Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas

We love to cozy up with these vegetarian enchiladas on fall nights. Their filling is a sweet & spicy mix of butternut squash, black beans & scallions.

Vegetarian enchiladas

To me, it seems like there’s always a shortage of good vegetarian enchiladas on restaurant menus. So often, you find chicken enchiladas only, or the vegetarian enchiladas look a like cheese bomb on a plate. Now, rather than going out, I make this vegetarian enchilada recipe from the “Winter Squash” section of our first cookbook when an enchilada craving strikes. It’s lighter than most restaurant enchiladas, but it’s still spicy & satisfying. Let’s cook!

Lately, these vegetarian black bean enchiladas have become one of our favorite dinners for cold nights. The spicy, gooey tortillas and hearty veggie filling are the ultimate form of comfort food. I highly recommend you try them out this fall, but before you make them, here’s my #1 enchilada tip: Spread the enchilada sauce down the center of the enchiladas only, leaving the tortilla edges exposed. That way, you’ll get a delicious contrast between the soft, saucy parts and the dry edges that crisp up in the oven.

Enchilada recipe

Vegetarian Enchiladas Ingredients

Unlike some vegetarian enchilada recipes, these are pretty simple to make. The filling here is a mixture of roasted butternut squash, cooked black beans, and scallions (although I think sweet potatoes would be delicious as well). Roll it up in corn tortillas and smother them with this smoky homemade enchilada sauce. Top with cheese if you like. Note – pictured here is not the vegan version, but there is a vegan option in the recipe below, so feel free to omit the cheese if you’re dairy-free.

Enchilada Recipe

What to Serve with Vegetarian Enchiladas

Sometimes, we enjoy these sweet & spicy enchiladas on their own – they’re filling and delicious enough to be a satisfying meal without a bunch of sides! But when we’re feeling fancy or we’re serving a crowd, I’ll pair them with cilantro lime rice, cauliflower rice, spiced quinoa, or my Mexican street corn salad. In addition, you could top them with any of the sauces below, or set out tortilla chips for dipping!

Enjoy!

How to make enchiladas Vegetarian Enchiladas

If you love these vegetarian enchiladas…

Try my vegetarian tacos, vegan tacos, quesadillas, or quinoa stuffed acorn squash next!


5.0 from 18 reviews

Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas

 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
These delicious vegetarian enchiladas are stuffed with butternut squash and black beans. Perfect for a cozy fall dinner!
Author:
Recipe type: Main dish
Serves: 3
Ingredients
filling:
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups cubed butternut squash
  • ⅓ cup chopped scallions
  • 1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
sauce:
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 3 tablespoons adobo sauce from canned chipotles in adobo sauce
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
for the enchilada assembly:
  • 6-8 corn tortillas or homemade tortillas
  • 2 cups grated white cheddar cheese
  • 1 jalapeno, sliced
serve with:
  • Cilantro, for garnish
  • Avocado slices
  • Lime slices, on the side
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Make the filling: Spread the butternut squash cubes on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Roast until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer the roasted squash to a bowl and stir in the scallions and black beans.
  3. Make the sauce: In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the tomato sauce, garlic, and adobo sauce. Let simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
  4. In a 9x13 inch baking dish, spread 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish. Assemble the corn tortillas with about ½ cup of the filling, a tablespoon of the sauce, and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll each tortilla and place seam side down into the baking dish.
  5. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and the jalapeños slices. Bake covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling.
  6. Serve with fresh cilantro, avocado slices and lime slices.
Notes
Vegan option: skip the cheese and serve the enchiladas with vegan sour cream mixed with a squeeze of lime on the side.

 

50 comments

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  1. nicole
    06.30.2024

    Can I make these a day ahead of time and refrigerate? Will they get soggy?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      07.12.2024

      Hi Nicole, They will be a bit softer, but I think it would still work to make them ahead. The edges of the tortillas will crisp up when you bake them.

  2. andi
    03.29.2024

    What size tortillas work best? Thanks

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.29.2024

      Hi Andi, you could use 6-inch or 8-inch tortillas.

  3. JUDITH
    03.25.2024

    This recipe is delicious! We were so surprised that we didn’t miss the meat. Even my 11yo grandson loved it.
    The only thing I varied from the original recipe was to double the sauce…which was SO delicious!!
    Try it!

  4. Heather
    01.04.2024

    Made these right before I had my baby to freeze for after I gave birth. I wish I had made more – they heated up beautifully a month postpartum, and were a great “I don’t have time/ mental bandwidth to cook” new parent meal. Would recommend if supporting new parents through a meal train, etc. (or if you just want to make your life simpler and have some healthy-ish stuff on hand in the freezer).

    Thank you for the recipe!

  5. Lisa Kaplan
    08.09.2023

    I have a question about how you cook your various recipes from frozen. Do you defrost then cook at 350 for an hour or cook from frozen? I have made and frozen two of your meals, but the original instructions for cooking are way different from the 350 for an hour. Thanks.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      08.11.2023

      Hi Lisa, You can let the enchiladas thaw overnight in the fridge and then bake until they’re heated through and the cheese is browned. The timing here will be less than an hour, about 30 to 40 minutes. If you bake the enchiladas from frozen, they will take 1 hour to 90 minutes to heat through. I hope this helps!

  6. Marysa
    07.19.2023

    How interesting that you used squash in this. Looks delicious! We have made enchiladas but only with cheese and beans. It is nice to try something a little different.

  7. Bonnie
    02.27.2022

    Can you use canned black beans in the recipe>

  8. Barbara
    02.26.2022

    Looks delish, but anyone who thinks this is quick and easy has either never tried to peel and dice a butternut squash, or buys them already cut up for a higher price, when this option is available.

    • C
      02.27.2022

      Slice the top and bottom off of the butternut to stabilize. Use a potato peeler, to remove the tough skin, it’s much easier. Or cut in half, de-seed, lightly oil & season, then par-bake face down, with skin on, then cool. Once cooled, cube. There are always work around techniques. I didn’t have any squash left from our garden bounty, so sweet potato cubes were used. Try corn, or a can of pozole. I’m sure you can make a very delicious variation to suit your individual tastes. It’s a very yummy recipe. I really hope you get to make and enjoy this deliciousness!

  9. Kristina
    02.06.2022

    This is one of my favorite recipes now! I just made it tonight for the first time. The adobo sauce was great but oh so spicy. I used just 1 tbs and I still could feel it but was enjoyable. I love how easy it was to make this recipe, I got cubed squash from my grocery store and used canned black beans. It was still amazing!

  10. Hope
    01.21.2022

    What sauce do you recommend instead of Adobe Chipotle?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.22.2022

      Hi Hope, you can try some tomato paste and maybe a mix of chili powder and smoked paprika? I haven’t tried though, the adobo gives such a nice smoky flavor.

  11. Ann Moore
    08.22.2021

    I made these last night and replaced the squash with corn, and they were delicious. Just the right amount of spice, and an easier enchilada sauce than other enchilada sauces I’ve made from scratch. Thanks for another great recipe, Jeanine.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.22.2021

      I”m so glad you loved them, I bet they’re so good with corn!

  12. Melody
    08.11.2021

    Can you make ahead and freeze? How would you reheat. Want in freezer for family meal after surgery. Thanks.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.11.2021

      Hi Melody, yes – I would assemble it, then freeze it. To thaw, let it sit in the fridge overnight and bake it until it’s warmed through and the cheese is bubbling. If you bake it straight from the freezer, it’ll just take longer (probably 45 mins to 1 hour?)

  13. Rae
    02.11.2021

    How would you suggest freezing these?

  14. Maria
    11.11.2020

    These enchiladas were absolutely delicious!! We had unexpected company and they were a hit with everyone. I especially loved how easy it was to make the sauce. Will definitely make these again!

  15. Alexandra Sarmiento
    10.18.2020

    My husband and I really enjoy enchiladas but haven’t been able to find any large enough corn tortillas. I am gluten free so we can’t use flour even if the recipe called for them. Where do you find large enough corn tortillas?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.23.2020

      Hi Alexandra, my Whole Foods has a big variety of tortillas in various sizes. You could also try a Mexican market.

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.