Healthy enchiladas with spinach, mushrooms, walnuts, and all the best toppings. Vegetarian comfort food to eat on repeat this week!
I don't really mind when my husband has to travel for business. As long as it's not too often, having the house to myself means I can catch up on work, watch what I want (lately, that's all six seasons of Veep), listen to podcasts (my new favorite is The Trip), and catch some quality time with the dogs.
The puppy is about ten weeks now, and getting more comfortable each day. The perfect example is his progression of feistiness around the herd of deer that live in our neighborhood.
The first day, he got this wide-eyed expression on his face and immediately ran back to my side. The next morning, he let out the tiniest little puppy yip before charging back up the stairs. Fast forward a few days, and he's ganging up with his brother to howl and chase every last deer off the property like it's his job. He's not much more than ten pounds, but he has no fear. (Luckily the deer are at least twice as fast as the dogs, so I'm not too worried about the game.)
Don't laugh (especially if you have human babies), but having two dogs to watch over (especially when one is a puppy) has left me feeling exhausted! Most nights since Dan's been gone, I've been happy to reheat a couple enchiladas and call it a day. Not that I'm complaining. Not at all.
There's a time for 10-minute tacos—but this isn't it. This is what to make when you need Mexican food that's hot and baked to gooey perfection. It's like the winter equivalent to tacos. (And it's still very much winter here.)
The true beauty of this healthy enchiladas recipe is that you don't have to eat it right away. Make them ahead (perfect for meal prep) and reheat leftovers for days to come.
They're even more delicious the second time around—equally great for feeding a crowd and cooking for one.
You can make enchiladas with or without cheese. They always turn out good. I photographed a vegan batch here (made with nutritional yeast instead of dairy), but I also tested this recipe with crumbled cotija and shredded Mexican cheeses. It's hard to say which is better—I'm glad I had more than a few servings of each.
I planned on freezing at least half of my enchilada-testing bounty but never even came close. They're long gone. I found these healthy enchiladas so satisfying and impossible to grow tired of. You will, too!
Spinach Mushroom Walnut Enchiladas
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (such as canola oil)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper
Filling:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (such as canola oil)
- ½ cup diced onion (½ large onion)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups white mushrooms, diced (397 grams)
- 1 cup chopped spinach (including stems)
- 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (15 ounces)
- 1 cup walnut pieces
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast or crumbled cotija cheese for vegetarian option
- Salt and pepper
Enchiladas:
- 8 large whole wheat flour tortillas
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast or ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese for vegetarian option
Optional Garnish:
- Sliced avocado
- Chopped cilantro
- Sliced jalapeño
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 12 by 8.5-inch baking dish.
Prepare the sauce:
- Pour oil into a small saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, whisk in flour until a thick paste forms. Stir in vegetable broth, chili powder, tomato paste, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until sauce is thick and reduced. Remove sauce from heat and set aside.
Prepare the filling:
- In the meantime, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic, mushrooms, spinach, beans, walnuts, cilantro, nutritional yeast (or cheese), and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, 7-10 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender and spinach is wilted. Stir in ½ cup of the cooked enchilada sauce. Remove from heat and set aside.
Assemble the enchiladas:
- Spoon ⅛ of the cooked filling into the center of a tortilla. Fold each of the two sides of the tortilla toward the center, and then roll to close. Place rolled enchilada in the greased baking dish, and repeat this process with remaining tortillas and filling until there are 8 prepared enchiladas in the dish. Place the baking dish on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake 20 minutes, or until the center is hot and cheese (if using) is melted. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
If you try this healthy enchiladas recipe, don't forget to snap a quick picture and tag me (@gratefulgrazer) on Instagram. I love seeing your creations!
Liz says
I love that comparison, the winter equivalent to tacos!! Perfect! I too love a good cheesy enchilada that is warm and makes me feel toasty on the inside! This looks just perfect!
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks so much, Liz! The oven makes everything better in the winter!
Jessica Levinson says
This looks so delicious! What a great dinner meal prep for a busy week!
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Delicious and so convenient, too. Thanks, Jessica!
Whitney E. RD says
These look amazing!! Love that you made your own sauce too - I'm usually so lazy and just buy it but I can't wait to try this!
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks, Whitney! The sauce seriously makes this recipe. So good!
Sara says
I love everything about this! Saving and Pinning!
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks so much, Sara! Hope you enjoy them!
Brian says
DELICIOUS THESE WERE! P.S. Maybe check the spelling in the "Filling" directions? Then refresh your page.
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed them. And thanks for the heads up, off to spell check now! 🙂
Josh | BrainSharp says
Stephanie thanks for sharing. It seems a very tasteful and healthy recipe; will make sure to try out. A really big fan of spinach due it's nutritional value and the fact that can help improve my mood. I reckon this will be another addition in the menu when inviting people over for dinner. Thanks again
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks so much, Josh! I'm a big fan of spinach too. It's so versatile! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Kimberly Baxter says
Yumm ... So many wonderful flavors going on in here! Thanks for the recipe.
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks, Kimberly! Enjoy!
Lisa says
These were so good I couldn’t wait to pass along the recipe. Thanks!
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks so much, Lisa! So happy you enjoyed them.
Olga says
I made these enchiladas last night for my family and they were such a hit! What a delicious recipe! Thank you 🙂
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
So glad everyone enjoyed the enchiladas. Thanks for commenting, Olga! 🙂