These hearty vegetarian enchiladas are filled with a simple but flavorful combination of steamed cauliflower and crumbled feta and bathed in a rich, slightly spicy sauce. The key to rolling the enchiladas without the tortillas breaking is to microwave them with a little oil so they become soft and pliable. Serve with refried black beans and rice, if you’d like.
Make ahead: The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months; defrost and bring to room temperature before assembling the enchiladas. The steamed cauliflower can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before assembling the enchiladas.
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Ingredients
Servings: 4 (8 enchiladas)
- 1 pound (about 3 1/2 cups) cauliflower florets
- 5 dried ancho chile peppers (2 ounces), stemmed and seeded
- 2 cups boiling water, plus more for steaming
- 1/2 small yellow onion (3 ounces), peeled and halved
- 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- 2 tablespoons Mexican crema or sour cream
- 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Directions
Active:
45 mins|
Total: 1 hour
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Step 1
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
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Step 2
Pour 2 inches of water into a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Set a steamer basket inside, and transfer the cauliflower to the basket. When the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and steam the cauliflower until barely tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Transfer the florets to a cutting board, cut into smaller pieces and transfer to a large bowl.
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Step 3
While the cauliflower is steaming, heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the chiles and cook, stirring once or twice, until pliable, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl, cover with the boiling water and let soak until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Return the skillet to medium-high heat.
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Step 4
While the chiles soak, add the onion and garlic to the empty dry skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly charred all over, 2 to 3 minutes. Peel the garlic, discarding the skins, and transfer the cloves and the onion pieces to a blender. Add the chiles and all their soaking liquid, plus the tomatoes, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper, and blend until smooth.
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Step 5
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Using a splatter guard if needed, add the pureed chile sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until it slightly thickens and darkens, about 10 minutes. Taste, and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
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Step 6
Add the crumbled feta to the bowl with the cauliflower and toss to combine.
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Step 7
Brush the tortillas lightly on both sides with oil and microwave them on HIGH for about 30 seconds, until hot. Let cool slightly.
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Step 8
Spread 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom of an 8-inch-square casserole dish.
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Step 9
Working with one tortilla at a time, put a generous 2 tablespoons of the cauliflower mixture along the bottom third of the tortilla and roll the tortilla around the filling. Set the roll, seam side down, on the sauce in the dish, and repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
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Step 10
Spoon the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas. Top with dollops of the crema. If you have a little extra cauliflower filling, sprinkle it on the sauce. Evenly sprinkle the Monterey Jack on top.
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Step 11
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve hot.
Substitutions
Vegan? >> Use vegan feta, such as Violife brand; vegan cheese shreds, such as Daiya brand; and vegan sour cream, such as Tofutti or Kite Hill brand.
Feta >> cotija or queso fresco.
Monterey Jack >> Pepper jack, mild cheddar or a blend.
Variations
You can turn this into a lasagna-type casserole instead of filling and rolling the enchiladas: Lay four corn tortillas on the sauce in the bottom of the dish, cover with the cauliflower filling, lay the remaining four tortillas on top, and finish with sauce and cheese and bake as directed.
