Our Vegetarian Hatch Chile Enchiladas are stuffed with sautéed veggies, tofu and black beans. The veggie enchiladas get topped off with our delicious homemade Hatch enchilada sauce recipe! Disclosure: The Hatch chiles for this recipe were provided as a complimentary sample from the Hatch Chile Store. Check out our collection of the Best Hatch Chile Recipes for more ideas!
I love enchiladas, but somehow got away from making them for awhile. But over the past year, I got back on track, serving up delicious recipes such as this Beef and Black Bean Enchiladas recipe.
But my original foray into enchilada making was through making a vegetarian enchiladas recipe from the Vegetarian Planet cookbook.
My recipe for Vegetarian Hatch Chile Enchiladas carries over a couple ideas from that cookbook recipe. I use tofu to provide substance for the vegetarian enchilada filling, as does the Vegetarian Planet version. This recipe combines the tofu with sautéed seasonal vegetables — squash and cabbage in this case.
The Veggie Planet recipe has a tasty chipotle sauce that we have adapted with Hatch chiles, to take advantage of this delicious seasonal pepper. Speaking of which, let’s learn some more about those chiles, before we turn to more recipe details.
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About Hatch chiles
The term Hatch chile refers to chiles grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico. Hatch chiles are have a short season, typically harvested from August into early September.
Based on that growing season, we start seeing fresh Hatch chiles in our local grocery stores around mid August. You could definitely roast your own Hatch chiles for this recipe, but we went with a package of frozen Hatch chiles for this recipe. Having frozen Hatch chiles in the freezer to thaw when you are ready to make these vegetarian enchiladas is a great idea!
As mentioned earlier, we got an order of frozen chiles from the Hatch Chile Store for this recipe and some other Hatch chile projects we’ve been cooking lately. This family owned business offers a great selection of fresh and frozen Hatch chiles along with great customer service!
Hatch chiles come in a range of heat levels. We selected mild for our Hatch enchilada sauce recipe, and they brought plenty of flavor to the party! A heaping up as shown below is what we used for the sauce.
But if you are a big spice fan, maybe give the medium spiced Hatch chiles a try.
Other ingredient notes
Of course, this recipe focuses a lot on Hatch Chiles, but there are some other ingredient items to note:
Tortillas: I like to use wheat tortillas here, but you could go with corn tortillas if you prefer. I used tortillas that are about 10 inches wide. Five of them fit snugly in our baking dish. If using smaller tortillas, you would probably get six or more into one dish.
Vegetable filling: I used shredded zucchini and cabbage, as I had them both on hand from our local CSA farm share. You could try swapping other vegetables, in similar quantities as called for in the recipe. For instance, try spinach or other greens instead of the cabbage.
Peppers in filling: I used a Cubanelle pepper in the filling as I had several on hand. You could also add a bit of Hatch Chile to the filling.
Beans: I like black beans in the recipe, but you could use pinto beans or red beans as well.
Pumpkin seeds: I use toasted pumpkin seeds for the sauce. The original veggie enchilada recipe I referenced earlier uses almonds, but I substitute pumpkin seeds as we avoid nuts due to an allergy. We like to use these Gerbs pumpkin seeds (affiliate link provided) as they are free of the top 14 allergens. The seeds are raw so should be toasted first for this recipe.
Recipe steps
For full step by step instructions, hop down to the recipe card. Here we give an overview of the steps, along with some visuals.
Make the sauce
We start by making the sauce.
Heat the garlic and spices in a sauce pan or skillet.
Stir the spices. When things start to get fragrant and the cumin seeds start to pop, you are ready to add the tomatoes.
Add the Hatch Chiles after the tomatoes.
Add remaining sauce ingredients with the exception of the pumpkin seeds. Stir together and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Chop the pumpkin seeds in a food processor. Then about half of the Hatch Chile mixture from the skillet to the processor. Puree. Pour that portion of the sauce into a bowl, then puree the remaining Hatch chile sauce in the food processor.
Set the sauce aside as you make the filling.
For a recipe with green sauce, try our Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas!
Make the filling
Get the veggies ready by chopping the cabbage into thinly sliced pieces and shredding the zucchini in a food processor.
Sauté the onions in a large skillet. Add the peppers if using, followed by the cabbage. After the cabbage sautés for a few minutes, add the shredded zucchini and cook until the vegetables have softened.
Place the tofu in a bowl.
Break the tofu into pieces with your hand.
Add the tofu and the beans to the skillet. Stir to combine.
You are ready to start putting the veggie enchiladas together!
Assembling the enchiladas
Place a tortilla on a plate or other working surface. Place a scoop of the veggie and tofu filling in the middle of the tortilla, leaving enough room around the edges to roll up the enchilada.
Close the enchilada by folding down the top of the tortilla and holding it, then fold up the bottom. Next, fold the right side, then the left. Place the enchilada folded side down in a baking dish. Repeat until you have filled the dish with the folded veggie enchiladas.
Pour the sauce over the enchiladas.
Sprinkle the cheese over the enchiladas.
Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes, covered, at 350 degrees. Then the enchiladas are ready to serve!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes, you can get fresh Hatch chiles and roast them yourself for this recipe. Here are some instructions with different ways you can roast the chiles.
You can find Hatch Chiles that are red, even though the are typically green chiles. As this article explains, the chiles can turn red as they become more mature.
Green chile enchilada sauce recipes are popular. Our sauce uses a combination of red and green Hatch Chiles, but we also use some tomatoes, so our sauce is red in color.
This Hatch enchilada sauce is delicious in this veggie enchilada recipe, but you could definitely swap this sauce for the one used in this Ground Turkey Enchiladas recipe.
What to serve with these enchiladas
Trying to figure out the side dishes for the recipe? We’ve answered “what to serve with enchiladas” with a delicious collection of ideas! In addition to the ideas in that roundup, you might also want to consider nibbling on some of our Easy Mexican Dip while you make the enchiladas!
Wine pairing
Making these Vegetarian Hatch Chile Enchiladas gave us a chance to add to our Wine Pairing for Enchiladas repertoire!
Our past experience pairing wine wine enchiladas suggested that a white wine works better with enchiladas with a lighter filling and spicy sauce. These veggie enchiladas with Hatch Chile sauce seemed to fit the bill!
With that in mind, we opened a bottle of the 2020 Sin Banderas DuBrul Riesling ($24, 12% ABV), from Washington’s Yakima Valley. The wine was sent by the winery as a complimentary sample.
This dry Riesling has apple blossoms on the nose. On the palate, peach and green apple, along with notes of slate. A very good Riesling, and as anticipated, an excellent pairing for the enchiladas!
We cover more about Sin Banderas in this article on Yakima Valley Wine Pairings.
PrintRecipe card
Vegetarian Hatch Chile Enchiladas
Delicious vegetarian enchilada recipe featuring homemade Hatch chile enchilada sauce. Enchiladas stuffed with sautéed veggies, tofu and black beans, topped with a delicious sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
- Category: main
- Method: stove top + baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds (or sliced almonds)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (regular chili powder is OK)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- a 14 ½ oz can diced tomatoes
- heaping cup of roasted Hatch Chiles
- ¼ cup dry red wine
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cubanelle pepper or similar (optional)
- 1 ½ cups thinly chopped cabbage
- 2 ½ cups shredded zucchini (1 large) or other squash
- ½ cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 14 ounce package of firm tofu
- 5 large tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Make the sauce: In a medium saucepan or skillet, heat the olive oil on medium.Add the garlic, chipotle powder and cumin seeds. Stir frequently for about 1 minute, until the seeds begin to pop. Add the tomatoes, then stir in the Hatch chiles. Next, add the wine, vinegar, cinnamon and water. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool.
- Finish the sauce: Add the pumpkin seeds to a food processor. Pulse to chop the seeds. Next, add half of the sauce from the pan, and puree with the pumpkin seeds. Pour that portion into a large bowl, then pour the remaining sauce from the pan into the food processor. Puree, then pour that sauce into the bowl, where it is ready for making the enchiladas.
- Start making the filling: Heat a tablespoon olive oil in large cast iron skillet or other frying pan. Add the onion. Cook until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the pepper, if using, and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add the veggies: Stir in the cabbage, cook for a few minutes, followed by the squash, and cook for another 2 minutes until the vegetables have begun to soften.
- Prep the tofu: Take the tofu out of the water, and place it in a large bowl. Pat dry. Use you your hands to squeeze the tofu and break it into little pieces. After the veggies have softened, add the broken up tofu into the skillet with the veggies. Stir well to combine the tofu with the vegetables. Remove from heat to let the mixture cool a bit before putting the enchiladas together.
- Assemble enchiladas: Lay a tortilla shell on a work surface. Add a scoop (about ¾ of a cup) of the vegetable filling to the center of the enchiladas, spreading the filling into a rectangular shape, leaving plenty of room around the edges. Fold the tortilla, first at the top, then the bottom. Then fold the tortilla the longer way, bringing the left, then the right edges over to close it up. Place the enchilada fold side down in a large baking dish. Repeat the process for the remaining 4 enchiladas.
- Add the sauce & cheese: Pour enough sauce over the enchiladas to completely cover them, and have the sauce about halfway up the sides of the enchiladas. You may have a bit of sauce left over. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the enchiladas.
- Bake the enchiladas: Cover the baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes, covered. Remove the enchiladas from the oven. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Hatch chiles: we used frozen roasted Hatch chiles (mild), provided as a sample by the Hatch Chile Store. The recipe was quite flavorful with the mild chiles, but you could use medium spiced chiles for more kick. Thaw the frozen chiles overnight in the refrigerator or by placing the bag in a bowl of warm water for about an hour until thawed.
- Tortillas & quantities: the size of your tortilla will impact how many enchiladas you make and how much filling to use. We used large tortillas, about 10 inches. Five of this size tortillas when filled fit snugly into our baking dish, with enough filling left for 1 or 2 more enchiladas.
Allyssa
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! Super delicious and easy to make! Highly recommended! Well done!
Cooking Chat
Thanks for the feedback, Allyssa!
Sara LaFountain
The family loved these flavorful enchiladas! They tasted amazing and we will definitely be making them again soon.
Cooking Chat
Glad you liked them Sara!
Nart
This was so delicious and comforting. We enjoyed every bite of it. Thanks so much for such a great recipe. Will be making this again!
Cooking Chat
Awesome, thank you!
Liz
This recipe looks delicious! I am all about a good enchilada recipe!
Cooking Chat
Thanks Liz! We are big enchilada fans here.