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!
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
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.








I made these for dinner last night. My husband doesn’t like avocado, so I left the cream sauce out of the recipe. I was worried that I would need some sort of a vegan cheese sauce, but they taste great without any extra sauce. We both loved this recipe! I’m sure it is going to be a regular recipe in my daily rotation. :-)
I’m hosting a week of whole foods, plant based lunches for my co-wokers soon, and decided to make this the opening lunch, so I tested it today. HOLY MOLY IS IT GOOD! I did not use any oil in the recipe, other than what the sun dried tomatoes were packed in, and everything turned out beautifully. It’s a definite winner, and my co-workers are in for a treat!
This recipe is delicious!!! I was especially pleased with the garlic sauce, wow, yum! I first was skeptical of the portion sizes (thinking it may not feed 4 hungry adults), but I was wrong. It was fabulous. Wouldn’t change a thing. Keep up the good work!
I’m happy you loved it, Alexandra :)
i have the old cookbook and really enjoyed those enchiladas but these are better. So good. I will be making these often. Thanks for the great recipe.
I made these last night and they were so good! My husband, who is a meat eater but trying to eat vegan for the next month, loved them too! They will definitely become a regular on the dinner rotation.
I’m so happy they were a hit, Kristy! I love how satisfying these enchiladas are for meat eaters and plant-based eaters alike. :)
Dear Angela, I have been meaning to write this for a long time. I absolutely love your cookbook. Every recipe I have tried so far is absolutely delicious. I think it sets you apart from most others because your food is so flavorful and full of spices. It has been 2 years since we have been a whole food, plant based diet and we love it thanks to you and your recipes. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Caren
Thank you so much for taking the time to write in, Caren! I can’t tell you how much your warm words mean to me. :)
Angela, I have been making your recipes for a few years now, even have your cookbook. I just made this one tonight and was a big hit, even for the 5 year old! That’s hard to do. The cashew cream put it over the top. Glad I doubled it for the freezer. Thank you
So glad everyone loved it, Laura! Enjoy those leftovers. :)
I just made these for the second time in a month,and this time I doubled the recipe. And I am single so that’s a lot of meals. I was licking the cashew cream off the food processor blade and I cut my tongue, but I still went in for more! Yum yum yum. This ius my new favorite recipe.
OUCH! Hope your tongue’s doing okay, Emilie! I’m so happy you’re loving the recipe–sounds like you’re stocked up for a while. :) Enjoy all those leftovers!
Amazing! I doubled the recipe and it made around 10 enchiladas.
So filling, delicious and the cilantro lime sauce just completes it to NEXT LEVEL.
Thank you!!
I’m glad they were a hit, Jessica!
This is my favorite recipe ever… it’s always a hit even with picky omnivores at the table. The first couple of times I made it, it took a long time to prep, but now I’ve got it down and it’s easy to do! It’s so simple whip up the cashew cream topping and I love having the rest of the avocado as a topping! It’s great left over too, which is a requirement for any good recipe for me! Thanks, Angela!
Tried these but substituted the red sauce with green enchilada sauce (tomatillos, poblanos, jalapeños); AMAZING. Great flavor and can’t wait to eat the leftovers!! :)
Oh, that sounds like a great twist, Tori! Enjoy those leftovers :)
Holy cow. My husband and I decided to cut down on animal products and this was my first ever vegan meal. It was one of the BEST THINGS I have EVER eaten! Gave me some hope that you don’t need animal products to make a delicious meal. This was excellent, full of flavor.
Thank you SO MUCH for finally giving me a completely vegan recipe that my husband not only tolerated, but LOVED. He even took leftovers for his lunch! I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Sounds like the recipe was a big hit, Chels! So glad you found it. Hopefully the next one you try is another winner with the fam, too! :)
Thanks for this recipe, it is amazing! Had dinner guests last night who are looking to cut back on meat, since I love everything I try from you and they love mexican based meals, thought this would fill the bill. We all agreed these are the best enchiladas ever, and if we were served these at a restaurant, we would be quite pleased! I doubled the recipe, so there were a few left over, hubby and I just each had one for breakfast! Thank you again Angela, you rock!
Aw, thanks so much for the warm words, Debbie! I’m thrilled you all enjoyed the enchiladas so much. :)
Didn’t have red peppers or sun dried tomatoes, and didn’t make the cashew sauce either but man these were amazing! We recently switched over to a planted-based diet and have been struggling to find dishes we love.
We ended up making it casserole style by layering corn tortillas with the sauce and veggies, and I added a splash of Apple cider vinegar to balance out the sweet potatoes. Soooooo delicious!
Glad it was a hit, Jasmine! The right recipe can make all the difference :)
OHHH EMMM GEEE, those are amazing!!! I just started eating clean recently, so I’m looking for good recipes. I’m SO glad I found your website, can’t wait to have my friends over for dinner, they will LOVE these enchilada’s. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thank YOU for the love comment, Diane! I’m so happy you loved the enchiladas, and I hope you enjoy whatever recipe you try next just as much!
Both my boyfriend and I agree that these were the best enchiladas we have ever had. I added eggplant & mushrooms and the addition went well. Thank you for such an easy to follow, delicious recipe. I will be looking for your cookbook.
Wow…Wow…Wow… I made these from your app that I downloaded on my phone. I am fairly new to veganism about 6 weeks. These were AMAZING. I didn’t have the jarred roasted peppers on hand I used fresh, it was still AMAZING. If I can get the hubs to say wow ding ding ding!!!! I can’t wait to get your cookbook.
Glowing :)
So glad you enjoyed them, Michele! I hope you love whatever recipe you try next just as much!! :)
I just made these for dinner for some friends – soooo impressed with how yummy this recipe is! Definitely worth the work and when you taste how good they are, it doesn’t feel like much work at all! I was worried the sauce would be too spicy but balanced out so nicely with everything else! Thank you xxx
Hey Ella, I’m so glad the enchiladas were a hit! They’re one of our faves in this house. :) Thanks for your review!
Another winner! Made these with your avocado cilantro cashew cream. Bizzomb! I did use my own homemade enchilada sauce though ;) Very easy, and I did is casserole style so it was layered rather than rolled. Nom.
yay! Thanks for letting me know Bianca :)