Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas are total healthy comfort food, and they’re super simple to make – no store-bought vegan cheese needed.
Making the Black Bean Sweet Potato Mixture
I wanted this recipe to be a fast and simple as possible, so the black bean sweet potato filling involves some shortcuts to reduce your total cooking time.
First of all, I’m not going to specify how you should cook these sweet potatoes. You can make them in the microwave, boil the cubes on the stovetop, or cook them in the Instant Pot.
You’ll be shocked to hear that I used my Instant Pot to make my potato cubes. To do this, peel and cube the sweet potatoes, then add them to your IP with a cup of water. Cook for 5 minutes, then do a quick release.
If you want to cook your beans or make your enchilada sauce from scratch, I encourage you to go for it! But in the interest of saving time, this recipe calls for canned versions of both. You do you.
I’m using all dried spices for this filling. No mincing, no saute, no oil. Just measure a few dried spices right into the bowl with the beans and potatoes, and you’re ready to roll those tortillas.
Making the Chipotle Cashew Cream Sauce
There is one place where I didn’t use a shortcut, and that’s the creamy topping for these enchiladas. Instead of bagged cheese, you top these off with my smoky, flavorful Chipotle Cashew Cream Sauce.
To make the cream sauce, you just need to soak raw cashews for 10-15 minutes, then drain them. Toss the soaked cashews into the blender with the rest of the cream sauce ingredients, and blend to creamy perfection.
Depending on how long your cashews have been in your pantry, how long you soak, and even the humidity in your kitchen, the perfect amount of water you use in this sauce can vary. In the recipe, I start you off with just 1/4 cup of water, and then you can add more, if needed, to reach a nice, spreadable consistency.
If you’d rather not make this cream sauce (or if you can’t do cashews), you can use a bag of vegan pepper jack cheese instead.
Putting it All Together
Once you’ve got your filling mashed up and the cream sauce prepared, you’re ready to assemble! Start by spreading enchilada sauce over the bottom of your pan.
Before you start rolling your enchiladas, it’s crucial that you warm your tortillas, especially if they’re not the most fresh. You can warm them on the stovetop, in the oven, or in the microwave. Here’s how.
Once your tortillas are warmed, arrange 2-3 tablespoons of the black bean sweet potato filling down the middle of a soft corn tortilla, then place the rolled tortilla – seam side down – into the pan. Repeat with the remaining nine tortillas.
Smother the top of your enchilada casserole in the remaining enchilada sauce, then do the same thing with the Chipotle Cashew Cream Sauce. From there, you’re ready to bake and serve!
Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas
Ingredients
For the Enchiladas
- 4 cups cubed sweet potatoes – peeled – 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes should do the trick
- 1 15 ounce can black beans – drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce – optional, or to taste
- 10 small corn tortillas
- 1 10 ounce can red enchilada sauce
For the Chipotle Cashew Cream Sauce
- 1 cup raw cashews – soaked in hot water for 10-15 minutes
- 1/2 cup water – NOT the soaking water – you may need up to 1/2 cup, but start with 1/4 cup
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons mild chipotle chili powder – to taste
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
Make the Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas
- In a large bowl, combine the sweet potato, black beans, garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, and coriander. Use a fork to mash the ingredients together, mixing well. You want to incorporate the spices, but you don’t want to totally mash up all of the beans. Go for an even, chunky mix.
- In a 9X12″ pan, pour about 1/3 of the enchilada sauce, spreading it across the bottom.
- Divide the black bean-sweet potato mixture between your tortillas. Roll each tortilla into a tube, then place the rolled tortillas seam-side-down in the pan in a single layer.
- Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over everything, trying to evenly coat your enchiladas. Do the same with the Chipotle Cashew Cream (recipe below), spreading it to cover everything, then put the pan into the oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes, and let your enchiladas sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Make the Chipotle Cashew Cream Sauce
- Combine all of the cream sauce ingredients in your blender or food processor, and puree until you have a completely smooth, spreadable mixture. You want it thick but not to thick that you damage your tortillas when you spread it over the top of the casserole! If needed, add up to 4 extra tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to reach this consistency.
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