plant-based comfort food at its finest!: Spinach Mushroom Bean Enchiladas

Lisa Boesen

3 weeks ago

Spinach Mushroom Bean Enchiladas

My daughter-in-law is mostly plant-based. When I asked her what she would like “veganized,” she said, “Spinach enchiladas like they have in Texas.” It has been a while since I lived in Texas, and honestly, I don’t really like cooked spinach by itself. But I had this filling from some amazing cannelloni, so I thought I would just recreate it with different herbs and spinach bean mushroom enchilada spices, and voila, we have enchiladas. Enjoy!

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Base Recipes to Make Spinach Mushroom Bean Enchiladas

Bechamel Sauce Base

1:2 ratio of butter to flour

Liquid – usually warm plant-based milk or part milk, and Not Chicken or Vegetable Bouillon

Nutmeg and white pepper

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and cook to a thin paste (roux) for 1 -2 minutes. Slowly add the liquid and cook until the desired consistency, for me, about the consistency of pudding.

Cilantro Green Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

One bunch of cilantro, stems and all

½ of vegan or regular mayonnaise

½ cup of vegan or regular milk (almond or cashew almond work best)

3 tbsp Hidden Valley Ranch dressing or 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tbsp dried parsley

Juice of ½ a lime or 1 tbsp bottled lime juice

¼ cup sliced jarred jalapenos

1 tbsp jalapeno brine from the jar or white vinegar

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy. Adjust seasonings to your taste. You may want less or more. Some like it spicier. Others, not so much.

Spinach Mushroom Bean Filling

Ingredients

1 TBSP oil and 1 tsp vegan butter

1 shallot, minced or thinly sliced

1 cup sliced mushrooms of choice, preferably shiitakes but minibellas will work too!

1 TBSP chopped Hatch chilies

4 cups or handfuls of spinach (don’t worry, it cooks down!)

½ cup white beans (it’s a color thing)

1 tsp Better Than Bouillon Not Chicken or Vegetable bouillon (not prepared) just the paste

1/4 cup or so of Bechamel Sauce above

½ cup water

Dash of Liquid Smoke (optional but makes it great!)

Instructions for Spinach Mushroom Bean Filling

Heat the oil and butter in a skillet.
Add the shallots and sauté until soft.
Add the mushrooms and saute until nicely caramelized and the moisture cooks off.
Add the chilies and stir.
Turn up the heat to medium-high to high.
Add the beans, spinach, tsp of bouillon, and water.
Cover and allow to steam for 1-2 minutes.
Lower the heat to medium, remove the lid, and stir in the remaining ingredients, cooking until the sauce thickens and the liquid evaporates to leave a thicker sauce
Remove from the heat and add the avocado or sour cream sauce

Green Chili Vegan Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

½ cup of the bechamel sauce (recipe above)

½ cup unsweetened plant-based milk

4 TBSP Cilantro Green Sauce (recipe above)

¼ – ½ cup Miyoka’s vegan mozzarella

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Whisk and heat until just smooth and creamy. Don’t overheat!

How to Make Rolled Spinach Mushroom Bean Enchiladas

Corn Tortillas

Filling

Green Cilantro Dipping Sauce

Grated Tex-Mex Vegan Cheese of choice

Pan-fry the corn enchiladas until just a wee bit brown but not crispy. They need to be pliable. DON’T OVERCOOK.
Have all your ingredients warmed – filling, sauce, tortillas.
Place one enchilada in a casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Fill with the filling of choice into the middle and fold each side over. Don’t overfill. (You can use a little sauce as “paste” to hold the ends together).
Place in the casserole dish with folded side down.
Continue rolling more enchiladas, fill, and “paste” together.
Cover with sauce.
Sprinkle with grated vegan cheese, cover with foil, and bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until bubbly.
Remove the foil and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes just to start the cheese to melt. (or convection bake at 375 until bubbly and cheese is melting). 1-2 minutes – keep an eye on them!
Remove from the oven. Allow to sit for a few minutes, and serve.