients in a single layer. Bake on the middle rack until the sweet potato and poblanos are tender and caramelized on the edges, 40 to 45 minutes, tossing halfway. Leave the oven on for the enchiladas.
To Make the Enchilada Sauce:
- This sauce comes together quickly once you get started, so measure the dry ingredients (the flour, chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and cinnamon) in a small bowl and place it near the stove. Place the tomato paste and broth near the stove as well.
- In a medium saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat until it’s so hot that a sprinkle of the flour and spice mixture sizzle on contact (this will take a few minutes, so be patient). Pour in the flour and spice mixture. While stirring constantly with a whisk, cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about 1 minute. Whisk the tomato paste into the mixture, then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps.
- Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking often, until the sauce has thickened a bit and a spoon encounters some resistance as you stir, 5 to 7 minutes. (The sauce will further thicken as it cools.)
- Remove from the heat, then whisk in the vinegar. Season to taste with a generous amount of black pepper and extra salt, if necessary. Set aside.
To prepare the enchiladas:
- In a medium bowl, combine the black beans, sour cream and roasted vegetables. Season the filling with the salt and black pepper to taste.
- Pour 1/4 cup enchilada sauce into the prepared baking dish and tilt it from side to side until the bottom of the pan is evenly coated. To assemble the first enchilada, spread 1/2 cup vegetable filling mixture down the middle of the tortilla, then snugly wrap the left side over and then the right, to make a wrap. Place it seam side down against the edge of your pan. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
- Drizzle the remaining sauce evenly over the enchiladas leaving the tips of the enchiladas bare. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the enchiladas, followed by the pepitas, if using.
- Bake, uncovered, on the middle rack for 20 minutes. If the cheese on top isn’t golden enough for your liking, carefully transfer the enchiladas to the upper rack of the oven and bake for an additional 3 to 6 minutes, until sufficiently golden and bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and let the enchiladas cool for 10 minutes (they’re super hot). Before serving, arrange thin slices of avocado down the center of the enchiladas and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve with sour cream on the side, if you’d like. Leftovers store well, chilled, for up to 4 days. Gently reheat in the microwave or oven before serving.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- Flavor! Make sure whatever vegetables you add are cooked with enough seasoning so that your filling isn’t bland. Taste it to see if it has enough salt or spice!
- Think about texture. If you really need something to substitute the meat think of using jackfruit or even rice to bulk up the filling.
- Cheese. Make sure to cook the cook until it is melted/slightly crispy because that way it will taste the best!
- Want to freeze? Just assemble the enchiladas up until the point that they baked, cool completely, and wrap up and freeze. Just cook for an extra 15-20 minutes when you go to bake them.
- Tortillas. Instead of whole-wheat tortillas swap in corn or regular flour tortillas.
Nutrition
Serving: 4g | Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 949mg | Potassium: 405mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 561IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this Recipe? Please Rate & comment below!
We love love love this recipe and it’s in our normal meal rotation! I plan on making it for a friend who just had a baby and am curious what you would recommend to reheat these. How long and at what temperature should I tell her to reheat them in the oven? Thanks in advance!
INCREDIBLE!
We hosted our first dinner party as husband and wife and absolutely wowed our guests with this dish. I didn’t make any substitutions but I did adjust the measurements to make 6 servings (just in case). My husband is a die hard meat eater and he didn’t miss them one bit. And don’t get me started on how easy the from-scratch sauce is. These aren’t a weeknight meal, for us, but certainly not difficult, just gotta pay attention. Can’t wait for an excuse to make these again!
wonderful!!
My husband and I love these enchiladas. The sauce is simply incredible and worth a bit of effort. We’ve made these for multiple guests and they’ve all loved them. They’re great fresh and even as leftovers. We make them at least once a month and I can’t believe they don’t have more reviews on this site. Delicious and making them this weekend!!
This recipe is AMAZING — just want to clarify the recipe in the book does call for 2 cans of black beans for the filling. Enjoy!
These were delicious! I bumped up the spices in the sauce and added some cayenne pepper. I also added onion to the roasted veggies and corn to the filling. These were so wholesome and cozy! Thank you for such a cozy recipe.
Adrianna, belated THANK YOU SO MUCH for this post! I really appreciate it. Can I replace my enchilada photo in the book with one of yours? Gorgeous! Thank you for your kind words and support. Really means a lot. Cookie says hey to Amelia.
Hello! Looks delicious… but I just want to confirm, the enchilada sauce takes 4 cups of Vegetable broth total?
Ahh so sorry. It’s actually 2 cups of vegetable broth or water in total.
It’s been way too long since I’ve made enchiladas. Thanks for the inspirations!
When I made these, it had been so long since I made enchiladas–they’re the best!
I can’t wait to make these!!!!!
Doooo it!