Soy Chorizo Enchiladas
I am not a huge fan of processed meat substitutes and often opt for whole food (lentils, beans, mushrooms etc.) as replacements. I honestly get a little weirded out by a lot of the options out there because they have done too good of a job at faking meat. Even though I know it is totally plant based, (hey Beyond Burgers) it seems too close to meat and I have a hard time eating it. So, all that being said… I actually really like Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo!
Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo:
TJ’s soy chorizo is a crumble that comes in a plastic casing (so make sure you take that off before cooking!!). I usually cook it in a pan on the stove top until it starts to get a little brown and crispy on the edges of the crumbles. It is a little spicy but packs a lot of flavor which makes it a perfect pair for eggs, as a taco filling OR as a quick and easy way to add a ton of flavor to enchiladas!
This recipe is for super easy weeknight enchiladas. Thanks to the flavor of the soy chorizo, all you need is a few extra ingredients to pull this dish together. Adding peppers, onions and a can of black beans creates a satisfying, protein packed filling all wrapped up in your favorite tortillas and smothered in a delicious sauce. Trader Joe’s soy chorizo is also vegan and gluten-free, so you can use corn tortillas and omit the cheese and have a completely GF and vegan meal!
The Sauce:
I first made this sauce out of necessity. I was making enchiladas one day only to realize when I went to assemble that I did not have a jar of sauce on hand. So in a pinch I threw a bunch of random ingredients in a blender and figured we will see what happens… and it came out so good! Now to be honest, as I was putting the enchiladas in the oven I was still skeptical. By blending raw ingredients in a blender you create a raw sauce–it was a little thin and tasted more like a blended salsa. I thought it doesn’t taste bad so let's keep going. While the enchiladas baked in the oven, the sauce cooked too, the flavor came together and it thickened up beautifully!
Toppings:
I do like cheese with my enchiladas. Sometimes I use it inside as a glue to hold the enchiladas together as they cook but for this version I just added a little to the top to melt over the whole dish. I used cheddar here, again it's what I had on hand, but a shredded cheese blend will work, monterey jack or maybe even pepper jack. You could also easily make this vegan by omitting the cheese or using a shredded vegan cheese. I also served these with a cilantro yogurt sauce but you could use this cilantro cashew crema for an easy vegan swap.
If you enjoyed this soy chorizo recipe, you may also enjoy my recipe for soy chorizo chili or soy chorizo quinoa skillet!
Soy Chorizo Enchiladas
Ingredients
- Big handful of grape tomatoes (about 20-25)
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/4 medium onion, chopped
- 1 - 4oz can green chiles
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8- 10 tortillas
- 1 - package soy chorizo
- 1 - 15oz can of black beans
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese
- 3/4 cup plain greek yogurt (I use fat free but you can use whatever you have)
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Handful of cilantro, chopped
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- PREHEAT: Turn oven on to preheat to 400.
- BLEND: Combine all the ingredients for the enchilada sauce in a blender and blend until smooth.
- COOK: Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, add diced pepper and onion and cook until soft. Add the soy chorizo and black beans, continue cooking until chorizo starts to brown.
- ASSEMBLE: Pour a layer of enchilada sauce in your baking dish (a little less than half the sauce). Place the filling along the center of a tortilla and roll, place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Top with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- BAKE: Put baking dish in the oven to bake for about 25 minutes, so sauce thickens, cheese melts and edges of the tortillas are a little browned.
- MIX: While the enchiladas are the in oven, combine the yogurt sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- ENJOY: Allow enchiladas to cool for a few minutes before digging in, serve with a dollop of yogurt sauce on top.
Notes:
Depending on the size of your tortillas, you may have extra filling left over. It can make for a great lunch served over rice or a baked sweet potato.