These protein-rich vegan enchiladas are made with lentils and other wholesome ingredients. It can be made ahead and the recipe is freezer-friendly. The veggie enchilada casserole is gluten-free, plant-based, nut-free, perfect for lunch or dinner, and very tasty.
Can we please take a moment to appreciate these wholesome vegetarian enchiladas? This dish was a big hit in my house, super yummy, and I can’t wait to make it again! Has your mouth started watering yet?
How Healthy Are Lentil Enchiladas?
You might ask why I used lentils to make these enchiladas rojas. Well, I love lentils – they are an amazing source of healthy protein and contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. For example, lentils are rich in folate, copper, manganese, phosphorus, iron, and zinc.
They have a great taste and texture and combined with flavorful spices, and other plant-based ingredients, they can have a similar taste to ground meat. That’s why they are the perfect filling for veggie enchiladas. I also love that lentils are inexpensive, they cook much faster than beans or chickpeas, and they are even easier to digest.
Besides lentils, these enchiladas are stuffed with other wholesome plant-based ingredients, like sunflower seeds, rolled oats, bell peppers, tomato, carrot, onion, ground chia seeds, tomato paste, and flavorful spices.
For the full list of ingredients, measurements, and nutrition facts (calories, etc.), please check the printable recipe card below.
How to Make Vegan Enchiladas
Below you’ll find step-by-step photos. You can also watch the video for visual instructions.
Step 1: Cook Lentils
Rinse lentils thoroughly to remove any dirt and place them in a medium-sized pot. Add broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer with a lid on for about 20 minutes (or until tender). Then remove the pot from the heat but keep covered for a further 10 minutes.
Step 2: Make The Enchilada Sauce
While the lentils cook, prepare your enchilada sauce first and then start making the enchilada filling. To make the enchilada sauce, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add all spices and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook for another minute, stirring frequently. Add the tomato sauce and bring it to a boil. Let simmer until the sauce is thick, approximately 5 minutes.
Step 3: Make The Enchilada Filling
To make the enchilada filling: In a skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add onion + garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped bell peppers, tomato, grated carrot, and 1-2 hot chili peppers and sauté for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 4: Blend Dry Ingredients
Add all dry ingredients (spices, salt + pepper, the oats, the sunflower seeds, and the ground chia seeds) into a food processor and blend for about 20-30 seconds.
Step 5: Add Veggies
Add the cooked veggies and the tomato paste, and blend again.
Step 6: Add Cooked Lentils
Finally, add the cooked lentils and blend until everything is combined. The mixture should stick together and the texture should look like in the pics below. If the mixture isn’t thick enough or doesn’t stick together, then add more ground oats.
Step 7: Preheat Oven
Preheat oven to 390 degrees F (200 degrees C). Also, grease a baking/casserole dish with some oil or vegan butter.
Step 8: Add Filling To Tortilla
Spread 2 heaped tablespoons (100-120 g) of enchilada filling over a tortilla.
Step 9: Roll Up Tortilla
Roll up the tortilla and place it into the prepared baking dish.
Step 10: Repeat
Repeat this step with the other tortillas.
Step 11: Add Sauce
Then pour the enchilada sauce over the tortillas. I made two layers of 4 tortillas each (7 x 11 in baking dish) but you can make just one layer with 8 tortillas. The filling is enough for 12 tortillas, so you could also make more than 8 (depending on the size of your baking dish).
Step 12: Bake
Bake the veggie enchiladas uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, pour my easy Vegan Cheese Sauce on top (or use your favorite vegan cheese to taste), and put the enchilada casserole back into the oven for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro or herbs of choice (optional). You can also add a little Vegan Sour Cream on top if desired.
Helpful Tips and Variations
- Sunflower seeds – If you don’t like sunflower seeds you can, of course, also use any other seeds or nuts instead. Walnuts are a great substitute, for example.
- Other flour options – Instead of ground oats, you can use any other flour of choice. For example, a gluten-free flour mix or chickpea flour. Just make sure you use the amount mentioned in the recipe in grams.
- Tortillas – I used Homemade Gluten-Free Tortillas. Sometimes I also use these gluten-free Spinach Tortillas. However, you can use regular wheat tortillas or wraps of choice if you aren’t gluten-free.
- You can use cooked beans to make bean enchiladas or chickpeas instead of lentils. Textured protein (e.g. vegan beef) would be also an option.
- Top with vegan cheese – I topped these delicious gluten-free enchiladas with homemade vegan cheese sauce. That made them even more delicious, plus the sauce is ready in 3 minutes. However, you can certainly use store-bought vegan cheese instead!
How To Store
You can store the baked enchiladas covered in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. If you have sauce or filling leftovers, then store them separately in an airtight container in the fridge. This vegan enchilada recipe is also freezer friendly. Freeze in freezer bags for up to 3 months. Reheat covered in the oven until warmed through.
You can also prepare the sauce and the filling ahead and store it in the fridge, then assemble the enchiladas the next day.
Should you give these vegan enchiladas a try, please leave a comment and rating below, and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan, because I love to see your remakes.
Other vegan Mexican inspired recipes you might like to try:
- Mexican Pinto Bean Soup
- Vegan Tortilla Soup
- Breakfast Burritos
- Taco Cups
- Vegan Black Bean Quesadillas
- Loaded Nacho Fries
- Oven Roasted Vegetable Fajitas
- Mexican Pizza with Refried Beans
- Chili Sin Carne
Vegan Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 12 tortillas (22 cm in diameter)
- 7 oz (200 g) vegan cheese or to taste
Enchilada filling:
- 1 cup (192 g) dry lentils (*see recipe notes)
- 2 1/2 cups (600 g) vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup (70 g) sunflower seeds (*see recipe notes)
- 1 1/3 cup (120 g) rolled oats gluten-free if needed (*see recipe notes)
- 3 heaped tbsp (120 g) tomato paste
- 2 small bell peppers
- 1 medium-sized carrot grated
- 1 medium-sized tomato chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 tbsp chia seeds (ground) or flax seeds
- spice mix: 1/2 tbsp onion powder, 1/2 tbsp garlic powder, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1-2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1-2 hot chili peppers chopped (or less if you don't like it too spicy)
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp oil to fry the veggies
Enchilada sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp gluten-free flour (or all-purpose flour if not GF)
- 2 1/2 cups (600 g) tomato sauce
- spice mix: 1/2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse lentils thoroughly to remove any dirt and place them in a medium-sized pot. Add broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer with a lid on for about 20 minutes (or until tender). Then remove the pot from the heat but keep covered for a further 10 minutes.
- While the lentils cook, prepare your enchilada sauce first and then start making the enchilada filling. To make the enchilada sauce, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add all spices and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook for another minute, stirring frequently. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Let simmer until the sauce is thick, approximately 5 minutes.
- To make the enchilada filling: In a skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add onion + garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped bell peppers, tomato, grated carrot, and 1-2 hot chili peppers and sauté for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add all dry ingredients (spices, salt + pepper, the oats, the sunflower seeds, and the ground chia seeds) into a food processor and blend for about 20-30 seconds.
- Add the cooked veggies and the tomato paste, and blend again.
- Finally, add the cooked lentils and blend until everything is combined. The mixture should stick together and the texture should look like in the pics below. If the mixture isn't thick enough or doesn't stick together, then add more ground oats.
- Preheat oven to 390 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Spread 2 heaped tablespoons (100 g) of enchilada filling over a tortilla.
- Roll up the tortilla and place it into a greased baking dish.
- Repeat this step with the other tortillas.
- Then pour the enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas. I made two layers of 4 tortillas each (7 x 11 in baking dish) but you can make just one layer with 8 tortillas. The filling is enough for 12 tortillas, so you could also make more than 8 (depending on the size of your baking dish).
- Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, pour my easy vegan cheese sauce on top (or use your favorite vegan cheese to taste), and put the enchiladas back into the oven for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro or greens of choice (optional). You can also pour a little vegan sour cream on top if desired.
Notes
Video Of The Recipe
- Lentils: I typically use brown lentils which cook in about 20-25 minutes, if soaked beforehand in lukewarm water. You can use 2 1/2 cups cooked lentils or beans instead (and skip the veggie broth).
- Seeds: You can use other seeds or nuts (e.g. walnuts) instead of sunflower seeds.
- Flour: Chickpea flour is a good alternative for oats. Any other flour should work too.
- Tortillas: You can use regular flour tortillas or gluten-free tortillas.
- Check the blog post for storing instructions and other helpful tips.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
This recipe was a little time consuming, but very well worth it! My husband even liked it, and he is a “meat and potatoes” kind of guy. I will make it over and over!
Yay, that’s wonderful, Donna. Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
Hi I just wanted to tell you how much I love your enchilada filling. I love Mexican food and in 2020 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Im all done with my treatments but I have to take an estrogen blocker for 5 to 10 yrs which unfortunately you can gain weight on these pills. So finding a healthy meatless delicious substitute was wonderful. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve these. Thank you so much for sharing.
You are so welcome, Connie! Very happy you enjoy this recipe. All the best to you. 🙂
Although time consuming, this is a favorite with everyone, Mexican daughter I law, vegans, and farm raised, boot wearing meat eaters. I also share with many plant curious co workers. My only complaint is that there are never any leftovers!
Love your comment, Darby! Thanks for your great feedback. 😀
This is Awesome!!! Even my meat loving husband thought it was really good along with one of my pickier twins. I will definitely be making these again but will probably prep earlier in the day so it doesn’t take so long to get them done later.
So happy to hear, Brandi! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
Hi. I made it. It’s good but it’s very time consuming and many dishes and pans get messy .thank you for share your all great recipe .
Glad you liked the recipe! Yes, some recipes are more time-consuming than others, that’s for sure. 🙂
Awesome! Ive made this recipe a few times for my self and friends (all non vegans) and have only received rave reviews. I do tend to add more spices and tweak the amount of certain ingredients i use, but thats just because ive made it so may times that ive really honed in on the perfect recipe for me and my preferences.
That’s awesome, Wes! I am so glad it’s one of your favorite recipes. Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
I really really wanted to like these, but they just weren’t very good : ( I’m honestly dumbfounded by all the rave reviews. The lentil mixture was very very bland and the sauce just wasn’t good enough to overcompensate for the lack of taste. In theory, I love these with all the healthful ingredients, but in reality, they ended up being a huge waste of time.
Sorry, you didn’t like them, Tiffany. They are very popular on my blog and I love them a lot. I hope you will find a different recipe that you enjoy. 🙂
This was great! I made it tonight, though I cheated with jarred enchilada sauce. I did make your vegan cheese sauce, though, using the arrowroot substitution. This was super filling and yummy! We’ll make this again for sure. Thanks for posting!
Sounds great, Laurel. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I loved the recipe, but I think that the chickpea flour taste was too intense. It tasted like raw chickpea. Next time I will try with oats! Thank you so much for sharing it with us! 🙂
Hi Eleni, I don’t think oat flour would work. You could try cornflour instead. 🙂
I think there is an error in the notes section above that she is referring to that says you can use chickpea flour instead of Oats.
Really tasty recipe though! Thanks
This was my first time visiting Ela’s site and oh, how marvelous these enchiladas were! Like another reviewer mentioned, I hesitated initially because I worried they would be mushy and lack texture, but I was wrong. I made the recipe as it’s written and it was delicious. I used a combination of corn tortillas and almond flour tortillas – both turned out perfectly. Served with Ela’s cheese recipe, avocado slices and some micro greens on top, mmm. My husband and 14 month old gobbled it up. I will definitely be adding this one to the rotation! Excited to try more of your recipes, Ela. Thank you!
That’s awesome, Keeley! I am so glad you liked the enchiladas. 🙂
Thanks for your feedback!
Elllllaaaa, I was less than excited about these enchiladas after I made the filling b/c I’m all about texture and it just didn’t look good, but wow was I surprised with the final dish. Equally, happy about this new find was by boyfriend who is already asking when I’m going to make them again. Needless to say, what good flavors. In the end I really liked the texture of the filling after it was all said and done. I feel like if I ever make this for a non-vegan family member or friend they would not miss the meat. Oh, and definitely better day 2 and 3. I also had so much leftover filling, which was great because this recipe was time consuming, but overall worth every bit of my recent Sunday afternoon. Excited to try more of your savory recipes since I usually just go to you for sweets.
That’s fantastic, Sommer! Thanks so much for your thorough feedback. 🙂
Tha n you for this delicious recipe. Tried this tonight, and it was insanely good. I cut the recipe in half but now I wish I had just made it all and froze the leftovers. I never thought oats/chia seeds/sunflower seeds would work in enchiladas, but the texture was perfect and the taste was on point.
So happy they turned out delicious, Sam! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
I didn’t even get a chance to take a pic before it was all gone! This is so delicious! I followed the recipe, except I didn’t have enough tomato sauce so I added about a cup of medium heat Picante sauce, and I omitted the hot chili (the kids don’t like it too hot.) Yummy!!! Thank you so much!
Looks amazing, will try with Chickpea or Cassava flour wraps.
Enjoy! 🙂
Super yummy! My mexican loving husband adored and couldn’t stop talking about it. Will make again for sure.
That’s such amazing feedback! Thanks a lot, Trinity. 🙂
Which tortilla Recipe do you use?
Hi Inge, it’s linked twice in the blog post. 🙂
Here is the direct link: https://elavegan.com/gluten-free-tortillas-recipe/
WOW!! These were better than any enchilada I have ever had, Being fairly new to the Whole Food Plant Based world, I was so glad to have these in my rotation. A bit of work, a few extra dishes. BUT, SO worth it in my opinion. It was great to have such a filling satisfying dinner tonight. I used the whole wheat flour tortillas I had, I think though next time I will use corn tortillas. Great Job with this recipe!
Yay, that’s amazing! I am so glad you enjoyed the meal. Thanks for your fantastic feedback Chrissy! 🙂
These were delicious!!!..a bit labor intensive but worth it (and I did not even make the tortillas). I really don’t know how you came up with the recipe for the filling but it is great! I used a whole pack of mini corn tortillas built in 2 layers of rolls in a large pyrex baking dish. Next time I may make extra enchilada sauce to put in between the layered enchiladas. I am saving this recipe to my favorites list. Thank you!
Fantastic! I am so glad they turned out delicious, Natalie. 🙂
These are definitely the best vegan enchiladas I’ve tried. They actually taste like enchiladas and not just vegetables baked in a tortilla like other vegan recipes. Will definitely make again!
Wow, thanks so much for your amazing comment, Claire! I am so happy you loved the recipe. 🙂
This was an awesome dish. I had it on stamdby forever! So glad I made it. Lots of leftovers. I did make a few subs canned fire roasted tomatoes vs fresh, green chiles instead of hot peppers. Plus added mushrooms. Yum!!!
Sounds amazing Jamie! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂