Vegetarian Enchiladas: recipe

 Behold! These enchiladas are nothing short of spectacular! A true plant-forward twist on a beloved Mexican classic that will leave your taste buds in a state of sheer ecstasy. These enchiladas are brimming with a filling that will have you questioning whether you're really eating a plant-based meal. Packed to the brim with succulent beans, fresh spinach, and oozy, melted cheese, each bite is an experience in itself.

Yield: 6~servings [2 enchiladas each]

Total time: 1 hr 40 min

Active: 35 min

Sauce:

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Kosher salt

1/2 small onion, diced

One 15-ounce can tomato puree

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Large pinch cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons ancho chile powder

Filling and Topping:

One 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach,[thawed]

Juice of 1/2 a lemon 

One 15-ounce can pinto beans, [strained and rinsed]

flour tortillas or Twelve 6-inch corn 

4 ounces shredded Cheddar [about 1 1/2 cups]

Kosher salt

4-ounces shredded pepper Jack cheese [about 1 1/2 cups]

3-scallions,[sliced]

1/2-cup sour cream

Steps

begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Moving on to the sauce, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it has reached the right temperature, toss in the onions and cook them until they become soft and translucent, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Next, add the garlic, chile powder, cumin, and cayenne and continue cooking, stirring diligently, until the spices are toasted, approximately 1 minute. Once that is done, add 2 cups of water, tomato puree, and half a teaspoon of salt and bring it to a simmer. Ensure that you keep cooking until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. It should be looser and thinner than marinara sauce and should take between 15 to 20 minutes to achieve the desired consistency. Afterward, set the sauce aside to cool slightly.

To make the filling, begin by squeezing all the excess moisture out of the spinach. Once that is done, put it into a large bowl with the pinto beans and smash up the beans slightly with your hands to combine them. Afterward, add half of both the Cheddar and the pepper Jack, half of both the sour cream and scallions, and 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, and stir the mixture to combine.

Moving on to assembling the enchiladas, spread approximately 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Lay the tortillas out on a work surface and spread 1 side of each tortilla with about 1 teaspoon of tomato sauce. Put about 1/4 cup of the filling across the middle of each tortilla, and roll each up. Once rolled, shingle them in 2 even rows in the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the rolled tortillas, and sprinkle the remaining cheeses over the sauce. Cover the baking dish loosely with foil and bake it until the cheeses are melted and the filling is hot, which should take around 30 minutes. Afterward, uncover the dish and continue baking to heat it completely through for approximately 10 minutes more.

For the topping, whisk together the remaining sour cream, lime juice, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Once mixed thoroughly, drizzle the mixture over the baked enchiladas, and sprinkle with the remaining scallions. And there you have it, your delicious and flavourful enchiladas are ready to be served!