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    Home » Recipes » Enchilada

    Protein Monster Vegan Enchiladas

    Mar 9, 2015 by Kaitlin

    A satisfying high-protein Vegan Enchiladas recipe with an amazing homemade sauce! Each enchilada has a whopping 20+ grams of protein (all from soy-free sources).

    Pan of protein monster vegan enchiladas hot from the oven

    Two things make these "Protein Monster" Enchiladas one of our favorite vegan enchiladas yet.

    First is the combination of black beans + garbanzo beans.

    Chickpeas don't often appear in enchiladas but we really enjoy the unexpected addition. (If you're not a fan of garbanzos, substitute quinoa instead!)

    Second is when the natural tomato juices are mixed with nutritional yeast in the pan, it makes a delicious sauce that really brings the filling together.

    Vegan enchiladas with garbanzos and black beans on a plate with fork

    Ingredients for Vegan Protein Enchiladas

    For this recipe you will combine then bake in the oven:

    • Yellow onion: Or use sweet onion or white onion if desired.
    • Red bell pepper: Or you can substitute any other color bell pepper.
    • Black beans
    • Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
    • Hemp hearts: These are also known as hulled hemp seeds. Be sure to find fresh hemp hearts that are not expired. These add a lot of plant protein to the dish. But if you don't care for them or can't find them simply leave them out. You could replace them with cooked white quinoa if you'd prefer.
    • Nutritional yeast: This gives the filling mixture a rich, savory, slightly cheesy flavor.
    • Roma tomatoes: Or you can use garden tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, etc.
    • Ground cumin
    • Smoked paprika: You can also include dried garlic powder or fresh minced garlic cloves to the seasoning mixture.
    • Large tortillas: I use 6 large burrito-sized tortillas for this recipe, so if yours are smaller, you may need 8 or more. I try to find organic whole grain tortillas when possible.

    Note: I love these topped with our favorite Mexican-inspired homemade enchilada sauce, but use whatever sauce you'd like!

    Homemade sauce cooking in a pan with a spoon

    Customizing

    Make it spicy: Add jalapeno, cayenne pepper, medium diced green chiles, or chipotle in adobo sauce. Or simply top with your favorite hot sauce to taste before serving.

    Make it cheesy: The nutritional yeast provides some cheesy, savory flavor. But feel free to add vegan shredded cheese either to the enchilada filling, or sprinkled on top during the last 10 minutes of baking time.

    Add greens: You can also add fresh baby spinach or kale to the enchilada filling mixture.

    Note: Each enchilada has about 20+ grams protein, all from non-soy sources. But it could be even higher if you use sprouted grain tortillas!

    Serving

    Serve these as is, or add your favorite toppings. A few ideas include:

    • Diced avocado or guacamole
    • Fresh cilantro
    • Additional hemp hearts
    • Vegan sour cream
    Plate with vegan enchilada and a fork

    For more inspiration, also browse all Mexican-inspired recipes.

    Pan of protein monster vegan enchiladas hot from the oven

    Protein Monster Vegan Enchiladas

    Each enchilada has over 20 grams of plant-based protein (from non-soy sources). Then topped with a homemade Mexican-inspired enchilada sauce!
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Comment
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: Gluten-Free Option, Mexican-inspired, Vegan
    Servings: 6

    Ingredients

    • 1 yellow onion
    • 1 red bell pepper
    • 15 oz. can black beans
    • 15 oz. can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
    • 1/2 cup hemp hearts
    • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
    • 3 roma tomatoes
    • 2 tsp. ground cumin
    • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
    • 6 large tortillas
    • 1 batch homemade enchilada sauce (or your own favorite)

    Instructions

    • Make the enchilada sauce and set aside. (Or skip this step if using your own sauce.)
    • Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
    • Dice onion and bell pepper.
    • In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and bell pepper for about 8 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, dice tomatoes. Rinse and drain beans.
    • When onions are translucent, reduce heat. Add cumin, paprika, tomatoes, nutritional yeast, hemp hearts, and both beans (rinsed and drained). Stir well. Heat for 4-5 minutes then set aside.
    • In a lightly sprayed 9"×13" baking dish, cover the bottom with a thin layer of enchilada sauce.
    • Distribute bean mixture in the center of tortillas. Roll up, tucking in both ends.
    • Place all 6 rolled enchiladas in baking dish and top with remaining sauce.
    • Bake for about 25 minutes.
    • Serve topped with avocado, cilantro, additional hemp hearts, nutritional yeast, etc.

    Notes

    *For gluten-free: Use GF all-purpose flour (I use Bob's Red Mill) and GF tortillas.
    Customizing: Add spinach, kale, chipotle, or garlic to the enchilada mixture.
    Make it cheesy: Add vegan cheese shreds to the bean mixture, or simply top with a layer of cheese during the last 10 minutes of bake time.

    Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

    Nutrition Facts
    Protein Monster Vegan Enchiladas
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    513
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    19
    g
    29
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    13
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    8
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    7
    g
    Potassium
     
    753
    mg
    22
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    67
    g
    22
    %
    Fiber
     
    13
    g
    54
    %
    Sugar
     
    8
    g
    9
    %
    Protein
     
    22
    g
    44
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    1627
    IU
    33
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    35
    mg
    42
    %
    Calcium
     
    167
    mg
    17
    %
    Iron
     
    8
    mg
    44
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you make this recipe?Leave a star rating or comment below!

    If you are enjoying this high-protein vegan enchiladas recipe, also check out:

    • Easy Portobello Fajitas
    • Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
    • Vegan Burrito Bowl

    Follow The Garden Grazer on Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook for more updates and inspiration.

    More Vegan Enchilada Recipes

    • Black Bean Avocado Enchiladas
    • White Bean Zucchini Enchiladas (Vegan)
    • Vegetable Quinoa Enchiladas (Vegan)
    • Vegan Green Enchiladas with White Beans

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating:




    1. Henry

      December 14, 2022 at 6:57 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this for the first time today and gotta say the filling is delicious! A great protein filled meal after a workout.

      Reply
      • Kaitlin

        December 15, 2022 at 7:39 am

        Hello Henry! That's really great to hear you enjoyed this recipe after your workout. Thanks a lot for giving it a try and sharing your kind feedback!

        Reply
    2. Cheryl

      March 22, 2020 at 5:32 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! Added some leftover cooked quinoa and roasted sweet potatoes along with a little spicy taco seasoning. Will certainly make again. Thanks for posting!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin McGinn

        March 25, 2020 at 12:28 pm

        Fantastic additions! Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
      • Julie

        July 10, 2022 at 9:08 pm

        5 stars
        I can't tell you how many times I've made this. It's one of the best and easiest vegan recipe I've come across over the years. The ingredients are usually already in my pantry, so simple. This has become a staple in our household and I've served it up to plenty of non-vegans without any complaints. 5 star rating without a doubt!

        Reply
        • Kaitlin

          July 11, 2022 at 7:12 am

          Hello, Julie! That's amazing. So happy you've been enjoying this recipe and sharing it with others - love that. Thanks so much for bringing a smile with your very kind feedback!

          Reply
    3. Mallory Campbell

      August 29, 2019 at 4:54 pm

      5 stars
      So yummy! I had no clue how easy making enchilada sauce is!! Super filling delicious and easy, thank you!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin McGinn

        September 16, 2019 at 9:09 am

        That's so great!

        Reply
    4. Gabrielle

      August 11, 2018 at 11:36 pm

      I made these - with some adjustments - for dinner a couple nights ago and they were a huge hit! My meat loving family still added leftover chicken to theirs but I loved mine as is. Thank you! For anyone wondering about changes, I about doubled the amount of nutritional yeast, left out the hemp hearts, used more spices, and since I didn't quite have enough beans added more bell pepper. I'd love to try these again with some other veggie combos as well!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        September 05, 2018 at 4:36 pm

        Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    5. Skye Travis

      July 20, 2018 at 4:41 pm

      I made this last night and it was so delicious I overate! I’m still learning about seasonings and spices so when I saw an opportunity to try a new one (Chipotle) I bought some and added a teaspoon - which apparently made the meal too spicy for my kids. Doh! I didn’t realize Chipotle was smoked red jalapenos. Lol! Now I know. My husband and I loved it though. Next time I make this I will skip the chili powder and chipotle…on the kids’ half. I will definitely put those flavors in mine portion though. Yum!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        September 05, 2018 at 3:29 pm

        Hey Skye! Love that you gave these a try. I should've made a note of caution about the chipotle powder, sorry about that!
        PS - I've been slowly trying to learn about different spices as well. So fun experimenting and playing around with different flavors! Let me know if you find any new favorites!

        Reply
    6. Unknown

      July 19, 2018 at 4:55 am

      I subbed the garbanzo beans for small red beans, otherwise followed to a T, (hard for me; I’m a recipe tinkerer!) and wow! These are delicious and so filling! Even my incredibly picky kids ate these!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        September 05, 2018 at 3:23 pm

        That's awesome! Thanks for sharing your feedback!

        Reply
    7. Unknown

      March 14, 2018 at 2:26 am

      Followed the recipe, exactly, and wow these are awesome. The texture, taste and sauce are delicious!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        March 19, 2018 at 8:31 pm

        Beautiful to hear!

        Reply
    8. Nanna Cindy

      March 02, 2018 at 2:29 am

      Made these tonight for dinner. We really enjoyed them, even my carnivorous hubby. I like my Mexican food more spicy so I added cayenne pepper to the sauce.

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        March 19, 2018 at 8:06 pm

        Great addition!

        Reply
    9. Unknown

      November 13, 2017 at 11:21 pm

      Awesome. Absolutely delicious!!! Used arrowroot powder vs flour for the enchilada sauce as it’s what I had. Other than that followed the recipe. My three year old crushed it!!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        November 20, 2017 at 5:55 pm

        Wonderful, thanks for the feedback!

        Reply
    10. Unknown

      November 04, 2017 at 1:20 am

      Even my ultra carnivore husband GOBBLED these up! Way too good.And really not a lot of work, either. Yum

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        November 12, 2017 at 1:41 am

        So great!

        Reply
    11. Amber Hachey

      September 19, 2017 at 10:56 pm

      Do these freeze well?

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        September 25, 2017 at 9:05 pm

        Hi Amber! I've never tried freezing these. But if you try, you might want to freeze the enchiladas and sauce separately. Someone else commented on another enchilada recipe that that worked well for them! They thawed the sauce overnight before pouring over the enchiladas and baking. (Otherwise if you freeze them with the sauce they might be a little mushy when you cook them later on.) Would love to hear how it goes if you give it a try!

        Reply
    12. Freddie Mellichamp

      November 19, 2016 at 9:23 am

      If subing quinoa, how much uncooked for this recipe? Thanks. Looks so good. Want to make it!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        December 10, 2016 at 8:22 pm

        Hey Freddie! If you're subbing quinoa for one can of beans, use 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (or about 1.5 cups cooked). Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    13. Scott Rudolph

      June 26, 2016 at 3:44 pm

      You really should try adding a couple teaspoons of cocoa powder to the sauce. It makes it taste more authentic, and I never use oil in the sauce. I love your recipe.

      Reply
    14. Kelly

      June 07, 2016 at 6:59 pm

      I have made this several times and I absolutely love it! But I am trying to cut back on oil, can I just leave it out of the sauce?

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        June 18, 2016 at 8:03 pm

        That's so great! And sure!

        Reply
    15. Unknown

      May 18, 2016 at 2:28 am

      Hi, I've made this dish couple times now and can't quite seem to get the sauce down. When mixing together the tomato paste and dry ingredients it always clumps into a massive ball when whisking. Adding the broth helps but there are still big clumps of flour/tomato paste that look really rubbery. What am I doing wrong?! Any tips?

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        May 27, 2016 at 3:12 pm

        Oh no! Sorry to hear that. I'd try constantly whisking for a couple minutes after adding the broth to see if that helps break it up as it heats and thickens. (Mine does start a bit clumpy from the flour/spice/tomato paste mixture but quickly dissolves after slowly adding the broth and with plenty of whisking.) So sorry you're having trouble with it, I hope this helps!

        Reply
    16. Unknown

      April 08, 2016 at 2:20 am

      Thanks so much for this recipe--did not know enchiladas could taste so good without cheese/sour cream. huge huge thanks!!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        April 24, 2016 at 7:07 pm

        Haha, so great to hear that! Thanks for the feedback.

        Reply
    17. Dan Yanofsky

      March 28, 2016 at 10:43 pm

      Hey Kaitlin,
      I'm pretty unfamiliar with some of these ingredients, and was wondering what the nutritional yeast refers to. I saw that there are multiple sized flakes, as well as a powdered version, and wanted to know what worked best for this recipe. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        April 02, 2016 at 12:40 am

        Hi Dan! I use either Bragg or Bob's Red Mill nutritional yeast flakes. I've never had the powdered version. There are many nutritional benefits and it has a great nutty, cheesy taste - so it makes for a great vegan alternative to cheese! Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    18. Whitney Jones

      March 14, 2016 at 3:15 am

      Wow, these are fantastic! I can hardly wait to be hungry again so I can have another! Gosh I love being vegan. Thank you for sharing, especially the enchilada sauce recipe.

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        March 20, 2016 at 6:04 pm

        Aww, so glad you enjoyed, Whitney!

        Reply
    19. Mary Kelly

      December 14, 2015 at 8:02 pm

      These are great! I could go vegan! Didn't miss the cheese at all.

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        December 19, 2015 at 1:56 am

        Fantastic to hear that, Mary!

        Reply
    20. Kate Z

      December 06, 2015 at 7:34 pm

      I made these for the first time last night and they were tremendously delicious. I richened up the sauce by adding more tomatoe paste and some veggie stock starter for extra flavor. Huge hit. Thanks for the awesome recipe!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        December 07, 2015 at 5:57 pm

        Good idea! Thanks for sharing, Kate!

        Reply
    21. Kristen R

      November 09, 2015 at 3:16 am

      These were super yummy, Kaitlin! We just made them tonight. We were commenting on how the flavors all paired together really well! We also were thinking they would be extra yummy with potatoes or refried type beans + cashew cream (ugh! so yum!). I love how versatile this recipe is because you can definitely fit lots of different flavors inside the tortillas.

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        November 09, 2015 at 8:03 pm

        Absolutely! Really great ideas - thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    22. Terri Glenn

      August 22, 2015 at 1:24 am

      Adjusted a few ingredients match my diet needs. Corn tortillas, shredded zucchini instead of hemp hearts cause I didn't have hemp hearts on hand, ground oats for flour, broth instead of oil, added 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum to thicken sauce, added almond cheese on top. Absolutely delicious! This is a great vegan choice that is so satisfying when in need of Mexican flavor! Thank you.

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        August 23, 2015 at 2:35 pm

        That's so great! Thanks for sharing your helpful feedback & adjustments!

        Reply
    23. Chelsee Glass

      July 25, 2015 at 7:42 am

      Can the hemp hearts be substituted? Or are they necessary for taste? Or can they be left out?

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        July 25, 2015 at 7:28 pm

        Hey Chelsee! You can just leave them out!

        Reply
    24. Anna Trombetta

      July 05, 2015 at 10:52 am

      Made these last night with homemade tortillas! SO DELICIOUS, everyone loved them! They will definitely be on rotation.

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        July 07, 2015 at 5:46 pm

        Wonderful! Homemade tortillas sound perfect!

        Reply
    25. Jillian

      July 03, 2015 at 5:03 am

      I have made these twice in the past month! It's so easy to customize this recipe. I like to add a can of corn to the filling and it is absolutely delicious! I used to buy cans of enchilada sauce, but your recipe is super easy and tastes so much better! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        July 07, 2015 at 5:57 pm

        That's so great - thank you for sharing!

        Reply
    26. jul

      June 14, 2015 at 7:34 pm

      Tried these last night....big hit! My husband does not eat beans so I added a green pepper, sautéd the veggies, added the seasoning and made 3 for him, added beans mixed all together and made mine. Worked out great and we were both happy. Yummy addition to our menu. Thank you Kaitlin!

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        June 14, 2015 at 10:16 pm

        So great! Thanks for your feedback!

        Reply
    27. Dottie Shuman

      June 08, 2015 at 2:39 pm

      Can you use hemp seed instead of hemp hearts?

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        June 10, 2015 at 2:54 pm

        Hi Dottie! I buy them hulled/shelled. (Oftentimes I've noticed the phrase "hemp hearts" and "hemp seeds" are interchangeable, and it's the same hulled seed - which is probably what you have!)

        Reply
    28. roddy

      May 28, 2015 at 4:35 pm

      Where does one buy hemp hearts?

      Reply
      • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

        May 28, 2015 at 4:58 pm

        Hi Roddy! You can check your local health food store, grocery store, or order online. (I usually buy Manitoba Harvest organic hemp hearts.)

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Kaitlin!
    I share vegan recipes that are easy & healthy. (Mostly whole food plant-based, oil-free, & gluten-free.) About Me →

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