These Spicy Quinoa and Black Bean Vegan Enchiladas are the real deal. Not only are they clean-eating and nutritious, but they’ll also satisfy your enchilada craving with the first bite!
By now you must already know that I absolutely love enchiladas. What’s not to love, right? Soft homemade corn tortillas filled up with deliciousness of your choice and covered with a chili pepper sauce (or any other for that matter). And, since my Shredded chicken enchiladas recipe is one of the most popular posts on the blog, I know you love them, too!
One of my favorite things about this traditional Mexican dish is that it’s so versatile. It’s so easy to play around with flavors and textures and add something new and different every time. So far, I’ve tried pretty much everything I could think of, from these Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas with salsa verde to this rich and savory Ground Beef Enchiladas recipe.
As much as I’d maybe like to eat just enchiladas for days on end sometimes, it’s important to still eat balanced and healthy. With a little help of my crock pot, I’ve even managed to turn this beloved dish into a healthier, but nonetheless delicious Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup.
This time, I’ve decided to swap the meaty filling with one of my favorite grains – quinoa!
Quinoa is not only gluten-free but also high in fiber and protein. On top of that, quinoa also happens to be very high in antioxidants which makes it a perfect choice when you’re trying to eat healthier, and when you’re trying to make a more nutritious vegetarian and vegan-friendly version of your favorite comfort food.
Follow my recipe for Spicy Quinoa & Black Bean Vegan Enchiladas With Homemade Vegan Enchilada Sauce (that’s ready in just 10 minutes!) and whip up this crowd-pleaser next time you’re having friends or family over for dinner.
Put in a tiny bit more effort and make this dish even healthier by swapping regular, store-bought tortillas for these 4 ingredient vegan Homemade Corn Tortillas.
HOW TO STORE SPICY QUINOA AND BLACK BEAN VEGAN ENCHILADAS
When I make these vegan enchiladas, I like to lots of make extras. Sometimes we eat them again the next day, or I freeze them to have on hand for the end of a busy day. If you need to store them, follow these easy tips:
- In the fridge: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 days.
- In the freezer: I often make a batch of vegan enchiladas ahead of time, leaving them in a casserole dish. I cover it with foil, making sure it is well sealed. Then, I wrap it with plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer. They keep well in the freezer for up to 1 month.
HOW TO REHEAT SPICY QUINOA AND BLACK BEAN VEGAN ENCHILADAS
- Reheating out of the fridge: If reheating these vegan enchiladas, I put them in a 350F degree oven for around 15 minutes.
- Reheating out of the freezer: If the vegan enchiladas are frozen, I thaw them first and then reheat them the same way – 15 minutes at 350F degrees. However, when cooking from frozen, they typically take 45 minutes to an hour to heat up. I leave them covered with foil the first 30 minutes, and the remaining time, I have them uncovered.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SPICY QUINOA AND BLACK BEAN VEGAN ENCHILADAS
Of course, these delicious enchiladas are excellent as a meal on their own, but sometimes when I am feeding a crowd, I like to make the meal a party of Mexican goodness!
- Homemade Horchata
- 10-Minute Salsa Verde
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Pico de Gallo
- Quinoa Taco Stackers
- The Perfect Guacamole
HEALTHY TORTILLA SUBSTITUTIONS FOR ENCHILADAS
When I make vegan enchiladas, I typically use homemade corn tortillas in the recipe. But, there are other great tortilla recipes that can work in this dish, too. Try these:
- Healthy Homemade Spinach Tortillas
- Cassava Flour Tortillas
- Cauliflower Tortillas
- Chickpea Flour Tortillas
- Sweet Potato Tortillas
- Spinach Tortillas
HOW TO MAKE AN ENCHILADA RECIPE VEGAN
Enchiladas are definitely one dish that can easily be turned vegetarian or vegan. The first step is swapping the meat filling with a vegan-friendly option. I decided to fill my Spicy Quinoa and Black Bean Vegan Enchiladas with quinoa and black beans. You can also easily omit the cheese and any toppings you normally use in an enchilada dish that are not vegan, such as plain Greek yogurt.
HOW TO MAKE ENCHILADAS WITHOUT CHEESE
Traditional enchilada recipes call for cheese, but if you’re making vegan enchiladas, cheese is not really an option, right? You can always use vegan cheese or nutritional yeast (it resembles parmesan and gives a nice nutty flavor), but I find topping off these spicy vegan enchiladas with some fresh cilantro, diced tomatoes and avocado, lime, and a little drizzle of non-dairy yogurt an even better option. Yum!
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN ENCHILADA SAUCE
The super-easy vegan enchilada sauce I used in this recipe is not only delicious but it will take you only 10 minutes to make it. Yes, from scratch! Not only is it healthier, but it’s also quicker to prep the sauce yourself instead of running to the store to buy some.
All you need to do is cook diced fresh tomatoes with some minced garlic until the tomatoes become softened. Then, stir in the remaining ingredients and continue to cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Transfer this mixture to a blender or a food processor and blend until smooth. And that’s it!
MORE HEALTHY ENCHILADA RECIPES
Vegan enchiladas are absolutely flavorsome and so are many other recipes for this zesty Mexican meal. I’ve created other enchiladas dishes for every taste. Here they are:
- Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
- Ground Beef Enchiladas
- Shredded Chicken Enchiladas
- Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Spicy Quinoa and Black Bean Vegan Enchiladas
These Spicy Quinoa and Black Bean Vegan Enchiladas are the real deal. Not only are they clean-eating and nutritious, but they’ll also satisfy your enchilada craving with the first bite!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4
Calories 445 kcal
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
For The 10 Minute Vegan Red Enchilada Sauce:
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 large tomatoes on the vine, diced plus more for topping
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon granulated onion
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
For The Vegan Enchiladas:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (plus more for topping)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 cups red enchilada sauce (see recipe above), divided
- ½ 14-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice (approx. 1 lime), plus more for serving
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving
- 10-12 corn tortillas
- avocado, for topping
- dairy-free yogurt, for topping
Instructions
For The 10 Minute Vegan Red Enchilada Sauce:
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In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
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Add in diced fresh tomatoes and minced garlic, and stir to combine. Cook for 4-6 minutes, until the tomatoes become softened.
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Then, stir in the tomato paste, low sodium vegetable broth, chili powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper, and continue to cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
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Transfer this mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. So set this aside while we get our vegan enchiladas ready to go.
For The Vegan Enchiladas:
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Start preheating your oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9×13 casserole dish with olive oil.
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In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
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Add the onions and jalapeño, and cook until the onion is softened, about 5-6 minutes.
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Add the garlic, cumin, sea salt, and cooked quinoa and stir to combine, cooking for about a minute until the garlic is fragrant.
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Add in half the enchilada sauce, black beans, chopped cilantro, and lime juice, and stir together.
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To make sure your tortillas don’t crack, you could lightly brush the exposed tortillas with olive oil, give them a quick dip in olive oil or enchilada sauce, or heat in the microwave for about 20 seconds wrapped in a damp towel.
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Spoon about ¼ cup of the spicy quinoa and black bean mixture along the center of a tortilla. Then, gently, but firmly, roll the tortilla around the filling and place into baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
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Pour the enchilada sauce over and around the enchiladas, and then add a little more of the filling over the top for some added texture.
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Then, place the casserole dish in the oven, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes or until the tortillas begin to turn golden and the enchilada sauce becomes a darker red.
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To serve, top with fresh cilantro, diced tomatoes and avocado, lime, and a little drizzle of non-dairy yogurt.
Notes
If you want to make your own corn tortillas for this enchilada recipe, check out my super easy recipe for the best 4 ingredient vegan corn tortillas here!
Nutrition
Serving: 2 enchiladasCalories: 445 kcalCarbohydrates: 62.4 gProtein: 10.5 gFat: 17.2 gSaturated Fat: 2.9 gCholesterol: 4.6 mgSodium: 499.2 mgFiber: 8.1 gSugar: 11.2 g
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @asweetpeachef on Instagram so we can check it out.
This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.
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