Vegetarian Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

A frequent request in our household, enchiladas (verdes specifically).

I am thrilled to share my delicious and versatile recipe for enchiladas verdes with you! After plenty of practice and guidance from my mother-in-law, I have created this dish to be both full of flavor and nutrients. An example of a meal that looks good and makes you feel good! Whether you are looking for a vegetarian option or prefer to include meat and cheese, this recipe can be easily customized to suit your preferences. With a focus on fresh, seasonal vegetables and minimal oil and cheese, these enchiladas are a crowd-pleaser in my household. Feel free to get creative with your fillings and make the most of the summer produce available. I hope you enjoy making and sharing these enchiladas as much as I do!

Serves 3-4 people (3-4 enchiladas each)

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head cauliflower diced (about 2C)

• 1 poblano pepper diced

• 1 small zucchini diced( about 1C)

• 1/2 white onion minced

• 1 garlic clove minced

• 1.2 bunch cilantro

• microgreens (optional)

• 12 corn tortillas

• queso fresco

• 2 Tbsp avocado oil

Salsa Verde: Yields ~ 3 cups

• ½ lb tomatillos (about 3-4 medium tomatillos)

• 1/4 white onion

• 2-3 garlic cloves

• 1 poblano pepper (can sub green bell pepper)

• 1 jalapeno (remove seeds if you don’t want it spicy)

• ½ bunch cilantro

• 2 C vegetable broth (can sub for chicken broth)

• 1 tsp salt

Kitchen Equipment:

• large saute pan

• medium-sized pot

• blender

• cutting board

• chefs knife

Prep & Assembly

1. Boil tomatillos, onion, poblano pepper, jalapeno, and garlic. Boil for 10 minutes or until tomatillos have changed from bright to dull green. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Blend all boiled ingredients with the remaining ingredients for the salsa verde. Blend sauce until smooth. Taste your sauce and season to your preferred salt level. Pour back into the pot and keep warm on low.

2. Roughly chop cauliflower, and dice zucchini, and poblano pepper. Then mince garlic and set aside.

3. Heat a large saute pan or cast iron pan to medium heat and add 2 Tbsp of avocado oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add in chopped onion, poblano pepper, and cauliflower. Toss and cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add in zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. When zucchini is cooked through remove from heat and set aside.

4. Assemble Enchiladas: Either clean your large pan or use another pan/skillet/comal. Heat skillet to medium-high heat. Then heat tortillas until there is color on both sides and the tortilla begins to “poof”- about 30 secs-1 min per side. (there are two options moving forward- make the enchiladas as the tortillas come off the skillet, and serve 3-4 enchiladas per serving/plate. Or heat up all the tortillas first then assemble the enchiladas in a large platter. The latter option is good for a large family or groups.)

   As you remove the tortilla from the skillet, then dunk the tortilla in the salsa verde enchilada sauce, and place onto a plate. Fill it with vegetables (and cheese if you’d like), then roll enchilada. Repeat step with each tortilla. Serve three to four enchiladas per plate, then ladle salsa verde on top of the rolled enchiladas. Then garnish with queso fresco, micro greens, and chopped cilantro.

   ENJOY!