Black Bean and Zucchini Enchiladas
Published Apr 07, 2021•Updated Mar 12, 2022
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Filled with savory black beans, tender zucchini, and melty cheese, these vegetarian enchiladas are packed with plant-based protein and Tex Mex flavors. Make them ahead and refrigerate or freeze!
Hope you had a good weekend! We’re still recovering from the Easter sugar rush. Over the years, Molly and Clara have become lightning fast egg-hunters and they spotted them all within minutes. 2-year-old June (our sleepiest kid by far) didn’t wake up until well after all of the eggs had been found and a sizable amount of chocolate consumed. Her big sisters re-hid some eggs just so she could experience the thrill of the hunt. Though we’re still in Zoom-church-in-pjs mode, we got dressed up for brunch afterwards and it felt so festive and fun!
April is always my favorite. This year, more than any before, I’m feeling renewed by the sense of a fresh start that comes with this time of year. For our family, April means many family birthdays. And this year we’ll be able to do some small outdoor gatherings in contrast to the April lockdown of last year. It means, I will once again be cooking for people outside of my husband and kids – woot woot! I just got Sababa and it feels like it will become my summer go-to.
But cooking larger meals feels like a muscle that I need to warm up. So we’re starting easy. Casseroles (like Tuna Noodle) and enchiladas like these are great places to start.
Loaded with tender zucchini and hearty black beans, these enchiladas are vegetarian meal that will fill you up and offer lots of nutrition too. Served with some chips and Slow Roasted Tomato Salsa, this is a great meal to share.
Here’s how to make it!
Ingredients
- Zucchini – The foundation of the enchiladas is roasted zucchini tossed with pantry staple spices – chili powder, cumin, and dried oregano.
- Black Beans – Drain and rinse a can of black beans well before adding them to the enchiladas. Pinto beans would also work well here.
- Monterey Jack Cheese – I love this cheese in my Tex Mex dishes for the flavor, but perhaps more importantly, because it melts so nicely. Monterey Jack cheese gets super melty and slightly creamy as it heats – perfect for enchiladas.
- Sour Cream – Stir a bit of sour cream into the filling for creaminess and it’s great spooned over the finished enchiladas as well.
- Chopped Green Chilis – These add a tart flavor to the filling and can add some spice if you’d like. They also come in mild if you don’t want a spicy dish. Look for them near the enchilada sauce.
- Enchilada Sauce – I love the brightness of green enchilada sauce in this recipe, but red enchilada sauce works just fine as well. Be sure to grab mild or spicy, depending on your spice preference.
- Tortillas – Use flour or corn tortillas to make these enchiladas. See below for more details.
- Cooking Oil and Salt – Any cooking oil will work for roasting the zucchini (I like avocado and grapeseed oil, but olive oil or vegetable oil are great too). Be sure to season the zucchini with some salt as it roasts to bring out the flavor of the dried spices.
Corn or Flour Tortillas in Enchiladas
Whether you use corn or flour tortillas to make your enchiladas is a matter of personal preference. As flour tortillas bake they get a softer more chewy texture while corn tortillas get a more crumbly, tender texture. Both types of tortillas will roll more easily if they are warmed up before using, but corn tortillas in particular, should be warmed up to prevent cracking.
No matter which type of tortilla you use, leave a few edges exposed (and not covered in enchilada sauce) on the top of the dish – the edges will get nice and crisp as the enchiladas bake.
Possible Variations
- Add more veggies – Want to give these even more of a vegetable boost? Roast some broccoli or cauliflower along with the zucchini. Add in some frozen (defrosted) corn. Enchiladas are a blank slate for filling, so just about anything goes.
- Add chicken – Add some pre-cooked chicken to the filling in addition to or in place of the black beans.
- Make it gluten-free – Use gluten-free corn tortillas and be sure that your enchilada sauce is certified gluten-free.
More Tex Mex Favorites
- Baked Green Rice (Arroz Verde)
- Tex Mex Stuffed Zucchini
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Slow Roasted Tomato Salsa
- Slow Cooker Green Salsa Chicken
- Sweet and Spicy Corn Salsa
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Black Bean and Zucchini Enchiladas
Equipment
- 9 x 13 Baking Dish
- Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 pound Zucchini, cubed
- 1 Tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder (be sure to get chili powder, NOT cayenne)
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 15 ounce can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream, plus more for topping
- 1 4.5 ounce can Chopped Green Chilis, drained well (see note)
- 1 1/2 cups Green Enchilada Sauce, divided (see note)
- 8 8 inch Flour or Corn Tortillas
- Fresh cilantro, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C.
- Spread zucchini out on a sheet pan and toss with oil, chili powder, cumin, salt, and oregano.
- Roast zucchini, shaking the pan halfway through cooking, until very tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
- While zucchini roasts, spray a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick spray or brush it with some oil.
- When zucchini is done roasting, in a large mixing bowl, combine zucchini, black beans, 1 1/2 cups cheese, sour cream, and chopped green chilis.
- Spread 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce out in the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Cover the tortillas with a damp paper towel and microwave for 15 to 20 seconds (this will make them easier to roll).
- Working with one tortilla at a time, spread zucchini-black bean mixture out in the center.
- Roll the tortillas up to enclose the filling and place them in the baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat until all of the tortillas and filling have been used. (The rolled tortillas should be pretty snug in the pan.)
- Pour remaining 3/4 cup enchilada sauce over the wrapped tortillas.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, until cheese has completely melted and tortillas look golden brown around the edges, ~25 minutes.
- Top with sour cream and cilantro. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Omg, these are so good. I did add some roasted corn, cause I had it and my meat eater husband couldn’t stop raving about them. We are trying to eat less meat and this will definitely be made again. Thanks for the terrific recipe ☺️
So glad to hear that even a meat-eater loved them! Thanks for sharing.