Vegetarian Enchiladas

May 1, 2024
3 min read

Growing up, my mom cooked Mexican food almost every night. She would spend many hours prepping for dinner and taking her time to make each recipe perfectly. I loved all her recipes growing up, but whenever she made enchiladas I was especially excited. I am often inspired by my mother's recipes and I cherish the opportunity to share my own versions with her.

My vegetarian enchilada recipe has been mom-approved! Here is my rendition of her classic recipe, which I made my own by adding fresh vegetables and a little kick of cayenne pepper. This is a wonderful recipe for your next party, too, because you can make them ahead of time and cook them on the day-of. They won't last very long once you set them on the dinner table, so I suggest making a double, or even a triple, batch!

Makes 1 1/2 dozen enchiladas.

For the enchiladas:

1 medium zucchini squash

1 medium green bell pepper

2 large carrots

2 cups Mexican blend cheese, shredded

1 1/2 dozen corn tortillas

For the sauce:

1/2 cup avocado oil*

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 tbsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper**

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground pasilla pepper

1 tsp ground New Mexico chili***

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh-ground black pepper

2 cups water

1. Heat avocado oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Take caution when heating oil; do not leave hot oil unattended. To test whether the oil is hot, sprinkle some flour into the oil. The flour will sizzle when the oil is hot. Once the oil is hot, lower the burner to medium low heat.

2. Slowly pour the flour into the hot oil. Stir carefully. Working quickly, add the seasonings, salt, and pepper to the flour and oil mixture. Stir until thoroughly mixed. The mixture should look like a paste.

3. Add the water to the skillet slowly. The sauce should be slightly runny. Stir the enchilada sauce frequently until you get the desired consistency. Add more water as desired and salt to taste. Leave the sauce on low heat and stir occasionally.

The sauce gets a nice orange color from the addition of a mild, red chili such as ground New Mexico chili.

4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the zucchini, bell pepper, and carrots into quarters and mix them in a small bowl.

5. Steam the corn tortillas by wrapping them in a wet towel and placing them in the microwave for 30 seconds. Flip the tortillas over and microwave for another 30 seconds. Repeat until the tortillas are warm, about 1-2 minutes. This will ensure the tortillas will not crack when you attempt to roll them.

6. Place a tortilla in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread sauce on the tortilla. Fill the tortilla with the mixed vegetables. Sprinkle a small amount of cheese on top of the vegetables. Roll the tortilla and secure it by placing a small dab of sauce on the edges of the tortilla. Repeat several times until the baking dish is full of rolled and filled tortillas.

7. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the rolled and filled tortillas. Top with more cheese and bake approximately 35 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and vegetables are soft. Let the enchiladas set 5 minutes before serving.