Vegan Portobello and Poblano Enchiladas with Smoky Poblano Queso

By GuidingVegan

Vegan Portobello and Poblano Enchiladas with Smoky Poblano Queso is a completely meatless meal that your family is going to love any time of the year. Serve these enchiladas with the rice and bean recipes of your choice, or just a simple side salad for a veggie-packed meal that no one will know is better for them. Filled with the vibrant and smokey flavors of poblanos, portabella mushrooms, and avocado, these enchiladas are sure to be a hit tonight!

Ingredients

• QUESO SAUCE:
• 3 poblano peppers
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large diced yellow onion
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, diced
• 2 yellow zucchini, diced
• sea salt to taste
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 30 minutes
• 1 cup water
• 2 diced yellow squash
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• pinch of cayenne
• AVOCADO SAUCE:
• 1 avocado
• 1 lime
• OPTIONAL GARNISHES:
• green onions, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Char the whole poblano peppers over an open flame. I just set each over its own burner and turned them over with tongs every 3 to 4 minutes. Once the skin is completely blackened, move the peppers to a large bowl, and cover them with a damp paper towel. Let them sit for 10 minutes to steam. Once they’ve steamed, carefully remove the charred skin, de-stem, and de-seed. Then, finely dice one of the peppers and set aside in a bowl and largely dice the other two peppers and set aside in another bowl.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the yellow onion. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 1 minute. Add mushrooms and zucchini and a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the mushrooms and zucchini are tender and most of the water has evaporated. Stir in the beans, largely-diced peppers and spices and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Roughly puree the mixture. Remove the veggie mixture from the heat and set aside.

Prepare each enchilada by spreading the black bean mixture evenly. Place the enchilada, seam down, into a baking pan. Repeat with each tortilla. Use any remaining mixture to surround the tortillas to keep them moist while they bake. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes. I loosely draped a piece of foil over the enchiladas so that they wouldn’t dry out while baking.

As the enchiladas bake, prepare your smoky poblano queso by adding the soaked cashews, 1 cup water, chopped, and peeled yellow squash, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, arrowroot powder, 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, and a pinch of cayenne to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is perfectly smooth. Add the liquid to a sauce-pan and heat over medium-low, whisking continuously until thickened. This process will take about 8 to 10 minutes. When desired thickness is reached, turn off heat and stir in the finely-diced poblano pepper.

Prepare the avocado sauce by adding the flesh of one avocado, juice of one lime, and a pinch of sea salt to a food processor. Process for 3 to 4 minutes or until completely smooth. If you want to pipe the mixture over your enchiladas, carefully spoon it into the corner of a zip-top bag and cut off a tiny portion of the corner of the bag.

Remove the enchiladas from oven, let cool for a few minutes to set. Plate each enchilada, drizzle with queso and avocado sauce, and top with desired garnishes.

Serve and enjoy.