Black beans are combined with butternut squash and salsa then rolled into tortillas to make these irresistible and filling Vegan Black Bean Enchiladas. The homemade enchilada sauce adds just the right amount of heat and flavor to make these a vegan dinner the whole family will love.
Coming at you with one of my comfort foods: enchiladas! But we're not making the classic enchiladas of my youth, we're making vegan black bean enchiladas filled with butternut squash and beans, and topped with a homemade enchilada sauce.
It might sound a little complicated, but I pinky promise they're a cinch to whip up. The leftovers are fantastic too.
For more irresistible butternut squash recipes, try my butternut squash soup with apples and spicy butternut squash soup recipes.
Why You'll Love These Black Bean Enchiladas
These vegan enchiladas are one of our current favorite Tex-Mex-inspired dinners. Here's a few reasons why.
- Homemade enchilada sauce. Enchilada sauce can be made a few different ways, but it really comes down to spice and tomatoes. We're using a blend of my favorite Latin American spices, then using tomato paste to give it that slight sweetness and gorgeous red color.
- Quick and easy. We start by making our enchilada sauce, which takes about 5 minutes. Then we move onto the filling, which takes another 5 – 10 minutes. Then we stuff, roll, top, and bake!
- Perfect for meal prep. Best of all these vegan enchiladas are also great for meal prep and totally freezer-friendly! See below for storage suggestions.
What You'll Need
Both the vegan enchiladas and the homemade sauce are made with a handful of ingredients. Be sure to check the recipe card below for measurements.
For The Enchiladas:
- Butternut squash – Cut into cubes.
- Black beans – Drain and rinse before using.
- Salsa – You can use any variety of jarred salsa you prefer. Choose mild, medium, or spicy based on your heat preferences.
- Tortillas – I used corn tortillas but any taco-sized tortillas will work.
- Vegan cheese
- Enchilada sauce – See below. If you're not a red enchilada fan, you can try my homemade green enchilada sauce too!
For The Sauce:
- Olive oil
- Quinoa flour – Any other grain-based flour works too.
- Spices – Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic, onion powder, and salt add the classic flavor to the enchilada sauce for these vegan enchiladas.
- Tomato paste – Adds the tomato base for the sauce.
- Veggie broth – Thins out the sauce.
How to Make Vegan Black Bean Enchiladas
Even though we're making the sauce from scratch, these vegan enchiladas still come together in a few quick and easy steps.
- Make the enchilada sauce. Heat the oil over medium-low. Whisk in the flour, spices, and tomato paste until thick. Slowly add half of the vegetable broth, whisking constsantly. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes then whisk in the remaining broth. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes then remove from the heat and set aside.
- Make the filling. Place the butternut squash and a splash of water in a pan. Bring to a simmer then cover and steam for 5-7 minutes. Once tender, stir in the beans and salsa. Cook until warmed through.
- Assemble the vegan enchiladas. Add 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce to the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons into the center of a tortilla and roll it up. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Repe
- at until the dish is filled.
- Add the cheese. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the tortillas. Sprinkle with the vegan cheese.
- Bake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Allow to sit for 5 minutes then garnish with your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Tips for The Best Vegan Enchiladas
Here are a few helpful tips for making and assembling these black bean enchiladas.
- What are the best tortillas to use? The best tortillas to use for enchiladas are flour tortillas as they're the most pliable and least likely to break. BUT I personally think corn tortilla enchiladas are tastier and healthier. And if you're making enchiladas gluten-free, then you'll definitely need to use corn tortillas (or you could also try my gluten-free flour tortillas).
- Warm your tortillas: The best way to get your tortillas not to break is to gently warm them microwave wrapped in a damp kitchen towel. This almost steams them and makes them much easier to roll!
- Don't overfill: Use just 2 – 3 tablespoons of filling per tortilla! Overfilling will cause them to burst once you roll them.
- Keep the pan covered: In between adding your tortillas into the pan, cover the pan with a dishcloth to keep things as warm as possible.
- Don't skimp on the sauce: The sauce is not necessarily going to prevent breakage, but it helps them not dry out (plus adds lots of flavor).
Serving Suggestions
These vegan enchiladas make a hearty, filling meal on their own. I love to load mine up with toppings like avocado, cilantro and a dash more sauce.
You can also add additional vegan cheese, some vegan sour cream, pico de gallo, jalapeno slices, guacamole, or whatever your other favorite enchilada toppings are.
How to Store Enchiladas
If you're looking to make these vegan black bean enchiladas as a meal prep recipe, awesome. They're totally meal prep-friendly and also freezer-friendly too! To store your enchiladas, either:
- Refrigerate them. Since these enchiladas are plant-based, they'll last in the fridge for at least 5 days. Simply keep them in a sealed container and reheat in the microwave or oven.
- Freeze them. Either freeze the entire pan of enchiladas (you could bake them in something like this) or cut them into individual portions and freeze those. To thaw, simply cook in the oven covered at 300ºF or use the freezer setting on your microwave/countertop oven.
More Freezer Friendly Vegan Dinners
- Easiest Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili
- Chipotle Butternut Squash & White Bean Burgers
- Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Quinoa
- Vegan Jackfruit Enchiladas Verdes
- Vegan Almond Flour Pizza Crust
- 5-Ingredient Quinoa Mac and Cheese
Vegan Black Bean Enchiladas
Ingredients
For the enchiladas:
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup jarred salsa (any variety)
- 8 corn tortillas (or taco-sized tortillas of choice)
- 1 cup vegan cheese
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons quinoa flour (or grain-based flour of choice)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 cups veggie broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Start with the sauce. In a small saucepan heat the oil over medium-low. Once warm, whisk in the flour, spices and tomato paste until thick. Slowly stream in half the vegetable broth, whisking constantly until smooth. Allow to simmer for 2 – 3 minutes, before slowly whisking in the remaining broth. Allow to simmer again for 2 – 3 minutes until slightly thickened, then remove from the heat and set aside.
- Move onto the filling. Place the butternut squash into a large pan and add a splash or two of water. Bring the water to a simmer, then cover the pan and allow the squash to steam for 5 – 7 minutes until mostly tender. Once tender, add the beans and salsa and cook until warmed through.
- When ready to assemble the enchiladas, add 1/4 cup of sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Spoon about 2 – 3 tablespoons of filling into the center of a tortilla and roll it up. Place the tortilla seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat until you've filled the dish.
- Once the dish is filled, pour on the rest of the sauce and spread evenly across the tortillas. Sprinkle with the cheese.
- Bake on the center rack for 25 – 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the filling sounds bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Serve immediately and garnish with your fave toppings – I like avocado, cilantro, and a dash more sauce!
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