If you’re looking for a healthy, veggie-packed recipe, try these vegetarian enchiladas verdes! They’re easy to make ahead and freeze, and packed with nutritious mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, and beans. Using store-bought tomatillo salsa saves tons of time and effort!
Enchiladas have to be one of my favorite make-ahead meals. You can assemble them days in advance, and the leftovers are always delicious. You can even freeze them for later!
And these enchiladas are SO nutritious, and such a great way to eat more vegetables. They’re PACKED with mushrooms, spinach, and zucchini. A few store-bought prepped ingredients, like using canned beans and jarred salsa (rather than homemade enchilada sauce), save tons of time and effort.
How to make Vegetarian Enchiladas Verdes
- Sauté lots of veggies in a little olive oil. Start with onions, then add some garlic, mushrooms, and a chopped jalapeño. Then, add zucchini, spinach, and finally some canned pinto beans.
- Stir in a little of the tomatillo salsa into the veggie mix.
- Spread a little of the salsa in the bottom of a baking dish, stuff the tortillas with the veggie and bean mixture, and place seam side down.
- Pour the rest of the salsa on top and top with some shredded cheese.
- Bake!
Tips and tricks
- Prevent soggy enchiladas: The veggies need a while to cook, so you can get as much of the water out of them as possible. Cook the mushrooms completely before adding the zucchini and spinach, and continue sautéing until almost all of the water has evaporated from them (it shouldn’t be pooling at the bottom of the pan). More on how to cook mushrooms completely.
- Drain and rinse the beans very well. This will help make the beans more easily digestible by rinsing off all those indigestible carbohydrates that cause gas.
- Warm up the tortillas before stuffing them. Wrap flour tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds or so. This will make them more malleable and less likely to crack apart.
- Don’t waste any extra filling! There is a lot of filling here, so stuff the tortillas pretty full. If you have any extra, just stuff it in between the tortillas in the baking dish, so you don’t waste any deliciousness.
Can I use corn tortillas instead of flour for a gluten-free version?
Yes! I prefer flour tortillas for enchiladas because they hold up better. If you use corn, I recommend toasting them before (you can do this directly over your gas burners or in a dry skillet). This will help them hold up a bit better and also enhance their flavor.
Can I make these enchiladas ahead and freeze them?
Definitely. Once you assemble all the enchiladas in the baking dish, you can wrap them tightly in foil and place the whole thing in your refrigerator or freezer.
- If making ahead and refrigerating, add 10 more minutes of covered baking time (30 minutes), then uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. Because they will be cold starting out, they need more time to warm up.
- If making ahead and freezing, you can bake them directly from the freezer. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes more minutes covered (45 minutes), then uncover and bake for 10-15 more minutes.
The enchiladas will stay good for about 3-5 days in your refrigerator, and 3-4 months in your freezer (make sure you wrap it tightly!).
What if I prefer to make homemade verde sauce?
Go for it! Here’s a great homemade salsa verde recipe from Cooking Classy.
Can I make these enchiladas vegan?
Yes! Just use your favorite vegan cheese substitute in place of the shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
What to serve with vegetarian enchiladas verdes:
- Mexican Baked Beans
- Watermelon Salad with Queso Fresco and Lime
- Refried Beans
- Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
Other enchiladas recipes:
- Turkey Enchiladas with Black Beans and Corn
- Chicken Enchiladas Verdes with Spinach
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas
- Easy Chicken Enchiladas
Be sure to browse all my vegetarian recipes for other veggie-packed ideas!
Did you make this Healthy Vegetarian Enchiladas Verdes recipe? Please click the stars below to comment and Rate this Recipe
Vegetarian Enchiladas Verdes
Equipment
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or butter
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper ribs and seeds removed and finely diced
- 16 oz. mushrooms sliced (I used baby portobello)
- 2 medium zucchini quartered and sliced
- 16 oz. frozen chopped spinach
- 15 oz. canned pinto beans drained and rinsed (1.5 cups)
- 2 cups salsa verde store bought or homemade
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 10-12 flour tortillas
- 16 oz. shredded Monterey jack cheese
- chopped cilantro and red onion and diced avocado for serving, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Heat the olive oil (1 tablespoon) in a large (12") skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until softened and starting to brown (about 3 minutes). Add the minced garlic (2 cloves) and sauté until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add the mushrooms and diced jalapeño and some salt and pepper to the skillet. Sauté until softened and starting to brown, stirring only occasionally (about 5 minutes). Add the zucchini and sauté until softened (about 5 more minutes), again stirring only occasionally.
- Add the frozen spinach (no need to defrost) to the skillet and sauté until most of the liquid has evaporated from the skillet- push the veggies to the side and if you see liquid pooling at the bottom, sauté for a little longer (this can take about 10 minutes).
- Add the pinto beans and 1/2 cup of the salsa verde to the skillet and stir together. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Warm up the flour tortillas by wrapping in a damp paper towel and placing in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Spread 1/2 cup of the salsa verde in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Then, fill each tortilla with a generous amount of the veggie filling and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. If you have extra filling, just stuff it in-between the filled tortillas (or use for another purpose).
- Pour the rest of the salsa verde on top of the enchiladas and top with shredded cheese.
- Bake covered with foil for 20 minutes at 375 degrees, and for another 10 minutes uncovered, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Top with chopped cilantro and red onion and serve with diced avocado, if desired.
Notes
- Make ahead/freezer instructions: assemble the enchiladas and refrigerate for up to 3 days or wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. From the fridge, bake covered for 30 minutes at 375, then uncovered for another 10. Directly from the freezer, bake covered for 45 minutes then uncovered for another 10-15 minutes.
- Make it vegan/dairy-free: use a vegan cheese as a substitute for the Monterey jack, and olive oil instead of butter to sauté the veggies.
- Make it gluten-free: use corn tortillas instead of flour. I recommend toasting them before so they hold up better.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Kristan
These were delicious, thanks Elizabeth! I added some poached and shredded vegan chicken and vegan sour cream and shredded cheese and they turned out perfect. As a Texan living in Australia I really miss enchiladas! Thanks for a great dish!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! I lived in Texas and now New England and I miss enchiladas too!
Ashley
Wow I really loved this recipe. I used small 3 or 4oz can of green chiles instead of fresh jalapeno. It worked quite well without making it too watery. It held up great in form and texture once done. My husband and I agree we’ll put it into the rotation and good for my vegetarian relatives. Thanks!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So happy you liked it!
Leah oliveira
I made the filling from this recipe and did what I called a fiesta rice bowl. Green rice w the filling on top then cheese. I froze them and they were actually a gift for my daughter’s best friend who had a baby. So I filled her freezer so when she came home from the hospital she had a bunch of meals done.. Needless to say her husband loved this..This recipe was their favorite.
Elizabeth Lindemann
That’s so nice of you to stock their freezer with yummy healthy meals, and so happy to hear they liked it! I love the idea of making rice bowls out of the filling. Thanks for sharing that tip :-)
Annika
Yummiest enchiladas I have ever had! I did substitute with corn tortillas and red onion because that’s what I had on hand.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!