Paul McCartney’s Vegan Enchiladas Recipe

“When I see bacon, I see a pig, I see a little friend, and that’s why I can’t eat it. Simple as that.”
–Paul McCartney

Try these fabulous dairy and meat-free enchiladas and don’t be surprised when your family asks for more. These light and healthy–but completely satisfying–treats are the perfect antidote to heavy holiday eating, but they have plenty of protein and taste!

We include a recipe for make-your-own vegan sour cream that will surprise and please you, too.

Sauce
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water

Filling
1 lb. firm tofu, drained and mashed
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/3 cups picante sauce
3 cups steamed spinach
12 tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all the sauce ingredients, except for the cornstarch, in a small pot and cook over low heat, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch and cook until the sauce thickens.

2. In the meantime, prepare the filling: Mix the tofu, onion, chili powder, cumin, garlic, pepper, and picante sauce. Put some of the spinach in the middle of each tortilla, then add 3 to 4 heaping teaspoons of the tofu mixture, and roll up the tortillas. Top with vegan sour cream (or make your own, see below). Lay the enchiladas in a baking dish, cover with sauce, and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 12 enchiladas.

Tofu Sour Cream
1/2 lb. Tofu, patted dry
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Read more: Food, All recipes, Entrees

Adapted from The PETA Celebrity Cookbook (Lantern Books, 2002), edited by Ingrid E. Newkirk. Copyright (c) 2002 by Ingrid E. Newkirk. Reprinted by permission of Lantern Books.
Adapted from The PETA Celebrity Cookbook (Lantern Books, 2002), edited by Ingrid E. Newkirk.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

J.L. A.

7:48AM PDT on Apr 6, 2012

yum

send a green star

Nancy P.

11:47PM PST on Feb 20, 2012

Sounds yummy...I would add a little cilantro to mine.

Trudy K.

12:54PM PST on Feb 20, 2012

Love Mexican food so this is definately a really healthy choice. It sounds like it can be made with different variations which is good.

Manuela C.

12:03PM PST on Jan 16, 2012

Salivating....

Michele W.

4:58AM PST on Jan 14, 2012

Thank you

Jo A.

8:11AM PST on Nov 11, 2011

Thanks for sharing this recipe.

Jennifer C.

12:39AM PDT on Sep 22, 2011

Great article. Thanks for sharing.

Katelyn M.

10:02PM PDT on May 11, 2011

Just made this-delicious!!! Substituted daiya (vegan) cheese for tofu (soy free) & added fresh jalepenos. My meat eating hubby loved it!

Terri J.

3:07PM PDT on Apr 6, 2011

Yvette T. - Don't forget Leonardo Da Vinci one of the greatest minds of all time!!

Michael S.

5:09AM PDT on Mar 20, 2011

I tried this, sticking exactly to the recipe, and my partner and I did not like it at all. It was too oniony. I'm planning on making something similar again, and here's how I think I will approach it. First, for the sauce, I would use what I normally do for enchiladas, boil several dried ancho chiles in just enough water to cover until soft, then blend until smooth. Then, i'm pretty sure for the filling i will use soft tofu and pulse it with the spinach and the spices, including a pinch of salt (with either no onion or onion sauteed until golden).The filling was too dry and crumbly when I made it from the recipe. Anyway, I very much appreciate posting this idea, I think I can be truly great with a little tweaking.