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Baked Veggie Enchiladas garnished with olives, peppers, cilantro and avocado.
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Cheesy Vegetarian Tofu Enchiladas Recipe

Cheesy Vegetarian Tofu Enchiladas are flavor packed, texture rich and so easy to make!  This recipe is vegetarian + easily gluten free | See notes for meal prep options and blog post for more tips! 
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American, Mexican
Diet Vegetarian
Keyword Mexican Tofu, Recipes with Tofu, Tofu Enchiladas, Vegetarian Enchiladas
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 12 6" Enchiladas or 10 8" Enchiladas
Calories 183kcal
Author Traci York

Ingredients

  • 2 C (500g) Red Enchilada Sauce I use homemade
  • 14 oz block (397g) Firm Tofu* (see notes) drained and pressed
  • 2 tsp Olive or Coconut Oil
  • 1 C (120g) Red/Purple Onion diced, about 3/4 of a medium onion
  • 1 C (145g) Green Bell Pepper diced, about one small bell pepper
  • 2 T Tomato Paste
  • 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • 2-3 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce 3 if you love the spicy** see note - look for gluten free if needed.
  • 1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
  • 1/2 C (112g) Water
  • 1/2 Lime juiced
  • 12 6" (15cm) Tortillas flour or corn or a blend*** see note
  • 3 C (230g) Monterrey Jack Cheese or Pepper Jack grated

Toppings (optional):

Instructions

Bake the Tofu:

  • Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Slice the pressed/drained tofu into (about) 1" (2.5cm) cubes and place on a parchment or silpat lined sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes until lightly golden. This will dry the tofu out. Set aside.
    Turn the oven heat up to 400F (204C).

Prepare the Pans:

  • You'll need two baking pans or casseroles for this recipe, one large 13"x9" (33x22cm) and a smaller one (6"x4"/ 15x10cm) or two 8x8 (20x20cm) pans. Lightly grease the baking pans with pan spray. *UPDATE* - you can line the pans with parchment paper on top of the grease to prevent the tortillas from sticking if desired. I've not experienced this but one maker did. It may be differences in tortilla ingredients and/or type of pan used.
    Lightly coat the bottom of each pan with a bit of enchilada sauce - about 2-4 Tbs each. Tip the baking pans until the bottom is covered in a thin layer of sauce. Set aside. 

Meanwhile, Saute the Veggies:

  • In a medium saute pan add the oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and bell pepper. Still on medium high heat, saute the pepper mixture for about 7-8 minutes giving the veggies time to char and soften a bit. Remove from heat.

Make the Filling:

  • In the work bowl of a food processor, with the S blade attachment in place, add the tofu, tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, chipotle peppers, salt, water and lime juice. Pulse the mixture 3-4 times and scrape down the side of the bowl. Pulse 1-2 more times. The mixture should be in small to medium chunky bits. 
  • Transfer the filling to the pan with the peppers and add 1/4 C (59g) of enchilada sauce. Stir to mix. No need to reheat. Set aside. 

Assemble the Enchiladas:

  • If using corn tortillas, wrap in foil and pop them in the oven for about 4-5 minutes, just to steam/soften. Or, heat the corn tortillas directly on the stove top on an open flame, about 10-15 seconds per side. Set in foil and cover after each tortilla is added. If using flour or a mixture of flour/corn or flour tortillas, there's no need to warm the tortillas. 
    Place one tortilla on a work surface and spoon in about 3-4 Tbs of filling then top with about the same amount of cheese. Gently roll the tortilla and place seam side down in the pan. Repeat this process until all the enchiladas are made. If you have any leftover filling, spoon it along the edges of the assembled tortillas. 
    Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the tortillas, and use a spoon to make sure all the exposed tortillas are covered in the sauce (even if it's a thin layer - that's okay). Be sure to get the areas in between the enchiladas too! Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake the Enchiladas:

  • Cover the pans with foil and bake at 400F for about 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and warmed through. 
    Remove from oven and let set for five minutes before sharing.
    Serve (optional) with salsa, cilantro, pepita crema, sour cream, jalapeños, avocado slices and/or black olives. 
  • For leftovers, transfer the enchiladas to a covered container to store up to three days in the refrigerator.
    To reheat refrigerated enchiladas, preheat oven to 400F cover with foil and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until heated through. 

Notes

Tofu filling can be made up to two days in advance and stored in the refrigerator or frozen for longer storage (with or without the enchilada sauce).
I've attempted baking, freezing then reheating the frozen enchiladas, but the tortillas turned to mush. When I make these again, I'll freeze prior to adding the sauce and cheese and see how that goes. IF you do this, please let us know how it goes in the comments!
*If time permits, freeze the tofu when you bring it home from the store. Something magical happens in the freezer. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, before use. Since tofu is packaged in water, we need press the water out of it to make room for flavor! To press thawed tofu, use a tea towel and place it under and on top of the tofu. Set it on a plate. Place something heavy on top, like a cutting board, another plate or a not-so-full box of wine to press the water out. We don't want it too heavy or it will squash the tofu. Move the tea towel a few times to a dryer area of the towel so it can absorb more water. Press for about 20-30 minutes, up to an hour if you have time.
**Find Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce in the Mexican food section of your grocery store. Left overs freeze with ease in a small lidded jar.
***If using corn tortillas, make sure they include xanthum or guar gum if possible. I find this prevents corn tortillas from drying out and cracking when rolling the tortillas. I like Mission organic and La Tortilla Factory. If using flour tortillas, I prefer a corn-flour blend, like La Tortilla Factory's corn and wheat tortillas or yellow corn and wheat. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1Enchilada | Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 682mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 265mg | Iron: 1mg