My white bean enchiladas are hearty, satisfying, and loaded with flavor! Stuffed with a creamy white bean filling, smothered in zesty tomatillo sauce, and served with tender roasted zucchini and sweet summer corn, they’re the ultimate cozy, Mexican-inspired meal you’ll want to make again and again.
White beans don't seem to get used all that often in enchiladas, but they should! Black bean enchiladas get all the attention, but white beans are actually the perfect main ingredient for enchilada filling, particularly when paired up with zesty tomatillo sauce. They're creamy, savory, and mild enough to let the tangy flavor of the tomatillo sauce shine through, and, if you're anything like me, you probably have a can lurking in your pantry right now.
How about we crack it open and get cooking?
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Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Tomatillos. Look for these in the produce section of your grocery store, between late summer and early fall. They look like little green tomatoes with green papery skins.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Olive oil.
- Fresh cilantro. You can skip this if you're a member of the cilantro-tastes-like-soap club. Chopped scallions might make a nice alternative.
- Lime juice. Fresh lime juice is the key to giving your sauce and filling the perfect tangy flavor. Skip the bottled stuff!
- Salt & pepper.
- Ground cumin.
- Cannellini beans. Other types of white beans can be substituted, with ever so slight variations in texture and filling. Butter beans, navy beans, and great northern beans will all work.
- Corn tortillas.
- Zucchini.
- Fresh corn. Frozen corn will work when fresh isn't in season. Just heat it according to the package directions.
How They're Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Get ready. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prep the veggies. Arrange tomatillos, roughly chopped onion, and garlic cloves on your baking sheet. Rub everything with olive oil.
Roast the veggies. Pop the baking sheet into the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The garlic and onions will be soft, and the tomatillos very soft and blistered — some may even be falling apart.
Transfer the veggies. Place them into a blender or food processor.
Blend. Run the machine until the mixture is nice and smooth.
Tip: This sauce is basically salsa verde, or tomatillo salsa. It's delicious as a snack with tortilla chips!
Cook the aromatics. Sweat diced onion in olive oil for a few minutes, to start softening it up, then add garlic and cumin. Cook it for another minute.
Simmer and mash. Add the beans and water, and let the mixture simmer for just a few minutes. Take it off the heat, mash it slightly, and season it with lime juice, salt, and pepper.
Assemble & bake. Start with some sauce in the bottom of the dish. Warm your tortillas up to get them pliable, then stuff and roll each one. Place it in the baking dish, and repeat. Brush your enchiladas with some oil. Bake them for a few minutes to get the tortillas crispy, then top them with sauce and continue baking them.
Prep and roast the veggies. While your enchiladas bake, chop your zucchini and cut your corn from the husk. Place the veggies in a roasting pan or oven-safe skillet, toss them with a little olive oil, and pop them into the oven with the enchiladas.
Serve. Your white bean enchiladas are done! Let them sit for a few minutes when they come out of the oven — they'll need to set. Then, serve them with the roasted zucchini, corn, and chopped cilantro on top.
Variations
- Shortcut version. If you don't feel like making your own sauce, or if tomatillos aren't in season, substitute store-bought salsa verde.
- White bean enchiladas rojas. Swap out the tomatillo sauce with store-bought or homemade vegan red enchilada sauce.
- Enchilada casserole. Not a fan of rolling? I feel you! Layer the filling, toppings, and sauce into a casserole. Check out my vegan enchilada casserole recipe for guidance.
- Optional toppings. Top your vegan white bean enchiladas with some guacamole, vegan sour cream or cashew cream, store-bought shredded vegan cheese, or homemade vegan queso.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are, as long as your corn tortillas are certified gluten-free (most are!).
It can, but be aware but the tortillas may crack during storage. This won't affect the taste of the dish, and frankly, they often crack anyway. Assemble the dish through step 2 of the "Make the Enchiladas" method. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge for up to two days. Save the extra sauce in an airtight container in the fridge. On the day of serving, just pick up where you left off with the recipe, adding a few extra minutes in the oven if needed.
Leftovers can either be stored in the original baking dish, covered tightly in plastic, or in one or more airtight containers. They'll keep in the fridge for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to three months.
More Vegan Mexican Main Dishes
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📖 Recipe
White Bean Enchiladas Verdes with Roasted Corn and Zucchini
Ingredients
For the Tomatillo Sauce
- 1 ½ pounds tomatillos, husked and washed
- 1 medium onion, very roughly chopped
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup fresh cilantro packed
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
For the Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 (15.5 ounce/439 gram) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
For the Enchiladas
- 12 corn tortillas
- Olive oil, for brushing
For the Roasted Corn and Zucchini
- 1 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For Serving
- Chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Make the Tomatillo Sauce
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange the tomatillos, onion, and garlic cloves on the baking sheet. Drizzle them with a tablespoon of olive oil, then use your hands to distribute it evenly over the vegetables.
- Place the baking sheet into the oven and roast the vegetables until the tomatillos are heavily blistered, and the garlic and onions are tender and browned in spots, 20 to 25 minutes. You can make the filling while the vegetables roast, if you'd like.
- Place the roasted tomatillos, onion, garlic into a blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade. Add the cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Blend until smooth. Taste-test the sauce and add more salt if you'd like.
Make the Filling
- Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with the olive oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onion. Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic and cumin. Cook the mixture for about a minute, stirring constantly, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Stir in the beans and water. Raise the heat and bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat so that it's just cooking at a low simmer. Let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the water has evaporated.
- Remove the skillet from heat. Use a fork or potato masher to mash about half of the beans. Stir in the lime juice, salt, and pepper. Taste-test the mixture and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
Make the Enchiladas
- Preheat oven to 350°. Ladle about half of the sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish or oven-safe skillet.
- Working in batches of about 4, wrap tortillas in a moist paper towel and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, just until softened. Place ¼ cup of bean mixture into the center of a tortilla and roll. Place the enchilada into the prepared baking dish or skillet, seam-side down. Repeat until all tortillas and filling are used.
- Brush the tops of the enchiladas lightly with a bit of olive oil. Place the dish into the oven and bake until tops just begin to brown, about 7 minutes. Remove the dish from oven, cover the enchiladas with the remaining tomatillo sauce, then return them to the oven. Bake 15 minutes more.
Make the Roasted Corn and Zucchini
- Toss the corn and zucchini with the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or roasting pan and place it into the oven with the enchiladas. Bake 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender, flipping once or twice during baking.
Serve
- Let the enchiladas sit for 5 to 10 minutes before removing them from the pan. Divide them onto plates and top them with the roasted zucchini, corn, and cilantro. Serve.
Notes
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I know this has been out for a while but I had to post that these are amazing! I guess I have misread that the corn/zucchini were not supposed to be in the filling but they are great that way. I have made this several times because it’s easy , low-fat and so good. Thanks!
I was wondering about the nutritional facts for this recipe.
I'm slowly adding nutrition labels to my recipes and haven't gotten to this one yet. Soon! For now, here's a link to the calculator I use if you'd like to take a crack at it yourself: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
If I wanted to put the corn and zucchini IN the enchilada, do you think that would work? Or would Mr. Zucchini get really mushy?
Hmmm...I'm honestly not sure! Personally, I think I'd still like it, even if it did get a little mushy. I think it's worth a shot!
If I wanted to use a storebought salsa verde sauce, about how many cups would you say to use?
About 3 cups should do it! Enjoy!
This looks amazing! And as for the "Sometimes people give me a hard time over the cultural inauthenticity of my recipes." I say, too bad for them! There is a restaurant in Dallas, Texas that makes gourmet tacos. My favorite had asparagus in in it. Talk about YUM!!! Not vegan, but then at that time, I wasn't either. Still, because of that, I've added it into my own tacos from time-to-time.
Definitely saving this recipe to try...and soon! I'm getting a craving for Mexican...ish...
I actually LOVE asparagus in sandwiches, so I bet I'd really enjoy it in tacos too! I'm going to have to give that a try soon.
Hi!
Can't find fresh tomatillos around here, can I use canned? If so, how much?
Thanks!
I'm sure canned would work fine, but I've never cooked with them so I'm not sure how much. This article says an 11-ounce can per pound, but that sounds a bit low to me: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/health/nutrition/13recipehealth.html
I'm excited to try these! I basically need to eat vegan and fat free for medical/digestive reasons, so I've been on the search for recipes. I think I'll throw the tomatillos, onion, garlic and pepper under the broiler for a few minutes to give them a nice char before blending.
Oh, I bet that will be delicious! I hope you enjoy them!
Do you think these will freeze well?
I think so!
I made these tonight. Best enchiladas I've ever eaten and it didn't take all night to make them. I used Rancho Gordo mayocoba beans, which made for a diet creamy dish. This recipe is going into my recipe file!
Super creamy dish, not diet creamy dish!
Yay! I'm so glad they were a hit! Thanks Laurie!!
These enchiladas taste so freaking good! I did have an issue with the texture of the bean filling. It was pretty runny after putting it in the food processor. So it was a little difficult to stuff the tortillas. I did what I could and then poured the rest of it on top of the rolled enchiladas. All in all the recipe was so delicious. I loved it!
Hi Abby! Sorry about that! I'm wondering if this has to do with variation in the texture of the canned beans. One thing that might help is to use a mix of white beans and chickpeas, since chickpeas generally tend to be a bit firmer. I'm glad they turned out tasty though!
should there be more liquid in the sauce? all I see is the lime juice, and agave for liquid.
The tomatillos supply the sauce with plenty of liquid. :)
MMMMM, this looks and sounds yummy and I can hardly wait to make it, thank you! I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your recipes, suggestions, and creativity! One of the things I found difficult when I first put my toe into the plant-based ocean was how bland and unappealing most of the recipes were. I would make them, but they were so tasteless, I almost stopped searching. Luckily, I discovered a few incredible women whose recipes were full of flavor and I haven't looked back. You, Alissa, are definitely one of them!
Thank you,
Marcia
This looks like such a great alternative to my usual red sauce and my little one loves white beans! The only thing in my garden that made it through the Florida summer was tomatillos. I need to run out to the garden to see if they are ready! Thank you for the inspiration Alissa!