These chipotle pinto bean and roasted vegetable enchiladas are brimming with goodness: roasted broccoli, red pepper, kale, squash, and beans are tossed with a homemade chipotle enchilada sauce and enrobed in flour tortillas. Then they’re topped off with more enchilada sauce and cheese, and baked. This is the perfect plant-based Mexican comfort dish.
Friday is Mexican night at our house! We usually rotate among quesadillas, tacos, burritos, fajitas, and enchiladas. These chipotle pinto bean and roasted vegetable enchiladas are our new favourite Mexican dish. Truth be told, I had not tasted chipotle peppers in adobo sauce until a few months ago, and now I am hooked on their smoky, spicy deliciousness. They’re put to good use in the homemade enchilada sauce that anchors these enchiladas.
These enchiladas are brimming with healthy fillings: pinto beans combined with roasted squash, broccoli, and red peppers tossed with enchilada sauce and enrobed in soft flour tortillas, then baked with more enchilada sauce and cheese. They’re hearty, they’re satisfying, and they’re positively bursting with flavour. While they do take some time to prepare, you’ll be rewarded with twelve enchiladas, enough for six servings, plus some leftover filling which is delicious in its own right.
to make these chipotle pinto bean and roasted vegetable enchiladas, you’ll:
- Roast a combination of broccoli, red bell pepper, onion, and garlic with some olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet. In the last couple of minutes, add a few handfuls of chopped kale. Roast butternut squash or sweet potatoes with salt, pepper, and olive oil on a second baking sheet.
- Make the enchilada sauce with onion, garlic, chipotles, adobo sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and vegetable broth. Blend in an upright blender if a smooth sauce is desired.
- Stir pinto beans and a cup of the enchilada sauce into the roasted vegetables.
- Assemble the enchiladas by pouring ½ cup of the sauce into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Place ½ cup of the bean and vegetable filling down the middle of a tortilla and snugly wrap the left side over the right. Place seam-side down in the dish, and repeat with the remaining tortillas. (You will need 2 9×13-inch baking dishes for these enchiladas, or 1 9×13 one and two 8×8 or 9×9 ones. They make a big batch!)
- Drizzle remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle evenly with grated cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Garnish the enchiladas with cilantro, sliced avocado, and sliced lime!
- Pass vegan sour cream or yogurt at the table if desired.
Note that you will almost definitely have extra filling. This was intentional because we always appreciate having leftover enchilada filling on hand for lunches throughout the week! I usually use the filling as a topping for rice or quinoa at lunch.
Variations
- Butternut squash isn’t really in season right now, at least not where I live–I created this recipe right at the tail end of squash season–so you can definitely swap out the squash for the same amount of sweet potato.
- Any type of bean will do. I love pinto beans for their texture, but you are welcome to use whichever bean variety you have on hand.
- You can use corn tortillas to make this recipe gluten-free. They tend to break more easily than flour tortillas, so warm them up slightly before assembling the enchiladas.
- Depending on the type of cheese you use, these can be vegan or vegetarian. Daiya Monterey Jack vegan cheese is a good vegan option.
- For a milder/more kid-friendly variation, omit the chipotles.
I hope you love these enchiladas. If you make them, leave a comment and rating below, and if you post a photo to Instagram, tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen! I love seeing them.
Happy weekend, everyone! 🙂
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Chipotle Pinto Bean and Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings (2 enchiladas each) 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These chipotle pinto bean and roasted vegetable enchiladas are brimming with goodness: roasted broccoli, red pepper, squash, and beans are tossed with a homemade chipotle enchilada sauce and enrobed in flour tortillas. Then they’re topped off with more enchilada sauce and cheese, and baked. This is the perfect plant-based Mexican comfort dish.
Ingredients
Roasted Vegetables
- 1 medium bunch of broccoli, chopped into small florets
- 1 medium red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 cups cubed butternut squash or sweet potato (½-inch cubes)
- 1 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch each sea salt and ground black pepper
- 1 large bunch of kale, chopped
Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 medium cloves of garlic, minced
- Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 chipotles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp of the adobo sauce
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 680 mL crushed tomatoes (I used Eden organic brand)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup vegetable broth
Everything Else
- 3 cups cooked pinto beans (or 2 15-oz cans, drained and rinsed)
- 12 6-inch whole grain or corn tortillas
- 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese of choice (vegan or organic goat/cow/sheep)
- 1–2 avocados, sliced
- 1 lime, sliced
- Chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the broccoli, red pepper, onion, and garlic in a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and ¾ tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat and place on one of the baking sheets.
- Place the cubed butternut squash or sweet potato in the same bowl you used for the other vegetables and add a pinch of salt and pepper and ¾ tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat and place on the second baking sheet.
- Place the vegetables in the oven and roast the broccoli/red pepper/onion/garlic for 17 minutes, remove from the oven and add the chopped kale, and roast 3 minutes more. Roast the squash for 25-30 minutes, or until tender.
- Meanwhile, prepare the enchilada sauce. Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chipotles, adobo sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. If desired, you can blend the sauce in an upright blender for a smooth sauce, as I did.
- Place all of the roasted vegetables in a large bowl. Add the pinto beans and 1 cup (250 mL) of the enchilada sauce. Stir to combine.
- Lightly grease 2 9×13-inch or 1 9×13-inch and 2 8×8 or 9×9-inch baking dishes with olive oil. (Yes, this seems like a lot of dishes, but you’ll be making 12 good-sized enchiladas.) Spread ½ cup of sauce over the bottom of the 9×13 dish(es) and ¼ cup of sauce over the bottom of the 8×8 or 9×9 dishes.
- Assemble the enchiladas: Place a heaping ½ cup (125 mL) of the filling down the middle of each tortilla. Snugly wrap the left side over the right and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dishes.
- Evenly pour the remaining enchilada sauce over top of the enchiladas and evenly sprinkle with the grated cheese.
- Bake the enchiladas at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
- Garnish the enchiladas with sliced avocado, lime, and cilantro.
- Extra filling can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. It’s delicious over quinoa or brown rice and topped with guacamole!
Notes
Feeding a smaller crowd? Divide the recipe in half! You’ll still get 6 enchiladas with a bit of extra filling.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Supper, Main Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: vegan enchilada recipe, vegetarian enchiladas, pinto bean enchiladas
Tammy
I so enjoy casseroles and this one was perfect. Mexican food done this way is so satisfying. The vegetables and creamy vegan sauce worked perfectly. I will make this again for sure. Thanks for creating and sharing this recipe.
★★★★★