fbpx
470 Shares
Mexican food is so easy to make plant based, vegan, and vegetarian friendly.  These healthy black bean and spinach enchiladas uses my creamy cashew cream cheese sauce recipe to make them so delicious!  Loaded with veggies these are the best vegan enchiladas you’ll ever have and so simple to bake like a casserole.  You can even use corn tortillas to make them gluten free.  They are whole food plant based no oil and forks over knives compliant. #veganenchiladas #blackbeanenchiladas #healthyveganrecipes #vegetarian #wfpb #wholefoodplantbased #forksoverknives #eattolive

My favorite cuisine is Mexican. And happily, it’s actually pretty easy to turn Mexican food favorites in to whole food plant based recipes. I’ve been craving creamy enchiladas and realized I could use my Nacho Cheese Sauce to make these Vegan Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas! Oh and they turned out so YUM!

Traditional Mexican Food used to be Plant-Based

Traditionally, Mexican food was ACTUALLY mostly plant based. Meat was scarce & expensive, so the staples were beans and rice. That has since changed because meat is much less expensive, but it used to NOT be the center of the dish. Traditional Mexican food was bean, rice, & vegetable based.

Today, (in Texas), Tex-Mex is very popular and is a far cry from traditional Mexican food, but to us it’s become one and the same. Enchiladas, tacos, fajitas, etc. Even though most restaurant Mexican or Tex-Mex food is meat based & smothered in unhealthy cheese, it is actually REALLY easy to turn in to a healthy plant-based version at home.

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I love and it’s how I keep getting to create more great recipes for you!

Red Enchilada Sauce for these Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas

You have some options for the red enchilada sauce. To save time you can use store bought canned red enchilada sauce. But watch out for added ingredients and it’s usually very high in sodium and may have hydrolyzed corn protein – that’s code for MSG.

A good lower sodium & organic red enchilada sauce is this one from 365, a Whole Foods Brand, but you can also get it from Amazon if you don’t have a Whole Foods near you.

black bean and spinach enchiladas healthy no oil

The creamy cheesiness to these healthy, vegan enchiladas

These vegan black bean & spinach enchiladas are topped with my cashew based nacho cheese sauce. The red enchilada sauce & my nacho cheese sauce blends together to create a cheesy chili con queso type flavor. Ooooh so good!

Don’t want to use nuts for the cashew based nacho cheese sauce? No problem! In the recipe, you can use a cooked potato instead for less expense, less fat, and no nut allergies. Or you can just leave off the cheese sauce altogether and only have the red sauce topping.

You will want to make a double batch of these because they won’t last long! My youngest son ate 3 enchiladas in one sitting!

What brand of whole grain tortillas for these enchiladas?

There are many more whole grain tortillas on the market these days, but many have oil or additives and very high sodium content. Read the ingredients and nutrition facts before making your decision. The BEST brand to use is Ezekiel’s Sprouted Grain Tortillas and they can be found in the freezer section. You’ll want to thaw them out in the refrigerator or microwave before using so that they are pliable.

Want over 50 delicious (I promise!) whole food plant based recipes that take 30 minutes or less? Check out my Quick & Easy Plant Based Power Pack!

Gluten-Free Tortillas for Enchiladas

It’s super easy to make these gluten free. Just use corn tortillas. Make sure they are certified gluten free if you have celiac disease. Corn tortillas are usually smaller than wheat tortillas, so you will probably need to use 2-3 times as many. Warm them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to make them softer so they don’t break when rolling.

Simple Ingredients for Vegan Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350º F. Start the Nacho Cheese Recipe by boiling the carrots. https://simplyplantbasedkitchen.com/2019/09/18/healthy-vegan-nacho-cheese-recipe/If making your own homemade enchilada sauce, make that now. Otherwise you can use store bought Red Enchilada Sauce and continue to the next step.
  • In a medium skillet, water or broth saute the garlic, onion, & red bell pepper for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add more water or broth as necessary.
  • Add the black beans, corn, and mix until well combined, lower heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add more water or broth if it seems to dry.
  • Once the the carrot is tender, continue making the nacho cheese sauce as directed.
  • Spread a 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish.
  • Generously fill each tortilla with the black bean mixture, roll up and lay seam side down in the baking dish.
  • Drizzle the rest of the enchilada sauce (about 3/4 cup) over the enchiladas. Then drizzle 1 cup of the vegan nacho cheese sauce over the enchiladas.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Top with chopped cilantro & chopped green onions if you like.
Mexican food is so easy to make plant based, vegan, and vegetarian friendly. These healthy black bean and spinach enchiladas uses my creamy cashew cream cheese sauce recipe to make them so delicious! Loaded with veggies these are the best vegan enchiladas you’ll ever have and so simple to bake like a casserole. You can even use corn tortillas to make them gluten free. They are whole food plant based no oil and forks over knives compliant. #veganenchiladas #blackbeanenchiladas #healthyveganrecipes #vegetarian #wfpb #wholefoodplantbased #forksoverknives #eattolive

More recipes you might like:

If you try this recipe please comment below & give it a star rating!

Vegan Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas with Nacho Cheese Sauce

These vegan black bean & spinach enchiladas smothered in a healthy vegan nacho cheese sauce will be a family favorite! Quick and easy to make.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: vegan black bean enchiladas, vegan spinach enchiladas, veggie enchiladas, whole food plant based enchiladas
Servings: 4
Calories: 525kcal
Author: Kim Murphy

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350º F. Start the Nacho Cheese Recipe by boiling the carrots. https://simplyplantbasedkitchen.com/2019/09/18/healthy-vegan-nacho-cheese-recipe/
    If making your own homemade enchilada sauce, make that now. Otherwise you can use store bought Red Enchilada Sauce and continue to the next step.
  • In a medium skillet, water or broth saute the garlic, onion, & red bell pepper for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add more water or broth as necessary, but not too much so the mixture doesn't become soupy.
  • Add the black beans, corn, & 1/4 cup enchilada sauce and mix until well combined, lower heat, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
  • Once the the carrot is tender, continue making the nacho cheese sauce as directed.
  • Spread a 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish.
  • Generously fill each tortilla with the black bean mixture, roll up and lay seam side down in the baking dish.
  • Drizzle the rest of the enchilada sauce (about 1 cup) over the enchiladas. Then drizzle 1 cup of the vegan nacho cheese sauce over the enchiladas.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Top with chopped cilantro & chopped green onions if you like.

Notes

You can leave off the nacho cheese sauce if you prefer and only use the red enchilada sauce.
I use frozen chopped onion to save on prep time.
Here’s a good homemade whole food plant based enchilada sauce: https://monkeyandmekitchenadventures.com/enchilada-sauce/

Nutrition

Serving: 2enchiladas | Calories: 525kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 550mg | Potassium: 834mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 4347IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 267mg | Iron: 7mg

New to Whole Food Plant Based? Discover the EXACT healthy foods you should be eating with my Ultimate Plant-Based Grocery Shopping List. Fill out the form below and get it sent to you immediately for FREE!

470 Shares