I cannot describe to you how delicious these vegan butternut squash enchiladas are! They’re the plant-based spin we never knew we needed on the classic Mexican dish, but somehow, all the ingredients come together so well and harmoniously to make each and every single bite feel like heaven!
These plant-based butternut squash enchiladas are so tasty with a side of avocado and freshly sliced tomato, and maybe a drizzle of hot sauce if you want to feel the heat. It also makes a perfect dish to impress guests and to show people how tasty vegan and plant-based eating can truly be!
Ingredients
The ingredients in this butternut squash enchilada recipe are quite simple. The main one, as you may have guessed, is butternut squash! These tasty veggies are packed full of nutty and slightly sweet flavor, and contains lots of vitamins, minerals, and fiber! Each serving of butternut squash contains 7 grams of fiber and vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, Thiamine, Niacin, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium, and Manganese.
Just one serving of this incredible food contains more than enough vitamin A to meet the suggested daily intake, and vitamin A is extremely important for eye and bone health, as well as for the immune system! Additionally, vitamin E, which is also abundant in butternut squash, is correlated with reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease due to its antioxidant properties. So do yourself and your taste buds a favor by making more recipes like this one for butternut squash enchiladas that are full of this superfood!
To add some extra protein, this butternut squash enchilada recipe has black beans, and for extra flavor (and heat!), jalapeño and spices like cumin and oregano are used to elevate this dish to a whole other level.
Watch how to prepare this recipe!
Butternut Squash Enchilada Recipe!
Delicious Plant-Based Butternut Squash Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ medium jalapeño, diced (opt)
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 8-14 medium corn tortillas
- 1 can/jar red enchilada sauce
- ¼ cup vegan shredded cheese (opt)
Instructions
- Start by rinsing and peeling the butternut squash and make sure to compost the peel or save it for another recipe to avoid food-waste and start bringing a large saucepan half-full of water to a boil. Cut off the top stem of the butternut squash and start cubing the squash into approx. 1 inch cubes. Once you reach the part where the seeds are located, remove the seeds using your hands or a spoon and set these aside, and simply continue cubing the rest of the squash. Add in all of the cubed squash into the boiling water and let it cook for 15-20 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the cubes. Drain the water from the saucepan and then mash the butternut squash as you would do with potatoes. Now would be a good time to start preheating your oven to 375° F.
- Over medium-heat in the saucepan with the butternut squash, add in the black beans and stir to combine. Try to mash some of the black beans as well to make the filling more cohesive, and then add in the jalapeño (if using), cumin, oregano, pepper, and salt, and stir to combine. Let the filling cook over medium-heat for 2-5 minutes or until the spices become fragrant, stirring occasionally, and then set aside.
- To prepare the enchiladas, start by spreading about ¼ cup of the red enchilada sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish using a spoon. Heat up batches of the corn tortillas in the microwave to make them more flexible and less-likely to rip. To make an enchilada, add a spoonful of the enchilada sauce into the center of a tortillas and use a spoon to spread it around the tortilla. Then add in a a couple spoonfuls of the butternut squash filling into the center of the enchilada and roll it up, adding it with the open side of the rolled enchilada face down to the baking dish. Repeat this until you run out of tortillas and/or the filling, but make sure that you have more then half of the enchilada sauce left over.
- Once you've finished assembling the enchiladas, spread the majority of the remaining enchilada sauce (reserving about ¼ cup for later) on top of the enchiladas, making sure that there is no exposed part of the tortillas. Then sprinkle on the vegan cheese if using, then bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Once done, add on top the last bit of the enchilada sauce and allow the enchiladas to cool before serving. This goes really well with a drizzle of hot sauce and a side of guac! 🙂
Curious for more?
If you loved this recipe for butternut squash enchiladas, then check out some of my other recipes including baked falafel, vegan burritos, lentil veggie burger, Indian-inspired aloo gobi, mexican tofu tacos, and this sweet potato & tempeh nourish bowl! Plus, remember to subscribe down below to get updates when new recipes are posted, and check out my new youtube channel, ecofoodstuff!
