A healthier take on enchiladas which are loaded with peppers, onion, black beans, broccoli and kale and topped with homemade red enchilada sauce. If you are looking for a hearty Mexican vegetarian dish, there isn't much better than these veggie enchiladas.
As I've mentioned in my previous posts this month, January is all about being healthy. So I've tried to do my best with sharing either healthier recipes or at least lightened up versions of them. I'd definitely put these veggie enchiladas in the category of lightened up.
What makes Mexican so great for being healthy is the spices used pack so much flavor. So as long as you don't overload something with cheese, which I know I can be guilty of quite often, it's definitely a go-to of mine for when trying to be on the healthier side.
You can make everything from sweet potato fajitas to vegetarian quinoa stuffed peppers.
To me eating is all about moderation. I'm never going to not stop eating what I enjoy. I mean I absolutely love my chicken mole enchiladas, knowing though that I can't eat that every day. So Lauren and I always balance it out with meals we know are a little better for us and these veggie black bean enchiladas fit the bill.
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Recipe Ingredients
- Enchilada sauce - homemade or store-bought works.
- Red onion, red bell pepper, broccoli, kale, garlic, cilantro - use your favorite vegetables.
- Black beans - where you get the majority of protein.
- Cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt, black pepper - enhances the flavor.
- Pepper jack cheese - use any cheese you like.
- Tortillas - corn or flour works.
Vegan Option
As I've said in the past while I eat plenty of vegetarian meals like these veggie enchiladas, I just can't go without cheese. It's a love I'll never leave behind.
But you can easily replace the pepper jack cheese with vegan cheese or you could even make your own, which this blog Baked In, has on her site.
How do You Keep Your Tortillas from Cracking?
I highly recommend it as it makes them more pliable when adding the filling and rolling. There are a few different ways you can accomplish this:
- Heat individual tortillas in skillet for 20 to 30 seconds per side
- Wrap a stack of tortillas in foil and place in 325°F oven until warm
- Moisten a paper towel and wrap stack of tortillas and place in microwave for 30 seconds or until warm
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Take the time to make your own enchilada sauce. It is so much better than what you can buy at the grocery store.
- Add cold oil to a cold saucepan and let heat up to proper temperature before adding the onion. You’ll know it is ready when the oil starts to shimmer.
- Heat tortillas in small skillet for 20 seconds per side so they are pliable. If you skip this step, the tortillas will break apart is you roll them up.
- Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has addition ingredients that you don’t need. Just buy blocks of cheese and grate yourself.
- Add some fresh avocado to give the dish some healthy fat. You can also make your own guacamole.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Similar Recipes
- Chicken Mole Enchiladas
- Spiralized Sweet Potato Enchilada Skillet
- Vegetarian Burrito Bowls
- Turkey and Butternut Squash Enchiladas
- Chicken Tortilla Rice Bake
If you’ve tried these veggie enchiladas or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Veggie Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 cups homemade red enchilada sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 bunches broccoli (1 lb), chopped into bite sized pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 6 oz kale
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 8 whole wheat tortillas
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- avocado for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 13x9 pan with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onions with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until they are translucent and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the broccoli and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes or until broccoli is bright green.
- Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and cinnamon and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the kale, a few handfuls at a time, stirring each time until it has reduced in size. Repeat with the remaining kale. Remove from heat and stir in beans, ¼ cup cheese and ⅓ cup enchilada sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour ¼ cup enchilada sauce onto the 13x9 pan to completely coat it. To assemble the enchiladas, spread about ½ cup of the filling into the tortilla and then wrap. Place seam side down in pan and repeat with remaining tortillas. Drizzle the rest of the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake, uncovered for 20 minutes. Check at this point and if the cheese isn't browned enough, bake for an additional 3-6 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Top with some cilantro and serve.
Can’t go wrong with some healthier enchiladas