These creamy spinach, corn and black bean enchiladas are such a crowd-pleasing TexMex dish! Easy to make and simple to scale up for company or meal prep. Bonus: they are vegan, plant-based and oil-free.
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🎙 What people say about this recipe
These enchiladas were so easy to make and delish - my hubby really liked them and even my non-plant-based daughter did too! I used fresh spinach and next time would add more beans. I also loved the cashew sour cream recipe -so good! This recipe is a keeper.
- Susan F.
🧄 Very useful ingredient notes
- Cashew sour cream - the creaminess for these vegan, dairy-free enchiladas comes from cashew-based sour cream. You'll need to make this ahead of time, so it's ready for the filling. One recipe of cashew cream from my site will make enough for one pan of enchiladas, plus extra for drizzling on top. You could use a store-bought sour cream instead.
- Frozen spinach - Using frozen spinach for this recipe makes it much simpler to throw together. Be sure to thaw your spinach, either by placing it in the refrigerator overnight or by thawing in the microwave. You do not have to press all the liquid out of the spinach, but if you want to drain some of it, that's fine. We're going to increase the heat in the pan when we add the spinach to help evaporate the liquid.
- Red enchilada sauce - You can choose your favorite red enchilada sauce for this recipe. You'll need two 15-ounce cans of sauce, so about 30 ounces total. You can also make your own homemade enchilada sauce. If you'd like to make this recipe totally oil-free and can't find an oil-free canned enchilada sauce, I would recommend making your own.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Corn tortillas - sub with tortilla of your choice that can be heated, like wheat, spelt, or corn mix
- Red enchilada sauce - sub with green enchilada sauce, if you wish, or mix the two. Look for an oil-free enchilada sauce.
- Frozen chopped spinach - sub with fresh spinach, but make sure you chop it and use the same weight (10 ounces).
- Fresh garlic cloves - sub with jarred minced garlic (1 tablespoon) or granulated garlic (1 teaspoon)
- Vegan sour cream - homemade cashew cream is really so good in this! If you can, make it. It doesn't take long and you'll find you use it for so many other dishes. But, if you need an alternative, use store-bought vegan sour cream. I've made it with Tofutti brand sour cream before and it turned out great!
- Cholula hot sauce - sub with your favorite hot sauce, like Valentina or Tabasco
Enchilasagna (layered enchiladas variation)
If you don't want to roll your enchiladas the traditional way, you can make this into a layered dish, kinda like lasagna. Just spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce (half of a can), then top with a layer of corn tortillas, then spread a layer of filling.
Repeat with more sauce, tortillas and filling until you reach the top. Cover with sauce and bake! When it's done, slice into squares like you would a lasagna.
This is the version I make if I'm feeding a lot of people! It's easier and faster than rolling individual enchiladas. But, it's not as pretty when you serve it.
🔪 Instructions
Step-by-step instructions for how to make these creamy spinach and bean enchiladas.
- Step 1: First, we're going to make the creamy spinach filling. Sauté onion and garlic
- Step 2: Cook bell peppers with the onion and garlic
- Step 3: Add corn and stir. Increase heat to high and add your spinach until it's hot and cooked down. The high heat will help evaporate extra liquid.
- Step 4: Once corn and spinach is heated through, turn off heat. Season it with the hot sauce, salt, pepper and then pour in the cashew cream. Stir everything together. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed. Set aside.
- Step 5: Next, we need to warm up our corn tortillas. I prefer to do this over the flame of my gas stove.
- Step 6: Warm corn tortillas over gas stove burner on low heat setting one at a time for 20 seconds on each side. Or, you can warm all 14 tortillas on a plate in the microwave for 45-60 seconds total.
- Step 7: Keep them warm inside a clean dish towel while you assemble your enchiladas. (If you don't warm the tortillas first, they will crack when you try to fill and roll them.)
- Step 8: Now, let's assemble the enchiladas! Pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce at the bottom of a baking tray.
- Step 9: Fill a tortilla with spinach filling.
- Step 10: Close the tortilla by folding two sides over each other. The ends will be open.
- Step 11: Place the enchilada folded side down on the enchilada sauce in the baking pan.
- Step 12: Repeat with the next enchiladas and wedge them each, again folded side down, next to the other enchilada. Repeat until you have filled up your baking pan.
- Step 13: Pour more enchilada sauce until the enchiladas are almost covered. Bake uncovered until bubbly!
- Step 14: Serve hot!
Expert tips
- Warming your corn tortillas over fire makes them stronger and gives them extra flavor from the slight char from the burner.
- Be sure to cover your rolled enchiladas with sauce, so they will soak up the sauce while they bake and won't get hard and tough.
👨👩👦👦 Serving suggestions
Pair these enchiladas with TexMex Spanish rice, salad, guacamole, pico de gallo, sliced avocado and a drizzle of vegan sour cream.
As for a drink, iced tea or tropical fruit punch would be delicious!
Love this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Spinach, Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas
These creamy spinach, corn and black bean enchiladas are such a crowd-pleasing TexMex dish! Easy to make and simple to scale up for meal prepping. Bonus: they are vegan, plant-based, oil-free and gluten-free.
Equipment
Dutch oven or large pot/skillet to cook the filling
Ingredients
- 1 sweet yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 8 ounces frozen corn
- 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach thawed
- 8 ounces vegan sour cream store-bought or homemade
- 1 teaspoon Cholula hot sauce optional
- sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 14 corn tortillas
- 15 ounces canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 30 ounces red enchilada sauce (store-bought or homemade)
Instructions
Cook the filling
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Preheat dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add a tablespoon of water if they start to stick.1 sweet yellow onion, 4 cloves garlic
- Add bell peppers and cook for a few minutes. Then, mix in corn and heat it up.1 bell pepper, 8 ounces frozen corn
- Add spinach. Increase heat to medium-high to help evaporate the liquid. Stir frequently to prevent sticking/burning. Once spinach is heated through, turn off heat.10 ounces frozen chopped spinach
- Stir in vegan sour cream, Cholula hot sauce (optional) and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.8 ounces vegan sour cream, 1 teaspoon Cholula hot sauce, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
Assemble the enchiladas
- Warm corn tortillas over gas stove burner on low heat setting one at a time for 20 seconds on each side. This will add a touch of smoky charred flavor to the tortillas from the fire. Or, you can warm all 14 tortillas on a plate in the microwave for 45-60 seconds total, flipping the stack of tortillas halfway through. (If you don't warm the tortillas first, they will crack when you try to fill and roll them.) Keep them warm inside a clean dish towel while you assemble your enchiladas.14 corn tortillas
- To assemble enchiladas, pour one (15 ounce) can of red enchilada sauce at the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish. Fill one tortilla at a time with up to ¼ cup of spinach filling and some black beans. Then, roll tortilla up like a taquito and place the open/folded over side down into the sauce, so it stays put. Repeat until you've filled all 14 tortillas. Line them up one after the other, overlapping them slightly in the baking dish. Pour the other can of enchilada sauce over the tortillas.30 ounces red enchilada sauce, 15 ounces canned black beans
Bake the enchiladas
- Bake in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly on the sides/corners.
- Serve with extra vegan sour cream, pico de gallo and Spanish rice or salad.
Nutrition
Serving: 2enchiladasCalories: 375kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 13gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1524mgPotassium: 619mgFiber: 12gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 6098IUVitamin C: 34mgCalcium: 131mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Susan Franklin says
These enchiladas were so easy to make and delish - my hubby really liked them and even my non-plant-based daughter did too! I used fresh spinach and next time would add more beans. I also loved the cashew sour cream recipe -so good! This recipe is a keeper.
Victoria says
This recipe was delicious. I used fresh spinach and added sweet potato.
Abi Cowell says
Hi Victoria! Sounds absolutely delicious! So glad you liked it. 🙂
- Abi