Easy Vegan Enchilada Casserole

Aug 31, 2020

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This easy vegan enchilada casserole is filled with peppers, onion, and soy curls and layered with a store-bought enchilada sauce. This vegan and gluten-free recipe is easily adapted and sure to be a hit!

This easy vegan enchilada casserole has become a staple in our house! It’s easy enough to whip up on a weeknight and makes enough for us to have leftovers the next day. Layering rather than rolling these enchiladas makes the prep time for this so much quicker. We made these with soy curls but you could also use beans.

Enchiladas have been enjoyed for centuries since they were created by the Aztecs in Southern Mexico. This article provides a fascinating history of the dish and how it has changed over the centuries as the land of the Aztecs was colonialized. The original Aztec name for enchilada as was chīllapīzzali which literally translates to ‘chilli-flute’ made from tortillas dipped in a spicy paste and filled with beans, squash, fish, game, or eggs.

What are soy curls?

Soy curls are made from whole soy beans that have been boiled and then dehydrated. Their texture is a lot like chicken so I’ve had fun experimenting with it in recipes that would normally call for sliced chicken. They are a lot higher in fiber that tofu since they are made from the whole soy bean. Since they are dehydrated, you can store them in the pantry and then just soak them in water or broth to rehydrate them when ready to use. We found that they are great for camping too since they are easy to prep and light weight! Butler Foods is the brand that makes them so I just buy them online from their website directly, or you can use Amazon.

Can’t find soy curls? We’ve also made this enchilada casserole using ~2 cups of pinto beans or black beans instead.

Ingredients in Easy Vegan Enchilada Casserole

Enchilada Sauce: store-bought enchilada sauce makes prepping this recipe so simple.
Soy Curls OR Beans: We have used both soy curls and beans in this recipe and they both work great! Black beans and pinto beans are great options.
Bell Pepper and Onion: Pack in some veggies in the meat/bean layer with some bell pepper and onion. Feel free to add other veggies like zucchini, corn, or summer squash.
Spices: I used cumin and garlic powder, but you could also use taco seasoning.
Shredded Vegan Cheese: My favorite brand of shredded vegan cheese right now is VioLife but use whichever one you prefer.
Corn Tortillas: tortillas create the layers in this enchilada bake.

easy vegan enchilada casserole layer image collage

How to Assemble Enchilada Bake

After you’ve cooked up the onion, peppers, and soy curls, here is how you want to later the enchilada bake.

Add about 1/4 cup of sauce to the bottom of the baking dish and spread evenly with a spatula.
Add a layer of tortillas. For each layer, I use 3 tortillas. I cut 2 of them in half and line the cut side with each side of the baking dish and add the whole tortilla to fill in the gap in the center.
Add 1/2 of your pepper/onion/soy curl filling.
Add 1/3 of the enchilada sauce.
Add 1/3 of the cheese.
Add the next layer of tortillas, the other 1/2 of the pepper/onion/soy curl filling, 1/3 of the enchilada sauce, 1/3 of the cheese.
Top with one more layer of tortillas, the last of the enchilada sauce, and the rest of the cheese.

What to serve with Vegan Enchilada Casserole

When plating, I like to add some avocado, chopped cilantro, halved cherry tomatoes, and a squeeze of lime. A dollop of vegan sour cream would be great too! We serve this up with a side salad to round out the meal. Might I suggest this simple rosemary margarita to drink?