Enchiladas
Enchiladas originated in Mexico and usually incorporate tortillas with cheese, sauce and meat. Even when they’re made without the meat, enchiladas are still savory, rich and delicious! Here are a couple of our favorite vegetarian enchilada recipes.Black Bean and Creamy Kale Enchiladas
These Black Bean and Creamy Kale Enchiladas are filled with chopped kale, Monterey Jack cheese, fresh cilantro, garlic, onion and Black Turtle Beans. They’re so packed with flavor, in fact, that you might not even notice the meat is missing. Not only is the base of this enchilada recipe nutrient-dense and satisfying, the sauce is, too. It’s made with our Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour or GF 1-to-1 Baking Flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, dry oregano, tomato pasta and vegetable broth (or water). To spice things up a notch, add some cayenne pepper for a kick. Once the sauce is poured over the enchiladas, top with sour cream and shredded cheese and bake until bubbling and beautiful. You can serve these enchiladas alongside roasted chicken and a big bowl of homemade guacamole, so meat-eating guests can still opt for the extra protein if they’d like.
Bulgur, Black Bean, & Mushroom Enchilada Casserole
In this recipe for Bulgur, Black Bean & Mushroom Enchilada Casserole, Anetta of The Wanderlust Kitchen uses whole grain bulgur in place of ground beef. This dish can be customized based on your own dietary preferences, like using a non-dairy cheese or gluten free tortillas, or steel cut oats in place of bulgur. Like steel cut oat enthusiast Garianne Sheridan from The Peachy Prodigy states, “It’s fun to mess around and try new recipes with an ingredient.” And that’s especially true with this recipe. In addition to the Bulgur Wheat, it calls for corn tortillas, olive oil, white or brown mushrooms, black beans, mild enchilada sauce and shredded Monterey Jack cheese for that quintessential enchilada flavor. You can feel free to get creative with your toppings by using items like cherry tomatoes, Cotija cheese, finely chopped cilantro leaves, diced avocado, green onions and jalapeño. This is a super easy dish to throw together for a group or a family dinner and tastes delicious for leftovers the next day, too. We love that this dish can be assembled a couple days in advance to save time and that it freezes well cooked or uncooked.Quesadillas
Quesadillas are a Mexican specialty that consist of tortillas and cheese—but from there, the options are endless! Often you’ll find meat, beans and veggies tossed along with the cheese into the tortillas before they’re cooked. But we think vegetarian quesadillas can be equally (if not more) delicious.Butternut Squash Black Bean and Quinoa Quesadillas
Lauren of Lauren Kelly Nutrition combines incredible flavors in these nutritious vegan Butternut Squash and Black Bean Quinoa Quesadillas. This is an excellent dish for lunch or dinner, kids and adults. It’s made with just 8 ingredients: cooked quinoa, spinach, green onions, garlic, roasted butternut squash, black beans, tortillas and cilantro for topping. If you love cheese, you can feel free to add some, though there’s something wonderful about this creative quesadilla meal without it! A spoonful of homemade salsa on top is a welcome addition, too.
Avocado Quesadillas
We’re going cheese-less again with this power-packed recipe for Avocado Quesadillas. If you’re the type of quesadilla eater who adds mounds of sliced avocados or is always asking for extra avocado, this one’s for you! Kaitlin from The Garden Grazer brings these vegan Mexican quesadillas to life with just avocado, roma tomatoes, green onion, salsa, nutritional yeast and tortillas. You can use optional seasonings like smoked paprika, cumin and garlic powder to enhance the flavors. Our only question is, do we top this avo quesadilla with more avocados? We say yes!Tostadas
Tostada means “toasted,” and this dish typically uses a toasted tortilla as its base. Tostadas can be served flat or in the shape of a mexican burrito bowl and filled with everything from shredded beef, to tomato, to cheese, lettuce and avocado. For the sake of this article, forego the meat and pack your tostado with a bunch of other nutritious goodness.Black Bean and Mango Tostadas
The flavors of mango and black bean go together beautifully in this recipe for Black Bean and Mango Tostadas from Two Peas and Their Pod. This tostada recipe incorporates all the best ingredients of late spring and summer, like mango, cilantro, lime wedges (or lime juice) and tomatoes. Make this vegetarian Mexican recipe for your first outdoor gathering of the season and pair it with an ice cold beverage.
Healthy Tostadas
This recipe for Healthy Tostadas from Oatmeal with a Fork is both gluten free and vegan. To create the flattened tostadas, the recipe calls for Bob’s Red Mill Masa Harina, sea salt, olive oil, warm water and cooking spray. We love that these particular tostadas are baked, rather than fried, yet are still nice and crispy. You can top them with whatever you’d like, or even do as Lauren suggests and set up a tostada bar for the group!Tacos
Tacos, tacos, tacos! One of the best and most well-loved Mexican foods around. They’re made with tortillas and fillings aplenty (including a variety of animal proteins like seafood, pork, chicken and beef). Luckily, vegetarian tacos are incredible, too!Vegetarian Tacos
In this recipe for Vegetarian Tacos, a vegetarian substitute taco filling is made with TVP® Textured Vegetable Protein, tomato sauce, sugar, garlic, chili powder and cane sugar. Serve your vegetarian mixtures in taco shells with chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce and the cheese and salsa of your choice, and you most likely won’t even miss the meat.
Rice and Lentil Tacos with Vegan Queso and Chimichurri
These wonderfully unique Rice and Lentil Tacos with Vegan Queso and Chimichurri were debuted at Feast Portland 2017. They’re created with a rice and lentil filling that’s spiced with ingredients like cumin, minced garlic and ground cinnamon. A vegan queso from raw cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and garlic powder boosts the flavors and pairs well with the filling. Of course, the chimichurri at the end adds not only a wealth of flavors — but a whole lot of color, too. Whether you’re a vegetarian or a complete meat eater, we’re sure you’ll love this healthy Mexican entree.Side Dishes
When it comes to Mexican vegetable side dishes, vegetarian recipes are perfect! They’ll complement your main dishes and ensure that you and your guests aren’t too full before the main eating event.Southwest Quinoa Salad
This Southwest Quinoa Salad from A Beautiful Plate is made with our Organic Quinoa and is simple and delicious. The flavors of fire-roasted corn, avocado, cilantro, jalapeño and cherry tomatoes are fresh, and the garlic lime vinaigrette balances out every bite. Serve this salad in small cups with taster spoons as an appetizer or alongside your entree as a side dish.
The Best Vegan Conchas (Mexican Sweet Bread)
When it comes to showstopping side dishes, it’s hard to beat this Mexican Sweet Bread from Sweet Simple Vegan. Jasmine and Chris use aquafaba from chickpeas to make their breads fluffy and turmeric instead of traditional food dyes to give them their vibrant color. We were happy to partner with them for this recipe and incorporate ingredients like our Organic Sugar, Active Dry Yeast and All-Purpose Flour.More Ideas for Vegetarian Dishes
If these vegetarian Mexican dishes have you excited, here are some more options to try!
- Roasted vegetable enchiladas
- Quesadillas with rice, cheese and veggies
- Sweet potato tacos
- Zucchini quesadillas
- Butternut squash flautas
- Tofu enchiladas with mole sauce
- Swiss chard enchiladas
- Bean, tortilla and avo soup
- Avocado and black bean tostadas
- Mexican rice casserole
- Veggie burrito bowls
- Peppers stuffed with rice or quinoa
- Grilled portobello tacos
