For an easy, flavorful meal that the whole family will love, try these vegetarian enchiladas verdes! They’re packed with zucchini and other veggies like spinach, corn, and pinto beans and coated in tomatillo salsa verde. Plus, you can make this meatless dinner ahead of time and pop it in the oven when you’re ready to eat.
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my affiliate disclosure.
Hello, back-to-school/busy season! Now that it’s here, I bet you’re looking for easy dinner recipes. Tighter schedules make time for cooking even tighter. But luckily, you can still get a wholesome, homemade dinner on the table for the family. How? By making these vegetarian enchiladas verdes!
Chock full of veggies and beans, coated in the most delicious salsa verde, and sprinkled with melty Colby Jack cheese, these bad boys are totally comforting on a chilly, busy fall evening. If you’re really short on time after work and school, you can even assemble them the night before or in the morning. Plus, I even added a seasonal vegetable (zucchini) for good measure. It works really well in this dish!
I’ve been on a big enchilada kick lately. My go-to recipe is one for chicken and black bean enchiladas that my mother-in-law gave me. She uses a little bit of cream cheese in the filling, and you’ll see that I do the same for this recipe. It’s how I made them so creamy and delicious! (And you only need a little bit of cream cheese, I promise…)
Alright, you’re probably ready for the recipe, huh?! Check it out, get cooking, and don’t say I didn’t warn you about the deliciousness of vegetarian enchiladas verdes. If you’re interested in another twist on enchiladas, consider making the Black Bean and Spinach Enchiladas!
How to Make Vegetarian Enchiladas Verdes
For the full recipe card, scroll down to the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps. Check out my Expert Tips section for more information!
- First, prep the salsa verde by following my recipe for Tomatillo Green Chili Salsa.
- Prep the filling. Chop the red onion, zucchini, and spinach. Gather the other ingredients.
- Cook the filling. Sweat the onion in olive oil and cumin. Add the garlic, followed by the corn and zucchini. Next, stir in the chopped spinach, canned green chile peppers, and beans. When the spinach is wilted, add the cream cheese and half of the shredded cheese.
- Roll the enchiladas. Before rolling, spread half of the salsa verde in a greased baking dish. Then, fill each tortilla with about ½-cup of filling and roll them up. Place the rolled enchiladas seam side down in the dish.
- Top the enchiladas with the rest of the salsa verde and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake until the cheese is bubbly! Top with avocado, cilantro, more salsa verde, and any other toppings of choice. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- To save time, you can use a store-bought green salsa instead of making a homemade one. I really like the salsa verde that Trader Joe’s sells if you’re looking for a recommendation!
- I recommend using 8-inch flour tortillas for this recipe. Corn tortillas do not roll well. If you want a little extra fiber, use whole wheat tortillas instead of white ones.
- To make vegetarian enchiladas verdes ahead of time, assemble the enchiladas but do not bake them, wrap tightly with foil, and place in the refrigerator for up to four days. Remove the foil before baking.
- To make this a freezer meal, assemble the enchiladas but do not bake them, wrap tightly with foil and then again with plastic wrap, and store in the freezer for up to three months. Let the enchiladas defrost in the fridge overnight before baking. If they are still a little frozen when you go to bake them, add up to 10 minutes to the cooking time.
- To bake enchiladas from frozen, you will need to add 20 to 30 minutes to the cooking time. Remember to remove the foil and plastic wrap before baking. If you plan to freeze and bake them, prep the recipe in a foil lasagna pan or a glass baking dish that can be transferred from the freezer to the oven without breaking or shattering. I recommend this Oxo Good Grips 3 Quart Baking Dish for that purpose.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for a few days. Reheat in the microwave for one to two minutes on high until warmed through.
- Possible additions include diced chicken or chopped mushrooms, eggplants, or bell peppers. You can also use other types of beans in place of pinto beans in vegetarian enchiladas verdes, such as black, white, garbanzo, or kidney beans.
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes
If you love these vegetarian enchiladas verdes, check out the Veggie-Loaded Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Chicken. You may also enjoy the Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls (with salsa verde!), Vegetarian Taco Casserole with Quinoa, and the Ancho Chile Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos.
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
📖 Recipe
Vegetarian Enchiladas Verdes with Zucchini
Ingredients
- 2 cups salsa verde - divided; use the linked recipe or sub a store-bought salsa
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion - diced
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 zucchini - diced
- Salt - to taste
- Black pepper - to taste
- 1 4-ounce can green chile peppers
- 6 ounces baby spinach - roughly chopped
- 1 15-ounce can pinto beans - can sub other types of beans
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese - divided
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 8 8-inch flour tortillas
- Toppings of choice - such as avocado, cilantro, more salsa verde, or sour cream
Instructions
- If you are using homemade salsa verde, prep the recipe. This will add about 20 extra minutes to your prep time.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 (3 quart) baking dish and set aside. Spread 1 cup of the salsa verde on the bottom of the dish.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cumin and cook for a few minutes until the onion is soft. Stir in the garlic, corn, and zucchini. Cook until the zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the canned green chile peppers, chopped spinach, and beans to the skillet. Cook, stirring often, until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese and the cream cheese. Stir for about a minute until these are melted. Remove the filling from heat.
- Prepare the enchiladas. Place approximately ½-cup of the filling into a tortilla, towards one side. Roll the tortilla up. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas until you have 8 enchiladas side-by-side in the dish.
- Spread the remaining cup of salsa verde on top of the assembled enchiladas, leaving the edges dry. Sprinkle with the remaining cup of shredded cheese.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the edges are slightly browned. Remove from the oven and serve with toppings of choice.
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- To make ahead of time, assemble the enchiladas, cover tightly with foil, and keep in the fridge for up to four days before baking.
- You can also freeze the assembled enchiladas for up to three months, covered in foil then plastic wrap. Let them thaw in the fridge before baking or bake straight from frozen (be sure to use a dish that can go directly from the freezer to the oven). Add up to 20-30 minutes to the cooking time if baking from frozen.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
Nutrition
Happy cooking! – Lizzie
Lee
I made this tonight with, and let me tell ya, this is probably my most favorite thing I have ever made. So delish 10/10
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Lee, I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe so much! Thanks a lot for your 5-star review.