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vegan enchiladas being lifted out of casserole dish
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4.96 stars (111 ratings)

The Best Vegan Enchiladas

These vegan enchiladas are seriously the best! Stuffed with plant meat and cheese, smothered with red enchilada sauce and baked for 20 minutes.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 308kcal
Author: Nora Taylor

Ingredients

Enchilada sauce:

Taco "meat":

  • 2 cups riced cauliflower 1/2 medium head cauliflower
  • 4 ounces mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup raw walnuts
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable broth for oil free
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste

The rest:

Instructions

Make the Enchilada Sauce (or use store bought)

  • Measure and add all the dry ingredients to a small bowl (flour, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and salt). Have the tomato paste and vegetable broth ready and nearby.
  • In a medium pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil (or water.) Once warm, pour in the flour/spice mixture and whisk constantly for about a minute. Whisk in the tomato paste, then slowly pour in the broth, whisking constantly.
  • Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes, whisking often to remove lumps. It should thicken a bit. Remove from heat, and whisk in the vinegar. Taste and add more salt as needed. Set aside.

Make the Plant Meat

  • If using whole cauliflower, wash, chop off the florets and place them in a food processor. Pulse, creating rice. Add 2 cups of cauliflower rice to a large pan on the stove. 
  • Add the mushrooms and walnuts to the food processor, and pulse until they are a similar consistency as the cauliflower. Don't over process. Add to the pan with the cauliflower.
  • Turn the heat to medium-high, and pour in the oil or broth, spices and soy sauce. Stir to combine. Continue to cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt to taste, and remove from heat. Stir in the black beans.

Assemble the Enchiladas

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
  • Wrap 5 tortillas at a time in a damp paper towel, and microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute to soften. This will make them much easier to roll.
  • Fill each tortilla with a scoop of "meat" and a spoonful of cheese sauce. Roll and place into the prepared pan. Repeat until all the tortillas are used. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top, then pour the rest of the cheese on top of the red sauce. 
  • Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, until bubbly. Top with chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Video

Notes

  1. Gluten free - For gluten free, use gluten free flour in the enchilada sauce, tamari instead of soy sauce and 100% corn tortillas.
  2. Enchilada sauce - You can purchase your own enchilada sauce instead of making it from scratch. Check the ingredients to ensure it's vegan friendly. You will need about 3 cups.
  3. Plant meat alternative - Instead of the plant meat, you could use Beyond or another vegan beef or chicken substitute. I would cook 12-16 ounces with a packet of taco seasoning, then use for the filling. Soy curls work as well, or even mixed roasted vegetables. The possibilities are endless.
  4. Tortillas - I prefer corn, but you can use flour tortillas as well. If you use larger ones, they are much easier to fill as well!
  5. Cheese - May substitute vegan cheese shreds instead of making the cheese. I like Violife, but you can use whatever you like. You will need about 3 cups, depending on how much cheese you want to use.
  6. Nut free - To make nut-free, omit the walnuts from the "meat" and use my Nut Free Cheese Sauce instead of the cashew based sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1333mg | Potassium: 722mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1264IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 4mg