Vegan Butternut Squash Enchiladas
Vegan Butternut Squash Enchiladas- stuffed with roasted butternut squash, brussels sprouts, and black beans, these enchiladas are warming and packed full of nutrition!
These enchiladas are like fall stuffed inside of a tortilla. Minus the cinnamon or allspice because that would be weird.
They feature some of fall’s best vegetables including roasted butternut squash and shredded brussels sprouts along with protein-packed black beans, tangy tomatillo salsa, and a big ‘ol drizzle of cashew sour cream. Because what is life without cashew sour cream?
I posted a somewhat similar version of these enchiladas a while back but they were made with sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash and lots of cheese. Only problem is we quit eating cheese and I can’t find a vegan shredded cheese that I like enough to use in it’s place. So I wanted to create a vegan version that doesn’t call for shredded cheese.
The solution? Roasted butternut squash puree. Rather than use chunks of squash, the puree creates a creamy texture and helps bind the ingredients inside of the enchiladas so that it doesn’t fall out all over the place. Boom.
RECIPE NOTES AND TIPS!
- I included shredded brussels sprouts for added fall flair but you could always replace them with shredded cabbage or just leave them out altogether if you’re not in a cruciferous mood.
- You can use any kind of tortillas you prefer, just make sure not to skip the step of microwaving them so that they are pliable and don’t break when you try to roll them.
- I used salsa verde for sauce but any kind of enchilada sauce will work.
- If you’d like to make these nut-free, simply substitute sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for the cashews. You could also make the avocado crema from this recipe if you prefer avocado.
- This is a time intensive recipe so I don’t recommend making it on a weeknight. If you’d like to prep it in advance, you can make them up until the point where you need to bake them. Or you can prep the filling in advance and assemble when you’re ready to cook.
- For my oil-free friends, simply leave out the oil and substitute a bit of water or vegetable broth when sautéing the vegetables in the skillet.
I think that about covers it but if you have any other questions please let me know. Enjoy!
Vegan Butternut Squash Enchiladas
Yield: 12 enchiladas
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Enchiladas
- 2 cup roasted butternut squash puree (approx. 2lb squash)
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped (reserve some for topping)
- 1 medium jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 ounces brussels sprouts, thinly sliced (1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 24 ounces mild salsa verde (or your preferred enchilada sauce)
- 12 corn tortillas
- chopped fresh cilantro and pumpkin seeds for serving
For the Cashew Sour Cream
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked*
- 1/2 cup water
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the stem off of the butternut squash then slice down the center lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and any strings of flesh. Lightly grease the flesh with high heat oil then lay facing down on the baking sheet. Roast for about 45 minutes, until soft when squeezed with an oven mitt. Reduce heat to 350°F and set squash aside to cool.
Meanwhile, warm a large skillet with one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, until translucent. Then add the jalapeño and garlic, and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
To the skillet, add the brussels sprouts along with the spices and salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, until brussels begin to soften. Add the black beans and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.
Once the squash has cooled, use a spoon to scrape out the flesh into a large bowl. Transfer the vegetable mixture from the skillet to the bowl. Stir together to combine.
Place the tortillas on a microwave safe plate and cover with a lightly damp paper towel or tea towel. Microwave for about 20 seconds to soften. This step will help the tortillas be more pliable for rolling.
Spread about 1/2 cup of the salsa on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Add about 1/3 cup of the filling inside of each tortilla. Roll up then place in the baking dish seam side down until you have assembled all 12 enchiladas. Spread the remaining salsa on top then bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare the cashew sour cream by combining all of the ingredients in a high speed blender or NutriBullet. Blend until smooth. Add more water if needed to thin, one teaspoon at a time. Or more salt/lemon juice, if desired.
Remove enchiladas from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm drizzled with cashew sour cream, cilantro, and pumpkin seeds, and enjoy!
*To soak cashews, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Remove from heat, add the raw cashews and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes. Drain and rinse before using in recipe.
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up t0 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!
Hi – Please suggest another option those that do not use oils of any kind to prep the tortillas. Great recipe and would like to try it. Thanks so much for all the wonderful ideas.
Sorry, not for the tortillas but for the onions. I imagine water or vege broth can be substituted to saute the onions, etc?
Hi Cindy! I have a suggestion in the body of the post that says you can use vegetable broth in place of the oil. Just a few tablespoons should do the trick. I hope you enjoy!
These are everything fall and I absolutely love all the things you’ve stuffed into these mouthwatering enchiladas! I’m discovering that not all corn tortillas are created equal. Some crack, some don’t… I really need to do a comparison of brands and see what that key ingredient is that makes them hold together! Lovin that cashew cream, Sarah!
I completely agree about the tortillas! I think it all depends on how fresh they are but who knows?
Sarah, you’ve managed to make normally blah and brown/green looking enchiladas – albeit, delicious! – look so gorgeous… great food photography skills my friend! :) I could eat enchiladas just about every day!
Lol I kind of regretted using salsa verde when I went to take these photos bc it looks brown. But I tried to make the best of it. Thanks for the reassurance! :)
These are seriously SO creative! I love fall-inspired classics – squash literally makes everything amazing :)
Have you tried Follow Your Heart cheeses?? I think they’re great and super close to regular cheese.
This literally includes all of my favorite foods!! So excited to try :)
My husband and I had this last night. So delicious! My carniverous husband even said, “This is so good, we could serve this when people come over.” That good. I’m really slow when it comes to recipes, so it took me a while; but it was totally worth it and will be going into my regular cooking night rotation. I even had some filling left over, and I’m pumped to make stand-alone tacos with it. Thank you for offering your creativity and experiments to the world!Z
This one does require a little more work than my usual recipes but I’m so glad you both enjoyed it! Thank you so much for the kind review, Zoe!
Absolutely love this recipe! My husband said I could make these at least every other week for dinner. My adult vegan daughter asked for the recipe! I didn’t find it to take very long at all. The recipe is laid out in perfect format and flows very well.
The only changes I made were to buy the butternut squash already cubed in the produce section and baked it for 15 minutes. That really cut down the prep time. I then wrapped mine using spinach and sun dried tomato wraps. They were delicious.
I did find I had to add more water to get the consistency for the cashew sour cream and it too was a win-win.
Also, pumpkin seeds were called pepitos in the nut aisle at our local Publix. In case you can’t find them easily enough.
So appreciative for this recipe and I will be sharing with others. Thank you!
PS: I took photos if you would like to post them. I don’t see where there is a place to attach here.
Thank you so much for the kind review and helpful tips, Debbie! I’m so happy these were a hit for you! I don’t have any way to upload pictures from comments on my website but you can share it on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. You should be able to post it directly to my Facebook page (if you want to, of course!): https://www.facebook.com/makingthymeforhealthblog
Can this dish be made ahead of time and frozen? If so, should I bake it and then freeze it or just do everything except bake it before I freeze it?
You can prepare them up until the baking step then cover and freeze. I personally like to add the sauce after I’ve defrosted them and then bake but you can freeze them with the sauce if you prefer!
I’ve already made this twice in the past month for two difference groups of people. It’s so good!! Has impressive many non-vegans!
Would canned butternut squash work instead of baking a butternut squash, to save time ?