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Vegan Enchiladas filled with Cauliflower & Bean Taco Meat and topped with homemade Enchilada Sauce make for an amazing plant-based dinner. Soyfree. Gluten-free and Nutfree option included
Enchiladas are the perfect weeknight dinner food, if you ask me. Tacos might be all the rage but let’s never forget about enchiladas! What’s not to love about soft tortillas that are stuffed, rolled and drenched in red enchilada sauce. Flavor central. This easy recipe for vegan enchiladas features homemade vegan cauliflower taco meat and a quick enchilada sauce – no sautéing! The cauliflower taco meat all comes together in a food processor!
Guys you gotta try these unbelievable enchiladas. Tbe enchilada sauce is just mixed in a bowl. No sautéing or blending needed.
These enchiladas are meat free, dairy free and can be made gluten-free! I skip the cheese sauce for this recipe to keep things lighter. I use my cauliflower walnut taco meat as the base of filling. Add some beans if you like to make it hearty. Then fill, fold, drizzle some enchilada sauce and bake. Top with some fresh tomatoes or avocado or salsa. I use whole wheat tortillas in these but any will work. You can also make it a skillet enchilada by layering tortilla chips, the filling and sauce and some vegan cheese. Bake for 10 mins to melt the cheese.
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Vegan Enchiladas with Cauliflower Taco Meat
Ingredients
for the quick enchilada sauce:
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 1 1/3 cup water, (scant 1.5 cup)
- 2 teaspoons flour , or use rice flour or cornstarch to keep it gluten-free
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon chili powder blend of choice or use a mix of chipotle pepper powder and other pure chili powders like ancho or other blends that you have.
- 1 teaspoon oil
For the cauliflower taco meat:
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts , or a mix of walnuts and sunflower seeds. or use a mix of sunflower, hemp, and pumpkin seeds to keep it nut-free
- 1/2 cup coarsley chopped onion
- 1 small jalapeno or serrano pepper or other green chili of choice
- 1 small head of cauliflower chopped into florettes, (about 4 cups)
- 1/2 of a medium tomato or use 2 tablespoons salsa
- 2-3 tablespoons chili powder blend of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- zest of a lime
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the rest of the filling ingredients:
- 15 ounce can black beans drained or use 1 1/2 cup cooked black beans
- 4 ounce can green chilis drained or use 2-3 tablespoons chopped pickled mild jalapeno
- 5-6 Tortillas, 6 inch (a bit smaller or larger works as well)
For toppings:
- cilantro, chopped tomato, chopped onion
- lime juice or salsa or avocado
Instructions
- Make the enchilada sauce: mix all the ingredients under enchilada sauce in a bowl, until well combined. Then set aside.
- Make the cauliflower taco meat: Add the nuts or seeds, onion, and jalapeno to the processor and process to chop up the onion as well as make the nuts and seeds into a coarse mixture. Then add cauliflower and the rest of the ingredients and process again, until the mixture is a coarse meal kind of state.
- You might have to scrape the sides and then process again. I usually process about 10-15 seconds. Then scrape the sides and process another 5-10 seconds to make the mixture into a homogenous coarse mixture.
- Transfer this mixture to a parchment-lined baking sheet and then bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 c ) until golden. Move it around at 15 minutes so that the edges dont start to get overly roasted or burnt and then spread it around again.
- Once done, remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the mixture to a bowl.
- Add the black beans and chilis and mix in. Add 3 tablespoons of the enchilada sauce and mix in. This is your filling. Set aside.
- Warm your tortillas in the microwave or a skillet so that they are pliable.
- Assemble : Add some of the enchilada sauce to a 9x11 or similar size baking dish. Then fill up your tortillas with the filling and fold them over and place in the baking dish.
- Once all the tortillas have been placed, drizzle the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas and then bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 c) for 15 minutes or until the edges are a little golden and the sauce has boiled and thickened a little bit. Optional: You can also add vegan cheese shreds all over the tortillas before baking
- Remove the dish from the oven. Top with cilantro, onion, tomato, lime juice, or some salsa or chopped avocado and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients:
- The enchilada sauce is a simple blend of tomato paste, water, and enchilada spices (chili, coriander, garlic, onion powder, cumin, and oregano)
- a small amount of flour or rice flour or cornstarch (for Glutenfree) is added for thickening
- For the cauliflower taco meat, we blend raw walnuts with onion, green chili, cauliflower, salsa and chili powder along with some cumin and lime zest
- canned black beans add some texture and protein
- canned green chilis or pickled mild jalapeno add that amazing flavor to the filling
- the filling is wrapped in 5-6 wheat tortillas. We pop them in the microwave to make them softer
- For toppings, I go with the classics: cilantro, tomato, onions, and lime juice or salsa. You can’t also add cheese
Tips
- use a chili powder blend of choice or use a mix of chipotle pepper powder and other pure chili powders like ancho or other blends that you have
- instead of walnuts, add a mix of walnuts and sunflower seeds or use a mix of sunflower, hemp, and pumpkin seeds to keep it nut-free
- to keep this gluten-free, use gluten-free tortillas, and use rice flour or cornstarch or any other starch in the enchilada sauce
- to keep this nut-free, use the seeds mentioned in the ingredients instead of walnuts.
How to make Vegan Cauliflower & Bean Taco Meat Enchiladas:
Make the cauliflower taco meat: Add the nuts or seeds, onion, and jalapeno to the processor and process to chop up the onion as well as make the nuts and seeds into a coarse mixture.
Then add the rest of the ingredients and process again, until the mixture is a coarse meal kind of state.
Transfer this mixture to a parchment-lined baking sheet and then bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 c ) until lightly golden. Move it around at 15 minutes so that the edges dont start to get overly roasted or burnt and then spread it around again.
Once done, remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Add the black beans and chilis and mix in
Add 3 tablespoons of the enchilada sauce and mix in. This is your filling. Set aside.
Warm your tortillas in the microwave or a skillet so that they are pliable.
Make the enchilada sauce: mix all the ingredients under enchilada sauce in a bowl, until well combined. Then set aside.
Assemble: Add some of the enchilada sauce to a 9×11 or similar size baking dish.
Then fill up your tortillas with the filling and fold them over and place in the baking dish.
Once all the tortillas have been placed, drizzle the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas and then bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 c) for 15 minutes until the sauce has boiled and thickened a little bit.
Remove the dish from the oven. Top with cilantro, onion, tomato, lime juice, or some salsa or chopped avocado and serve.
Storage
Store refrigerated for upto 3 days. Microwave or reheat in the oven to reheat.
Made this for my guests last night. They were amazed that these were vegan. I will be making these enchiladas again.
So happy to hear!
How do you keep doing it over and over again? This was astoundingly good. I wish I’d doubled it, but I WILL be making it again. Soon. Hubs is going out of town and I have leftovers, so I’m not cooking for a few days, but malai kofta is next. I can hardly wait!
🙂 thank you!
Loved this recipe. Will make again! Even my kids, who are not fans of cauliflower and black beans, ate this without complaining. It’s also very easy to prepare, with hardly any chopping, no cooking the sauce. Since we are not vegan, I did add some shredded cheese on top
yay!
I made it nut free for my friend and also onion garlic free for me and I completely forgot to add cumin. I also made a mango salsa to do with. It was still delicious 🤤
I’m gonna try some more of your recipes
Oh! next time with the cumin then and sounds great with the mango salsa.
Okay. Just made this recipe today. Every single recipe I’ve tried (tikkis, chana masala, aloo gobi, General Tso’s cauliflower, so far) has been an absolute KNOCKOUT. They are complex and have a lot of moving parts, but WOW are they worth it!
While eating these enchiladas, I had to keep on reminding myself that I wasn’t actually eating ground beef or turkey. My husband couldn’t believe it either. I will likely use this “meat” for other recipes in place of frozen plant crumbles- this is just superior. And the sauce on this one as well as the others are just incredible. I am so pleased with this website and this recipe. Wow. Just wow!
thta’s great!
This was so delicious and easier than expected! I love the stir-and-dump sauce, not having to cook it separately. Another winner.
Hooray! i love it too
Made these for dinner. Doubled everything and everyone was so happy!
Awesome! Thanks!
Excellent, as always!! Really delicious!! I made for dinner withs friends and everyone was impressed. Another winner, for sure! Thank you!
Yay
These look delicious!!
Also very excited for your new cookbook!!!!!!!!
You and your recipes rock.
YOU rock Sue. thank you