Last Wednesday, I drove straight from hot yoga, sweaty and all, to girls’ night. My girls love me, so they didn’t complain. Lately, girls’ night has turned from dinner together to a more casual snacks-and-wine-after-the-kids-go-to-bed affair, which is just as much fun, anyway.
Margaret poured us each a drink and we sat down around her dining table, which she had decked out with an impressive assortment of appetizers. Hummus, crackers, chocolate-covered almonds and a cheese plate were in attendance, and my offering of candied nuts fit right in.
We celebrated good news together and I showed Tessa how to use the puppy dog Snapchat filter. In between the laughs, I remembered how fun sharing food with loved ones can be. It fills in the pauses between conversations as we pass food around the table and comment on it.
I’ve been so caught up in the nitty-gritty cookbook details and making sure everything is just right that I’ve almost forgotten the point of it all.
I’m so determined to get the recipes just right because I want them to turn out beautifully in your kitchens, with minimal stress along the way. I want you to be able to trust my recipes and relax with your family and friends, or have a fun evening making yourself nourishing food to last through the work week. That’s the whole point, and sometimes it escapes me during late nights. At girls’ night, I fell in love with food again.
Which brings me to my partners at Frontier Co-op and their #cookwithpurpose campaign. I’m continuing to share how I cook with purpose. This time, it’s by making recipes that you can share with your family and friends.
Vegetable Enchilada Notes
These enchiladas are a casual, hearty entree that will be met with delight as you pass it around the table. When the dust settles from the cookbook, I’m going to invite friends over for an enchilada party.
These enchiladas are somewhat similar to the spinach artichoke enchiladas you all have enjoyed so much, but with no artichoke and half as much beans. I covered them with my go-to homemade enchilada sauce, of course. They’re just cheesy enough, with a filling of sautéed bell pepper, broccoli, onion, spinach, black beans and some warming spices.
This recipe isn’t the quickest option around, but it is totally worth the effort. If you love it, be sure to check out the roasted sweet potato enchiladas in my cookbook (it’s out now!).
Watch How to Make Vegetarian Enchiladas
Please let me know how these veggie enchiladas turn out for you in the comments! I’m always so eager to hear from you.
Craving more hearty, veggie-packed main dishes? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
- Spinach Artichoke Enchiladas
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas
- Best Vegetable Lasagna
Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas
- Author:
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Amazing vegetarian enchiladas stuffed with black beans, broccoli, bell pepper and spinach, topped with homemade red sauce. My favorite enchilada recipe! Recipe yields 8 enchiladas, enough for about 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 2 cups homemade enchilada sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped red onion (about 1 small red onion)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 bunch of broccoli or 1 small head of cauliflower (about 1 pound), florets removed and sliced into small, bite-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon Frontier Co-op Ground Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Frontier Co-op Ground Cinnamon
- 5 to 6 ounces baby spinach (about 5 cups, packed)
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 whole wheat tortillas (about 8” in diameter)
- Handful of chopped cilantro, for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with one rack in the middle of the oven and one in the upper third. Lightly grease a 9 by 13-inch pan with olive oil or cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil until simmering. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the broccoli and bell pepper, stir, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover the skillet (I don’t have a lid for mine, so I just placed a cookie sheet on top). Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 to 9 minutes, or until the broccoli is brighter green and just starting to turn golden on the edges.
- Add the cumin and cinnamon to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach, a few handfuls at a time, stirring until it has reduced in size. Repeat with remaining spinach and cook until all of the spinach has wilted.
- Transfer the contents of the pan to a medium mixing bowl. Add the drained beans, ¼ cup cheese and a drizzle of enchilada sauce (about 2 tablespoons). Season with ½ teaspoon salt and some freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
- Assemble the enchiladas: Pour ¼ cup enchilada sauce into your prepared pan and tilt it from side to side until the bottom of the pan is evenly coated. To assemble your first enchilada, spread ½ cup filling mixture down the middle of a tortilla, then snugly wrap the left side over and then the right, to make a wrap. Place it seam side down against the edge of your pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
- Drizzle the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas, leaving the tips of the enchiladas bare. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese evenly over the enchiladas.
- Bake, uncovered, on the middle rack for 20 minutes. If the cheese on top isn’t golden enough for your liking, carefully transfer the enchiladas to the upper rack of the oven and bake for an additional 3 to 6 minutes, until sufficiently golden and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let the enchiladas rest for 10 minutes (they’re super hot!). Before serving, sprinkle chopped cilantro down the center of the enchiladas. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my spinach artichoke enchiladas.
Make it vegan: I believe you could just skip the cheese altogether and still end up with awesome enchiladas. You might top them with sliced avocado for some extra creaminess.
Make it gluten free: Substitute certified gluten-free “flour” tortillas, or use corn tortillas (they’re smaller than my 8″ tortillas, so you might need more than 8 tortillas). If you use corn tortillas, you’ll need to gently warm them before you try to roll them up, or they might break.
Serving suggestions: These enchiladas are great with a green side salad or my healthy slaw!
Storage suggestions: I just covered my enchiladas with plastic wrap and reheat enchiladas as necessary. If you want to warm them in the oven, cover the top of the baker with parchment paper or foil to prevent them from getting too browned.
▸ Nutrition Information
This post was created in partnership with Frontier Co-op and I received compensation for my participation. Opinions are my own, always. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support C+K!
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Rina
I love this recipe so much and so does everyone I make it for. It tastes even better the next day once the flavors really settle in. I wanted to make it a day ahead of time for this reason. What would I heat the tray up at to serve them the next day. They will come from the fridge.
Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Rina! I’m glad you loved it.
Kayleen
I’ve made this a few times now, and prefer to leave out the broccoli. I just sub in extra onions and spinach. Overall I love the flavors, and the sauce is so delicious. I’m making this for a family gathering this weekend and will try casserole assembly vs. rolling enchiladas. I’ll be making the sauce and filling ahead, then assembling the day of. I’m looking forward to eating them again!
★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Kayleen! I appreciate you taking time to share how you make it.
Renaye
Very good….first time i have made enchiladas. I made these tonight with the homemade enchilada sauce. They were a big hit. No left overs tonight. I used cauliflower instead of brocolli. I also used 1/4tsp of chilli powder in the homemade enchilada sauce and that was enough to give it some warmth and still be enjoyable for our younger members of the whānau. I know this will become a regular request from now on.
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Renaye! I appreciate your review.
Priya
This recipe looks delicious. Could I substitute squash and zucchini for the broccoli and spinach? Would that alter any of the steps?
Kate
Hi! You could try it. You may need less cooking time for the filling prior to stuffing. Let me know what you think, Priya!
Jenny
Yum! Used store bought sauce but followed recipe as written. Turned out delicious! Ready for these leftovers tomorrow
Kate
That’s great, Jenny! Thank you for your review.
Emily
Best of the best recipes. We eat these nearly every week and I frequently make them for non-vegeatrians because they are flavorful and filling.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you loved it, Emily! Thank you for your review.
Haylee
Can I freeze and reheat? How much time would you recommend reheating for it to fully thaw?
I made half batch to eat tonight and half batch to freeze and the fresh batch was sooooo yummy! We’re vegan so I just swapped for vegan shredded cheese, & also added “chickn” flavored soy curls for an additional chicken-y texture. For the cauliflower I used cauliflower rice and that was really nice. It was almost like a vegan chicken and black bean enchilada with rice bc of the swaps I made haha so yummy & I LOVE the sauce.
★★★★★
Kate
Sure, this should work well. I would recommend putting it in individual proportions. I don’t have guidance on how much time for it to thaw, but I find a day in the refrigerator tends work for most things.
tim
These enchiladas are SO GOOD at room temperature! Just out of the oven they aren’t really amazing but for some reason letting them sit for a couple hours did something to the flavor. The texture was better too, they became firmer and the ingredients came together better after sitting once they’re cooked. The sauce is easily customizable and so is the filling for the enchiladas but I followed everything pretty much to a T. I would say the enchilada sauce could use more kick maybe from soaking and blending dry chilis but other than that, this is a fantastic and easy recipe.
★★★★★
Susan
Loved your enchilada sauce recipe! Made the enchiladas as well based on what I had in the house. I upped spices for filling and added a bit of ground coriander. Thanks for two very good recipes!
★★★★★
Nancy
My family and I tried this recipe last night with your homemade enchilada sauce. We devoured it, especially my extremely picky toddler! I was trying different Mexican recipes for my toddler and she didn’t like any at all. And this recipe must’ve struck a chord because she kept asking for more! But we went less on the chilli powder for sauce and added quinoa in the filling. This will be a regular rotation in our house for sure. Thank you for posting this recipe!!
★★★★★
Kate
I love to hear that, Nancy! Thank you for your review.
Bonni B
I’ve made this recipe twice in a week. It’s absolutely wonderful. I used cauliflower instead of broccoli. My non-vegetarian husband thinks it’s fabulous!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing how you made it, Bonni! I appreciate your review.
Tiffany
My boyfriend made these for me (not vegetarian) and my vegetarian roommate. They were absolutely one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. We did add more cheese because cheese! Love the variety of veggies in the filling. Will keep in dinner rotation!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Tiffany!
Natalie
These are excellent! Super easy to make with whatever veggies you have on hand, and we cheat by using premade enchilada sauce.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Natalie!
Mary
I believe this is my fourth or fifth time making these! I use follow your heart cheese and it comes out so delicious!
★★★★★
Kate
I love that you have made these enchiladas so much, Mary! I appreciate your review.
LaDonna Marie Conley
Can you freeze these (baked? Unbaked) to heat and serve later??
Kate
Hi! If you plan to freeze, I would freeze once cooled after you have baked them. Let me know what you think!
Luke
Simply delicious. Best thing I’ve made in a while!
Anne
This is going into the rotation for sure, holy moly this was good. Comfort food and veggie servings wrapped up into one is about as good as it gets!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, Anne! I appreciate your review.
Callie
I love this recipe!! Just made it for the fifth time last night and I think I have it mastered. I just whatever veggies I have on hand (mushrooms, extra peppers, etc.) and added soyrizo for extra protein. I also use non-dairy cheese so it’s plant based. Love making a big dish and eating it throughout the week — I usually double it! Thank you for sharing :-)
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Callie! Thank you for your review.
Marita
D-lish! The enchilada sauce was super tasty. Three happy kids and a hubbie. I made it vegan with cashew nut cheese.
★★★★★
Lisa Vogt
I have been making these for a couple years now. It is defiantly one of our family’s favorite. Thank you!
★★★★★
Barbara
I made these this week and lovvve them!!! My husband and daughter did as well. The cinnamon with the cumin is so different and so good! Honestly, I’m not surprised… EVERY single recipe I have made of yours is fantastic (and I have made A LOT) xo
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Barbara. I appreciate your review.
Shiry
Delicious!! Used both broccoli and cauliflower in the mix, and gf corn tortillas – it turned out fantastic. Thank you for sharing this!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Shiry! I appreciate your review.
Ryley
I made this but didn’t have broccoli and have an abundance of cabbage from my garden. It was a delicious substitution!
★★★★★
AJ
I followed this recipe to a T, my onky 2 problems were:
1) The filling sauce became almost solid after about 1 hr at room temperature, in fact I could no longer pour it, had to scoop it.
2) The homemade enchilada sauce recipe only made 1 1/2 cups not 2. So I used that.
Finally, a question, can you use yellow onion instead of red?
Kate
Hi Aj, I’m sorry to hear that. Sounds like there was too much thickener and/or cooked too hot that it lost some moisture and to why you had less volume.
Allison Smith
I came across your site whilst searching for a sauce for enchiladas, as I had already made a filling. Just wanted to let you know that I thought your recipe for the sauce was delicious, and it went down very well with my vegetarian guest. I have pointed her in the direction of your website. Regards, Allison, Scotland.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Allison! I appreciate your review.
Jenia
Hi cookie and Kate! Can I freeze the enchiladas and for how long?
Kate
Hi! Yes, this one you can freeze as others have enjoyed it. Typically freezing food is good for 3-6 months. Use your best judgement. I hope you enjoy it.
Mary
Making this for my sister and her husband…have made this many times and it’s always a favorite! Fingers crossed that they’ll like them!
★★★★★
Tracey
OMG these are the bomb!
I made everything as instructed, but used cheddar jack cheese and a bit more than instructed. My family had NO idea they were eating so healthy.
Thank you!
Kate
I’m glad you loved them, Tracey! Thank you for sharing.
Amy
I was skeptical about broccoli in an enchilada, but it came out great! I used broccoli and cauliflower and seasoned it well. Very yummy and repeatable. I forgot the spinach but it’s just as well because my pan was bursting with veggies anyway. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Courtney Karner
My husband can’t stop raving about this recipe and the homemade enchilada sauce!
★★★★★
Sonja
I followed the recipe exactly, including the homemade sauce. Couldn’t be more pleased. I might double the sauce next time. Yes, there will definitely be a next time!
★★★★★
Lesa Palmer
I have never left a review for a recipe before, but these were literally amazing.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m excited you enjoyed it, Lesa.
AK
THIS IS SO GOOD. I knew considering the high rating and high number of reviews it had to be, but you never know! I am so impressed. I am gluten free so I used corn tortillas – worked perfectly! I also used frozen broccoli just because that is what I had on hand. I also used regular yellow onion because I don’t like red onion! Not major changes but still wanted to note.
This sauce is awesome and is worth the extra time to make! Im telling everyone I know to make this. Now I have leftovers for the whole week!! :)
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so glad you loved these enchiladas! I appreciate you taking the time to review.