Mexican Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas with Charred Lime Crema

About This Recipe

Vegetable enchiladas take the classic Mexican technique of rolling filled corn tortillas and baking them under a chile sauce, but swap meat for a mix of roasted zucchini, corn, and poblano, giving the dish a smoky, vegetable-forward filling. A charred lime crema drizzled on top -- lime halves blackened in a dry pan before juicing -- adds a bright, slightly smoky counterpoint that cuts through the richness of the sauce and cheese. The technique for good enchiladas starts with a properly cooked red chile sauce -- dried guajillo or ancho chiles rehydrated and blended with tomato and garlic, then simmered until deep and glossy, not thin and raw-tasting. Lightly frying the tortillas in oil before filling and rolling them keeps them from disintegrating once they're soaked in sauce and baked. Baked until the cheese is bubbling and the edges of the tortillas turn slightly crisp, these enchiladas make a satisfying vegetarian main, showing that a well-made red sauce and a smoky filling don't need meat to feel substantial.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4dried guajillo chiles(stemmed and seeded)
• 2dried ancho chiles(stemmed and seeded)
• 1 cancrushed tomatoes(400g)
• 3 clovesgarlic
• 1.5 cupsvegetable stock
• 1 tspcumin
• 1 tspsalt
• 1zucchini(diced)
• 1 cupcorn kernels
• 1poblano(diced)
• 2 tbspoil(divided)
• 12corn tortillas
• 1.5 cupsshredded cheese(Oaxaca or Monterey Jack)
• 0.5 cupsour cream
• 2limes(halved)

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast and rehydrate the chiles

   Toast dried guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry pan 1 minute per side, then soak in hot water 15 minutes until softened.

2. 2

   Blend the sauce

   Blend softened chiles with tomatoes, garlic, stock, cumin, and salt until smooth, then strain into a saucepan and simmer 15 minutes.

3. 3

   Roast the filling

   Preheat oven to 220C/425F. Toss zucchini, corn, and poblano with 1 tbsp oil and roast 15-18 minutes until charred at the edges.

4. 4

   Char the limes

   Char lime halves cut-side down in a dry skillet for 2-3 minutes until blackened. Juice and whisk into sour cream.

5. 5

   Assemble the enchiladas

   Reduce oven to 190C/375F. Lightly fry tortillas in remaining oil 15 seconds per side. Fill each with roasted vegetables and a little cheese, roll, and place seam-side down in a baking dish.

6. 6

   Sauce and bake

   Pour red chile sauce over the rolled enchiladas, top with remaining cheese, and bake 15-18 minutes until bubbling. Drizzle with charred lime crema and serve.

Variations

• •

  Add shredded rotisserie chicken to the filling for a heartier, non-vegetarian version.

• •

  Use green tomatillo salsa instead of red chile sauce for enchiladas verdes.

• •

  Swap the roasted vegetable filling for black beans and roasted sweet potato.

Storage

Refrigerate covered up to 3 days. Reheat in a 180C/350F oven for 12-15 minutes rather than microwaving, which can make the tortillas soggy.

Frequently Asked Questions