Happy Cinco de Mayo! I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes and the one I’ll be making tonight, along with some cilantro rice and refried pinto beans!
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchiladas
There are hundreds of recipes for enchiladas, and over the years, I have taken bits from every recipe I’ve ever made and combined them in a straightforward recipe.
I subbed vegan Violife feta for the queso fresco, which worked perfectly. Both kinds of cheese are mild, crumbly, and soft. Though feta is a little saltier, you won’t notice it in this recipe.
The cashew crema is optional but highly recommended! It takes the place of sour cream, and I like to drizzle it on top of the enchiladas when they come straight out of the oven!
Fry, Dip, and Roll time!
The most important tip for avoiding soggy enchiladas is to briefly fry your tortillas in hot oil before you fill and roll. I used to wrap the tortillas in a wet paper towel and microwave, but they still broke apart, just not as severely. The pan-frying method is foolproof!
The other thing to note is the amount of sauce you need. Sometimes as Americans, we tend to like our food swimming in sauce. But an authentic enchilada has just enough, but not too much sauce.
Fry
Before frying your tortillas, spread about a cup of sauce lengthwise down the center of your baking sheet. You will also want to warm your enchilada sauce slightly in a large saucepan or a small skillet. Each tortilla needs only about 10 seconds per side.
Dip
After frying the tortillas, dip each side in warm enchilada sauce to coat the whole surface. This method will ensure even distribution.
Roll
Then roll. Roll the seam side down. Be sure not to fill them too much, or the filling will fall out of the sides.
Bake
The other consideration is “to cover, or not to cover?” The short answer is both. You will want to cover them for most of the cooking time to prevent them from drying out. But, about 5 minutes before they’re done, remove the foil and bake uncovered.
When done, top with whatever your heart desires, fresh tomatoes, sliced radishes, crunchy pickled red onions or jalapenos, lime wedges, and fresh cilantro!
Enjoy
Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas with Cashew Crema
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Cashew Crema: (optional, but recommended)
- 3/4 cups raw cashews (soaked overnight or boiled for 10 minutes)
- 2/3 cup water, plus more for desired consistency
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Enchiladas:
- 10–12 yellow corn tortillas (white corn tortillas are too delicate)
- 2 (15 oz) cans organic enchilada sauce (I like Hatch brand), or homemade (see simple recipe in notes below)
- 1 (15 oz) can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn, frozen or fresh
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 1 medium sweet potato, small diced (bite-size)
- 1/4 cup vegetable stock, or water
- 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (preferably)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 package of vegan feta, crumbled
- 1 block Daiya Jalapeno Havarti Cheese, finely grated
Garnish:
- Diced tomatoes, garnish
- 1 green onion, sliced
- Vegan sour cream
- Cilantro, minced
Instructions
Cashew Crema:
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth. *May need to add more water, 1 TBSP at a time to smooth it. (Note): In my Vitamix, it took another ¼ water and about 1 minute of blending on high. It may take longer, depending on your blender. Scrape down the sides as needed.
Enchiladas:
- Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C)
- Prepare Cashew Crema and refrigerate.
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic, onions, and jalapeño and cook until the onions become translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and add 1/4 cup vegetable stock or water and all remaining ingredients except feta, shredded cheese, and cashew crema. Cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. (You may need to add more stock or water a tablespoon at a time if necessary to prevent sticking)
- Pour enchilada sauce into a medium skillet and warm slightly over medium heat.
- Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in another medium-sized skillet. Add each tortilla to the oil and lightly pan-fry each side for about 10 seconds per side. Drain tortillas on a plate lined with a paper towel. Immediately dip in enchilada sauce.
- Build enchiladas by dredging each side of the tortilla evenly in the enchilada sauce. (May need to add more sauce). Fill each tortilla with a few spoonfuls of vegan feta and top with sweet potato filling.
- Next, roll the tortilla and place the seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat until all tortillas are used.
- Cover the rolled tortillas with the remainder of your enchilada sauce. Then top with the remaining finely grated cheese.
- Cover with tinfoil and bake for 20 minutes until the sauce is nice and bubbly. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 5 more minutes or until the cheese melts.
- Top with vegan crema, cilantro, green onion, and diced tomatoes.
- Enjoy!
Red Enchilada Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp Mexican Oregano
- 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Add the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and saute the garlic until it is fragrant about 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato sauce, vegetable broth, chile powder, cumin, chipotle chiles, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Set aside until ready to use.