Vegan black bean & mushroom enchiladas with creamy cheesy cashew sauce and homemade enchilada sauce.
If you thought that cheesy plant-based enchiladas were not a thing, you were happily mistaken. We made them happen a few years ago and thought we should bring them back to you in this updated post.
These delicious mushroom and black bean filled enchiladas are incredibly satisfying. The mushrooms and beans are meaty, chewy, and creamy all at the same time. And the onion, garlic, poblano and red bell pepper, as well as the warm and earthy spices add tons of flavor.
We make our own enchilada sauce from scratch because it's super easy, you can manage the heat and flavor to suit your taste, and it's just fresher, better, and healthier than what you can buy in a can.
All you'll need is a vegetable broth base, spices, tomato paste, a bit of flour and water to thicken it, and the surprise ingredient, cocoa powder. Don't skip it, because it makes the sauce.
As we all know, the pièce de résistance of the perfect enchilada is the cheese. Since we don't eat dairy cheese, and we didn't have any non-dairy cheese in the house, we made our favorite cashew cream sauce to pour all over these lovelies, and it tasted better than we expected.
It's so creamy and thick and delicious. The flavor is mild, which is perfect because the homemade enchilada sauce and the spices in the black beans and mushrooms are enough.
By now you're probably drooling, so let's get cooking.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE ENCHILADA SAUCE AND VEGAN BLACK BEAN & MUSHROOM ENCHILADAS
Note: Make sure to soak the cashews overnight, so plan ahead.
First - Make the sauce. It's a breeze to make, and SO much better than store bought. Click here to get the recipe. I usually make the sauce a day or two earlier so there aren't so many steps on the day I make the enchiladas.
Second - Make the cashew cream sauce. All you'll need to do is drain and rinse the cashews and add them to a blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until it turns into a thick, smooth, and creamy sauce.
Third - Make the beans. While the beans are cooking, saute the onion, mushrooms, peppers, garlic, and spices.
Fourth - Build the enchiladas. Lightly grease the pan and spread a layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom. Fill the center of a tortilla with the beans, mushroom mixture, and chopped spinach. Drizzle a bit of the cashew cream sauce over the beans and mushrooms. Roll the tortilla into a tube shape, and continue until the pan is filled with enchiladas. Evenly pour the sauce over the top and spread it around. Pour most of the cashew cream over the center of the enchiladas, saving a bit for later. Bake for 20 minutes.
Last - Garnish with chopped cilantro, tomato, and slices of avocado. Pour the remaining cashew cream sauce over the enchiladas if you want super creamy results.
Now dig in and eat the creamiest, meatiest, chewiest, most delicious vegan enchiladas you've ever tasted. You can make a pan of these and freeze them for up to 3 months. Double the recipe and freeze one so you'll have a hearty and warm dinner ready to go whenever you need one.
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VEGAN BLACK BEAN & MUSHROOM ENCHILADAS
Ingredients
Click here for the enchilada sauce recipe
FOR THE CASHEW CREAM
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in boiling water overnight
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons tapioca starch
- ¼ teaspoon ground sea salt
- ½ cup hot water
FOR THE BLACK BEANS
- 15 ounce black beans,drained and rinsed
- Water to cover
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of ground sea salt
- Black pepper to taste
FOR THE MUSHROOM MIXTURE
- 2 teaspoon avocado oil
- 24 ounce mushroom caps (I used Portobello), stems removed and finely chopped
- 1 small red onion – peeled and finely chopped
- 1 small orange or yellow bell pepper seeds removed and finely chopped
- 1 poblano chili pepper seeds removed and finely diced
- 1 cup cilantro leaves coarsely chopped
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- Black pepper to taste
Additional ingredients
- 5 cups of coarsely chopped fresh spinach
- 6 TO 8 flour tortillas
TOPPINGS
- Chopped cilantro leaves
- Chopped tomato
- Sliced avocado
Instructions
- Click this link to make the Enchilada Sauce.
Make the Cashew Cream
- Soak the cashews in the water overnight or for at least four hours. They should be nice and plump and soft to the touch.
- Drain and rinse the cashews and put in a high powered blender. Add the nutritional yeast, garlic clove lemon juice, tapioca starch, sea salt, and water and blend for approximately two minutes or until smooth, thick, and creamy. Scrape the sides down to ensure that you don't have pieces of nut in the sauce.
FOR THE BLACK BEANS
- Cover the beans in water (cover just to the top of the beans) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and stir in the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and black pepper. Simmer until the water is almost evaporated, stirring frequently. Add the salt and stir well. Set aside.
FOR THE MUSHROOM MIXTURE
- Heat one teaspoon of the oil in an iron skillet on medium heat. When the oil is hot add the mushrooms and cook until the water is released and they are nicely browned. Push them to the side and add the second teaspoon of oil to the pan and add the onions and bell pepper. Cook until they are soft and lightly browned. Add the poblano pepper and stir to combine. Deglaze the pan with the water and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to remove the pieces of vegetable that are stuck to the pan. Add the spices and stir to coat well. Turn the heat down to a low simmer and cook for ten minutes. Stir frequently.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C)
- Lightly grease a 13x9 inch pan and spread three tablespoons of the enchilada sauce in the pan.
- Fill the center of the tortilla with the beans, mushrooms filling and spinach and 3 tablespoons of cashew cream. Fold and lay flat in the pan. Continue with the rest of the tortillas. When the pan is full, evenly pour the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas (leave a little extra in the pan for later). Pour most of the cashew cream over the cneter of enchiladas (leave a little extra for later).
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the sauce and cheese have turned a golden brown. Pour the remaining sauce and cream over the top and bake for two to three more minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro, tomato, and avocado.
- Enjoy!
- Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze in a freezer safe dish for up to a month. Prep time doesn't include the soaking of the cashews.
Notes
Nutrition
Alyssa says
The link to the enchilada sauce does not work.
Akos says
The beans are dry or canned?
Linda & Alex says
You can use canned or cook dry beans and use those.
Farinaz says
Should I add the cheese sauce before freezing?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Farinaz, yes, you can add the cheese sauce inside of the enchiladas. For the best results, make fresh sauce and add it before you reheat them. Cashew cheese tends to dry out quickly. 🙂