Before I get to this insanely delicious recipe, I want to let you know what I’ve been up to this month! Some of you have seen on Snapchat that I’ve been behind the lens each day for a very special photography project—which includes shooting more than 60 brand-new recipe photos! It’s been pretty crazy around here and I haven’t had a day off in ages, but it’s really coming together beautifully. Eric even helped me create a dedicated photography space in our empty dining room and it’s been nice to have a set area to shoot (why did it take me so long to do this?). We’re gearing up to share this new project with you late winter, and I appreciate your patience as things will continue to be a bit slower around here as I complete the photography project this month. If you want to see all the behind-the-scenes action, follow along on Snapchat (username: angelaliddon).
I’m also happy to announce that we’re gearing up to kick off a brand-new newsletter! It’s going to be packed with all kinds of beautiful photos, recipes, life updates, tips/tricks, and sneak peeks/insider info (such as on the aforementioned project!). Since it has been so long since I sent out a newsletter (probably 1.5 to 2 years), we’re starting fresh and asking you to sign up again. This is because we want to make sure our subscribers truly want to receive our newsletter; the goal is to connect with you in a meaningful way — not to spam unsuspecting inboxes! I’m all about quality over quantity. Once you’ve signed up you will get an email asking you to confirm your subscription, and you’ll need to click the link to activate the fun. The first newsletter is expected to go out this month with a special Valentine’s Day theme (va va voom!), so keep your eyes peeled! Sign up here:
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For those of you who have been asking if my next cookbook has a release date, I’m thrilled to tell you that it will release on September 6, 2016. Not too long to go now! You can now pre-order the book in Canada via Amazon.ca and Chapters/Indigo (many more retailers to come). We don’t have a cover yet, but of course I will share the preview with you as soon as I can!
As you can see there are a lot of fun things coming up in 2016. More on all of this very soon…
This recipe is honestly one of my favourite entrees in a very long time and I’m so excited to share it with you. This is the recipe to make when you want to blow your friends and family away. Trust me on this one. It’s a spin-off of my favourite vegan enchilada recipe from way back in 2011. Why the heck has it taken me so long to make another? Well, to be honest, I didn’t think I could improve upon that recipe, but I was wrong…very wrong. This version is even more flavourful, satisfying, and robust thanks to the addition of smoky roasted red peppers, umami-rich sun-dried tomatoes, and my favourite homemade enchilada sauce. I top it all off with a decadent cashew cream that’s flavored with cilantro, garlic, and lime. Yowza. This is winter comfort food at its best!
Next Level Vegan Enchiladas
Yield
6 large enchiladas
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
These mild- to moderate-heat enchiladas will change your life! A delicious homemade Enchilada Sauce smothers a sweet potato, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato, and black bean filling wrapped in soft tortillas. After baking, I top it all off with a decadent Cilanto-Lime-Garlic Cashew Cream, green onion, cilantro, red pepper flakes, and chopped avocado. This dish will blow your taste buds away, I can promise you that! Please note that the prep time includes making the enchilada sauce and cashew cream in addition to the enchiladas. Yes, it's a labour-intensive recipe for sure, but you can save time the day of by prepping the cashew cream and enchilada sauce the day before.
Ingredients
For the enchiladas:
- 2 cups (260 g) peeled and chopped (1/2-inch dice) sweet potato
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, diced (2 to 2 1/2 cups)
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup jarred roasted red pepper, drained and chopped
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
- 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 (14-ounce/398 mL) can black beans (about 1 1/2 cups), drained and rinsed
- 2 1/2 cups Homemade Enchilada Sauce (1 batch)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- 5 to 6 medium/large soft tortilla wraps
For the toppings:
- Cilantro-Lime-Garlic Cashew Cream
- Chopped green onion, red pepper flakes, avocado, and cilantro
Directions
- Prepare the Homemade Enchilada Sauce and soak the cashews for the Cilantro-Lime-Garlic Cashew Cream before you begin.
- Lightly grease a large rectangular baking dish (at least 8x12 inches). Set aside.
- Add the chopped sweet potato into a medium pot of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 9 to 15 minutes, uncovered, until fork tender. Drain and set aside. You can also steam the potatoes until tender, instead of boiling.
- In a large skillet, stir together the oil, onion, and garlic and sauté over medium heat for around 3 to 5 minutes until the onion softens. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Add the chopped roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, cooked/drained sweet potato, spinach, and black beans. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes over medium-high heat, until the spinach is wilted.
- Stir in 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of homemade enchilada sauce, followed by the lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Adjust seasonings to taste, if desired.
- Add 3/4 cup of Enchilada Sauce onto the bottom of your casserole dish and spread it out evenly.
- Scoop 3/4 cup of the sweet potato and black bean filling onto each tortilla. Roll up the tortilla and place it, seam side down, in the casserole dish. Repeat for the rest. If you have any leftover filling, you can spread it on top of the tortillas. Spread all of the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas until they are completely covered in sauce.
- Bake the enchiladas, uncovered, at 350⁰F (180°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is a deep red colour and the enchiladas are heated through.
- While the enchiladas are baking, prepare the Cilantro-Lime-Garlic Cashew Cream.
- When enchiladas are ready to serve, add half of the cashew cream into a baggie, snip off the corner, and “pipe” the sauce all over the enchiladas. Alternatively, you can simply spread or dollop the sauce on top of each enchilada. Garnish with chopped cilantro, avocado, red pepper flakes, and green onion. Serve any remaining cashew cream on the side with a spoon.
Tip:
- Make it kid-friendly: Omit the cayenne and red pepper flakes.
My fiance made this for us tonight and didn’t change a thing. It was excellent. A nice, filling, delicious Sunday night dinner. The cashew cream sauce was a bit too garlicky for me, but it didn’t stop me from dolloping it all over the leftovers!
My wonderful friend made this for lunch for our curling team this past weekend between games of a bonspiel. We could not believe how fabulous the enchiladas were! We even tried it without the tortillas, just put the filling and avocado cream over a bed of spinach. Soooo tasty and the perfect amount of fuel for our next game. Pretty awesome friends I have :)
Hi Christine, so happy you and your team enjoyed the enchiladas! Good luck with future games. :)
Not sure it’s possible to improve these..but if you want to take these to the “next NEXT” level…get a hold of some Santa Cruz Chili paste and make your enchilada sauce with this and then roast your own red peppers over a grill or the flame on a gas stove. OMG! YUM.
Thanks for this amazing update Angela! We’ve made them twice and LOVE them. Can’t wait for the new book!
Angela,
I have been following you for years and just as you stated, you didn’t think you could make a better recipe and you did! I was so impressed that I shared this on my blog and instagram for my followers to fall in love as well!
I can’t wait for your new book to come out in September!
Hi Amber, I’m so happy to hear the Next Level Enchiladas were a hit! Thanks for spreading the recipe love. :) I hope you enjoy the new cookbook when it’s finally released – I can’t wait either!
I’ve made this last night follow exactly with your recipe! It turned up great! We enjoy our dinner very well! Thanks for sharing this!
Hi Mitch, glad to hear the enchiladas were a hit!
They taste even better the second day. Loved them. I only used 1/3 the amount of chili powder and they were just right for my family. Your photos and instructions are perfect. I am a dedicated fan.
They taste even better the second day. Loved them. I only used 1/3 the amount of chili powder and they were just right for my family. Your photos and instructions are perfect. I am a dedicated fan. The only other change I made was to roast a red pepper in the toaster oven instead of using one from a jar. It really was no extra work.
Hi there, I’m glad to hear the enchiladas were a hit as leftovers, too! So happy you enjoyed the recipe. :)
Angy! That looks nice. I like this recipe. Maybe I will try it this weekend. :)
Hi Isabella, if you gave the recipe a try, I hope you enjoyed it!
I’ve made these enchiladas as well as the enchilada recipe from your first cookbook. Although I liked the first one very much, this recipe is definitely “next level”. My non-vegan husband enjoys them so much that he’s volunteered to make them for a themed dinner party this weekend. Thank you. I eagerly await your new cookbook. Your recipes are delicious and dependable.
So happy the Next Level Enchiladas won you (and your husband!) over, Laureen! I love them, too. :) Enjoy them at your dinner party, and have a wonderful time!
Oh my, this is the queen of vegan enchiladas :))
First, the cashew lime cilantro sauce is one of the best things I have ever tasted, and is absolutely beautiful!
We will be eating these tonight, with changes based on what I had in the fridge and pantry. The filling is baked sweet potatoes, onions, roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, and chopped spinach.
I had taco-sized corn tortillas, so I microwave 5 at a time between 2 damp paper towels, then dip them in the enchilada sauce, fill, and place. I probably fit 14 in my dish.
I ate what was left of the filling and enchilada sauce last night (prep night) in a bowl with half a sweet potato and a bit of sauce, and it was unbelievable. Can’t wait for the full dish!
Hi this is the first recipe I’ve tried and won’t be the last! We have been eating free range meat for a few years now, but really want to start having more plant based meals. What a great kick off these were! I did find the cashew cream a bit too garlicky (and I love garlic) so next time I will leave out the powder. I made two batches of cream, one with cilantro and the other with basil/parsely. Both were great. We are Canadians living in Australia so nice to see a Canadian blog! All the best.
Gwyn
Hi Gwyn, I’m glad the first recipe was a hit! I hope whatever you try next you enjoy just as well.
I love this kind of food! Thank you! I have been drinking Nutrify Herbal Tea and it has been doing wonders for my health. Vegan and caffeine free! Definitely worth a try!
This dish is/was (yum) incredible…as I was making this my g-friend peaked over my shoulder and exclaimed “oh she glows again!”. I often substitute veggies or spices if the cupboards lack the ingredients for certain recipes and fortunately your recipes are very forgiving. Thank you for your intuitive creations and continued inspiration.
“Oh she glows again” – that’s fantastic, haha! I’m so happy to hear you’re a fan of my recipes, and thank YOU for the great comment. :)
Tried your enchiladas reciepe twice. Once the original vegan and then I cheated by adding chicken, replacing the spinach by chard… Also delicious! Loooove the sauce! Thanks!
Hi Chantal, I’m glad the recipe’s a hit! :)
I finally got around to making these, and they are definitely next level! They were barely out of the oven before I was scooping one onto my plate. I actually had one for breakfast this morning as well haha. The sun-dried tomatoes were a fantastic addition; I would’ve never thought to add them! And the cilantro cashew cream. Oh. My. Word. It was amazing. I practically slathered on as much of it as I did the enchilada sauce. Another winning recipe! Thank you!
Haha! I love that you had one for breakfast – they must have definitely been a hit. :) Thanks for the great comment!
I can’t wait to try these enchiladas. They look amazing. Congratulations on the cookbook, too! I can’t wait to check it out.
Thank you, Sam! I hope you enjoy the enchiladas (and the cookbook if you decide to get it.) :)
This looks looks absolutely delicious and satisfying! I’m most definitely going to need to add this to my list of need-to trys. How did you decide to try a new spin off recipe and how was it different than the original? Just curious. Thank you! I’m eagerly awaiting your new cookbook! Your recipes are always enjoyable and completely delicious. :)
Oh my goodness, these are delicious! We could not stop raving about how great they were. Already planning to make them again. They are a lot of work, but definitely worth the time and amount of chopping! We too loved them even more the next day and I ate the left over filling two days later. A good sign!
My husband and I are newly declared vegans (only 10 days ago) but have been on this path for some time and ready to take the final leap, so we were concerned about not having great tasting food. A friend gave me your cookbook a while back and I am so impressed by the quality of your recipes and absolutely love the pictures. It is the pictures that inspires me to try something new, so many thanks for those.
One quick question, I am seriously allergic to many types of nuts so cannot eat cashews. I am able to eat almonds, walnuts and pecans. Could I use soaked almonds to replace the cashews in the cashew cream recipe?
You had me at Cilantro Lime Garlic Cashew Cream! I’ve been trying to find an easy meal to make for lunches and this one looks perfect!!!
I hope you enjoy it, Alicia! It’s definitely one of my new absolute favs. :)
OH YES. I know exactly what I’ll be baking this weekend. Been looking for a recipe like this for a little while now, and this is just perfect. Thanks! The pictures look really great too.
Thanks, Brechtje – I hope you enjoy the enchiladas this weekend!
Anything with avocado just makes me smile. Cant wait to try this! http://confusedgirlinthecity.com/blog/
Wow! I’m getting hungry just looking at the picture! <3
Missing your updates but enjoying the pics on Snapchat. I pre-ordered book 2 and am SOOOOO excited!
You weren’t kidding that these are labor intensive!!!! I made a double batch so I could share with some friends but now I am thinking I should just keep these to myself… ;)
The enchilada sauce is incredible! Have you tried freezing it? I don’t ever want the store bought stuff again.
I finally made these tonight! So delicious and very filling!
I make this recipe often and it is loved by vegans and non-vegans alike. So excited for the new cookbook!!!
This looks amazing :) Thanks for sharing!
-Nikki
www.nikkisplate.com
The best vegan enchilada recipe I have tried. The directions were easy and my kids and I loved it. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Glad you enjoyed it, Amanda!
Oh these are absolutely divine! I have to make it soon. Your pictures, by the way, are mouthwatering.
Angela, did i MISS a “Most Popular of 2015” post?? It’s my favorite part of every new year!!!! Is it posted and I’m just the dork who can’t find it?
Great news, Angela! I seriously can’t wait for your new cook book! I absolutely LOVE the first one. And these look so delicious! Thanks for sharing! :-)
I made these last night as a special birthday dinner for my boyfriend (he usually balks at anything labeled vegan) and we both LOVED them!! They were fantastic! And one of his first comments was “the sweet potato in here is a brilliant idea!!”. I did give you the credit for the “brilliant idea” Angela haha and I think I may have even won him over on the “doesn’t need meat to be delicious” front!! Thanks so much for creative and delicious recipes such as this! Can’t WAIT for cookbook #2!
I want to make these so badly but I’m worried that they will be on the sweet side since it uses sweet potato. We do not care for sweet entrees and I have used sweet potato in dishes that did not turn out to out liking because they tasted sweet.
Are these on the sweet side?
Hi Sharon, I don’t think I’d say that these end up on the sweet side – if anything, a few people have found the enchiladas a bit too far on the spicy side! The various spices and seasonings in the recipe do a lot to cut and balance any sweetness you’d get from the potatoes. If you give the recipe a try, please let me know what you think. I’d love to hear!
Thanks,so much for reaponding. I did make them and they were perfect!!! So yummy and not sweet at all. My meat satin’ hubby loved them too!!
These enchiladas look absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Angela – can’t wait for the book. I have been using HYDROPONICS from a company called www.planetponics.com that allows me to grow the herbs for some of your recipes. I really enjoyed the value and idea this company was striving for. Thought I would share it for others. You can GROW ALL YEAR. GROW FOOD, HERBS OR FLOWERS. No soil, no mess, self-watering hydroponics. Fresh food faster than a traditional soil method.
Yep, made this a few weeks ago. Husband and I gobbled them up. So so so good. I almost didn’t make the enchilada sauce and was going to use my tried and true verde, but decided to make it. YUMMY! Making again this weekend. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
So happy the recipe was a hit, Sue – enjoy the second batch!
I just finished cleaning up, after having this for dinner. My lovely wife – who adores this site – surprised the family with this dish. I loved it SO much, I just had to leave a comment. I’m pretty sure I’ll be talking it up this week, at work and hoping for it again soon. Next time, I’m helping make AND clean up! Thanks for a fantastic dinner, Tracey and OSG <3
So. Good.
Hi Steven, what a tasty surprise!! I LOVE this recipe, and I’m so happy to hear you and your family did too. :) Thanks for the comment!
We had these for dinner tonight… oh my goodness I could eat the whole pan!
I might even prefer these over real enchiladas with cheese!
I made this recipe for my Easter weekend. It was wonderful! I will definitely make it again. I will decrease the amount of chili powder in the enchilada sauce next time. I love spicy, but there are so many wonderful flavors that I thought the chili powder overpowered the other flavors.
Honnnnn…my God !!!! A pur delish this recipe. I’ll definitely make it again and again and again. The Cilantro Sauce is out of this world.
5 stars and up !!!
Thnaks for sharing this tresor with us :)
Oh my! I made these over the weekend and loved them. Even my non-vegan husband went back for seconds and left-overs. We fought over the cilantro cream (I had put out sour cream for him but he didn’t touch it.) Thank you for another great recipe.
Blessings,
J
I am in need of vegan entrees that freeze and reheat well. Could this be one of those?
Definitely! These enchiladas freeze really well. I suggest wrapping the cooled enchiladas individually in tin foil, then popping them in a freezer bag (I wouldn’t recommend freezing the green sauce on top, though, as it discolours; best to make that fresh). To reheat, thaw the enchilada on the counter then bake in the tinfoil for 20 mins at 350F.
These enchiladas are my new favourite thing to eat! Thanks for taking them to the next level. Actually, thanks for creating such a beautiful cookbook with so many delicious recipes for all of us plant eaters. I can’t wait for the next one & the app!
Thanks Leah! So glad you enjoy the enchiladas as much as I do :)
I made these for my family last night, and we were all so impressed! This will become a weekly meal in my house for sure! Even my hubby the meat eater loved it!
Yay! Glad the recipe was a hit with everyone, Kathy. :)
These were incredible! I was seriously so impressed with how delicious and easy they were. The cashew avocado sauce and homemade enchilada sauce were so yummy and went perfectly with it! As a person who does not know how to cook well and is a fairly new vegan, I really appreciate yummy recipes like this that taste extravagant but are cheap and easy. I even made them for my mom and she said that she would totally pay for and order these at a restaurant and she’s not even vegan! Thank you so much for this, I am totally in love!
Aw, so glad the recipe was a hit, Gwen! :)
This one is going straight to the meal plan!
It looks wonderful..thanks for nice share about this recipe…rate 5/5 starts!
I made this tonight and it was fantastic! Even my none vegan husband couldn’t get enough!
Whilst my enchilada presentation needs some work, the rest of the recipe worked out brilliantly. Really tasty. Thanks a lot, Angela. Pleased to hear about your good news, too re: baby and app!