Best Vegetarian Enchilada Recipe

Two enchiladas on a white plate with thinly sliced avocado and diced tomato.

5 from 4 votes

The reason this is the Best Vegetarian Enchilada Recipe Ever is not only because of the delicious produce packed into the warm tortillas, but also because of the method in which the vegetables are cooked.

*Please note that if you're not using a store-bought enchilada sauce, the ancho sauce should be made at least a few hours before you start this recipe.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: great for a crowd, Mexican dinner recipes, vegetarian comfort foods

Servings: to 6

Calories: 403kcal

Author: Valentina K. Wein

Equipment

9 x 13-inch baking pan

Ingredients

olive oil for the pan
1½ cups red onion, finely chopped
1½ tablespoons garlic, minced
1½ cups red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 tablespoons jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, super finely chopped
1¾ cup fresh corn (from about 2 large ears)
½ cup medium dry sherry
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, washed and dried, roughly chopped
6 cups loosely packed fresh, baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
salt and pepper to taste
about 2¼ cups Ancho Chile Enchilada Sauce (or other favorite)
2½ cups Mexican cheese blend (Sharp Cheddar, Monterey Jack are great), shredded
10 small (approx. 5-inch) flour tortillas (use corn for gluten-free version)
avocado and tomato slices to garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Make the Filling

Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and coat it with the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until it's soft and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic, red pepper, and jalapeño pepper. Continue to cook over medium-high heat, stirring periodically until everything is soft and beginning to brown, another 5 minutes or so. Now add the corn and cook for just a couple of minutes.
Turn the heat to low and deglaze the pan with the sherry. Then turn the heat back up, and reduce the sherry completely -- this should take about 2 minutes.
Stir in the cumin, lime juice, and cilantro. Add the spinach and cook for another few minutes, just to wilt it. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How.)

Assemble

Pour ¾ cup of the enchilada sauce into a rectangular baking dish, approximately 9 x 13 inch, and spread it out. Then one at a time, assemble the enchiladas as follows:
Add 1 more cup of the enchilada sauce to a shallow bowl and dredge a tortilla into it, coating both sides. Then add about ⅓ cup of the vegetable mixture, in a line, in the center of the tortilla and sprinkle it with about 1 tablespoon of the cheese. Roll the tortilla and place it to one end of the dish, with the seam side down. Repeat this process with the other tortillas. Add the remaining enchilada sauce and cheese evenly over the top of the rolled enchiladas.
Bake and serve. Place uncovered in the oven until the cheese is melted and the tortillas have softened a bit, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with freshly sliced avocados and and tomatoes if desired.

Notes

Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.

Nutrition