![a recipe photo of the Veggie Enchiladas](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.eatingwell.com/thmb/RAGID9bubBoLDDarxmG7jYi3cjs=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/JF_VeggieEnchiladas_3x2_13553-0efc6810744246439d370ee94f7a5473.jpg)
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek
![the ingredients to make the Veggie Enchiladas](https://www.eatingwell.com/thmb/NwHGjXL9Gn-1UR59t18LTWcLGK4=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/JF_VeggieEnchiladasStep1_-a16b739c3d1f4ef8bdc11aa9957f59fe.jpg)
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek
Ingredients
-
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
-
1 small orange bell pepper, chopped
-
1 small red onion, chopped
-
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4-inch thick
-
1 cup corn, fresh or thawed frozen
-
1 teaspoon chili powder
-
1/4 teaspoon salt
-
1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed
-
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
-
8 (6-inch) yellow corn tortillas, warmed
-
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (see Tip)
-
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Directions
-
Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly coat a 7-by-11-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini, corn, chili powder and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini and corn are tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in beans and cilantro. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek
-
Place about 1/2 cup of the vegetable mixture in the center of 1 warmed tortilla; roll the tortilla over the filling. Place the filled tortilla, seam-side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat the process with the remaining vegetable mixture and tortillas. Spread enchilada sauce over the tops of the enchiladas. Cover the baking dish with foil.
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek
-
Bake until the sauce is bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese; bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek
Tip
Store-bought enchilada sauce is a fast and easy way to add a ton of flavor to a dish, but it can be high in sodium, so look for one that has less than 300 milligrams sodium per serving.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 2 enchiladas
Calories 382, Fat 13g, Saturated Fat 5g, Cholesterol 19mg, Carbohydrates 52g, Total Sugars 6g, Added Sugars 0g, Protein 15g, Fiber 8g, Sodium 662mg, Potassium 498mg
Frequently Asked Questions
-
While you might not appreciate the gas they can produce, beans pack a nutritional punch. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, beans present a robust package of health benefits. Regularly eating black beans can improve gut health, boost immunity and reduce inflammation—which means they may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, like heart disease and cancer. The fiber helps reduce cholesterol, and the potassium in beans helps keep blood pressure in a healthy range. Eating beans can also help stabilize blood sugar and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Somewhere along the line, corn got a bad rap for being nutritionless. Nothing could be further from the truth. Corn is a low-fat food with a mix of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Almost half of this fat is polyunsaturated, and mono- and polyunsaturated fats are heart-healthy fats. Corn also has fiber and resistant starch—a type of carbohydrate that digests slowly. This means that corn will help you feel full and satisfied longer. Corn is also loaded with antioxidants, in particular, lutein and zeaxanthin, which help protect vision.
-
Red enchilada sauce is made of nutrient-dense ingredients—typically some sort of tomato puree, vinegar and spices. As their vibrant color suggests, tomatoes are loaded with antioxidants, an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin K and potassium. All in all, the nutrients in tomatoes support heart health and can help lower blood pressure and stroke risk. The spices and herbs in red enchilada sauce also help reduce inflammation. Less inflammation means lower chronic disease risk. With that said, some enchilada sauces are high in sodium, so read the label and choose one with less than 300 mg of sodium per serving.
-
Cheese is full of protein and calcium, and also contains probiotics—those good-for-your-gut bacteria that not only improve gut health but overall health, as well. And while cheese tends to be high in saturated fat, there is some evidence that the type of saturated fat in cheese may not be harmful—and may even be helpful—to your heart.
-
We use orange bell pepper, red onion, zucchini, corn and black beans as the filling for the enchiladas, but you can substitute yellow squash for the zucchini and poblano pepper for the orange bell pepper if you want to add some heat. Try no-salt-added pinto beans as a substitute for black beans for their soft, creamy and earthy flavor that would work well in the enchiladas.
-
Corn tortillas work best in this recipe. Use your favorite store-bought brand or homemade corn tortillas. Although corn tortillas are often used for enchiladas, you may use flour tortillas if that’s what you have on hand. Note that using flour tortillas will alter the nutritional profile of the recipe.
-
To prevent the veggie enchiladas from falling apart, place the filled tortillas seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
Additional reporting by Carrie Myers, M.S. and Jan Valdez
EatingWell.com, December 2023