Enchiladas. Kale. How on earth did those two food items ever end up on the same line??? Honestly, I’m still trying to figure that out.
Let’s talk about my relationship with greens. I’m not talking about lettuce. I’m talking about all those oh-so-good-for-you but sometimes too-healthy-to-eat greens like kale, collards, and swiss chard, to name a few. Let’s just say that we’re still getting to know each other. As part of my effort to get to know some of those wonderful (and occasionally absurd veggies), I joined a summer CSA program. Read more about summer CSA’s in your area here.
In this past week’s CSA box, I received quite a few greens to use up, which proves to be a big challenge for me every time. I’m learning, but it takes time. I can’t say that I’m at the point where I absolutely love greens cooked and seasoned all on their own (except kale chips, that’s a different story), but we’re getting there.
In the meantime, this.
Kale, married off to black beans and living in a tortilla smothered in sauce and Trader Joe’s vegan mozzarella style shreds.
Honest fact: These some of the best enchiladas I’ve ever tasted.
Aaaannnd, they’re completely vegan, fake meat free, low in fat, easy to assemble, and just all-around amazing.
In fact, you probably won’t even notice the kale. Greens without tasting greens? Win win!!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and fabulous Sabbath rest.
Vegan Black Bean and Kale Enchiladas
Equipment
- 9 inch x 9 inch square glass baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 onion chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper or 2/3 cup
- 4-5 large kale leaves or collards or other greens of your choice, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or use water for less fat
- 2 cans black beans 30 ounces total, drained
- 1/4 cup black olives minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon pure cane sugar or your choice of sweetener
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 6 fajita-sized tortillas I used whole wheat.
- 2/3 cups vegan cheese I used Trader Joe’s vegan mozzarella style shreds.
- 1/2 cup green onions sliced, for garnish
For the Enchilada Sauce:
- 1/2 onion
- 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 16 ounces tomato sauce (1 can)
- 5 ounces tomatoes and green chiles (about 1/2 can)
- 1 tablespoon evaporated cane juice crystals (or granulated sugar)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 clove garlic (minced or pressed)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Saute onion, bell pepper, and kale in olive oil just until onions are becoming clear and fragrant.
- Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until there is little to no excess liquid in the pan.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place about 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9 X 13 glass baking dish.
- In each tortilla, place about 1/2 cup of black bean filling and roll it up.
- Line rolled and filled tortillas in baking dish, then pour remaining enchilada sauce on top.
- Sprinkle your favorite vegan cheese or cheese sauce on top of enchiladas, and bake uncovered for about 8 minutes, or until cheese is melty and wonderful.
- Garnish with green onions and serve hot.
For the Enchilada Sauce:
- In a medium saucepan, saute minced onion and chopped bell pepper in about 1/2 cup of water, just until onions are clear.
- Add remaining sauce ingredients to saucepan and stir.
- Allow sauce to simmer on low-medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes before assembling enchiladas. Salt to taste.
http://www.veganiowan.com
Enchiladas are one of my all-time favorites! I like to make a big casserole like this on the weekends and then eat it for lunch all week. I never considered adding kale, but it looks like it turned out beautifully. We get more kale than we know what to do with in the summer months, and you can only eat sooo many kale chips, so thank you for this great new idea!
Kelly, I never would have imagined putting kale in enchiladas, but you really don’t notice them so much, and they’re SO good for you. This is like my new favorite recipe. :)
http://produceonparade.wordpress.com
Yum, these look fantastic! I often make a black bean and kale burrito and they are so delicious so I can imagine this would be as well. Thanks for sharing! :)
http://www.notsoperfectlife.com
This looks beyond delicious. I’m pinning it now :)
I just made these for lunch. My husband and I LOVED them. Great recipe!I will make these again and again. Thanks!
Thanks, Michelle! I’m SO glad you liked them. I feel like making another batch of these myself.
This looks amazing! Im going to make it for dinner tomorrow. Thanks for sharing.
http://HomeMadebyCarmona.blogspot.com
I really appreciate your recipe, thanks! The coriander and paprika tasted fantastic. I used only 1 can of black beans and (inspired by another recipe) added in some gently fried cubes of tofu I had in the fridge, and half a can of sweetcorn. We also used a lot more kale, which I had minced very finely in the food processor. But what made it was your selection of spices. Thank you!