Gentle Smoky Ancho Enchiladas, Three Ways (Vegan)
Makes one 9 × 13-inch pan (about 10–12 enchiladas)
Smoky • Comforting • Generous • Gathering
There are few meals more comforting than a pan of homemade enchiladas fresh from the oven. Wrapped in soft corn tortillas, covered with a gently smoky ancho chile sauce, and filled with your choice of hearty plant-based fillings, they’re the kind of meal that naturally invites people to slow down, gather around the table, and reach for seconds.
This recipe is 100% plant-based.
Enchiladas have been part of my life for as long as I can remember.
When I was growing up in Las Vegas, one of my favorite places in the world was Macayo’s, a beloved Mexican restaurant where I always ordered the same thing—either cheese enchiladas or a simple bean tostada. No matter what I chose, there was one request that never changed: extra shredded lettuce piled on top.
I loved that contrast then, and I still do today. The warm, smoky enchiladas underneath, the cool crunch of fresh lettuce above—it may seem like a small thing, but somehow it makes the whole plate come alive. Even now, I can’t imagine serving enchiladas without that fresh layer on top, and if you’ve never tried it, I hope you will.
Enchiladas themselves have a long and beautiful history in Mexico, where people have been wrapping foods in corn tortillas for centuries. The earliest versions were wonderfully simple, often little more than tortillas dipped in chile sauce. Over time, every family and every region developed its own fillings, sauces, and traditions, creating the incredible variety we enjoy today. I love knowing that every pan of enchiladas carries a little piece of that history forward.
For me, though, the sauce is everything.
Not fiery or overpowering, but dark, smoky, and wonderfully rounded—built on ancho chiles that bring warmth without overwhelming heat. Ancho chiles have a gentle sweetness that reminds me of dried fruit, cocoa, and sun-ripened peppers, creating a sauce that feels rich and comforting rather than spicy. It’s the kind of aroma that slowly fills the kitchen and quietly tells everyone that dinner is on its way.
One of my favorite things about cooking plant-based is discovering just how many beautiful ways there are to fill an enchilada. Beans and sweet potatoes bring comfort, roasted vegetables add sweetness, and mushrooms create an incredible savory depth. Oyster mushrooms are especially wonderful. Pulled apart with a fork, they become long, tender strands that soak up every bit of the ancho sauce. I’ve never eaten pulled pork in my life, but I’ve seen enough of it to recognize the texture, and these mushrooms come surprisingly close while remaining entirely their own delicious thing.
Like so many of my favorite meals, enchiladas ask you to slow down a little. There is something wonderfully satisfying about warming the tortillas, dipping each one into the sauce, adding the filling, and rolling them into the baking dish one by one. It isn’t difficult—it simply asks for your attention. Before long, the pan is full, the kitchen smells incredible, and everyone begins wandering in to ask when dinner will be ready.
For me, this is exactly what Meals That Gather People is all about. Good food doesn’t have to be complicated to bring people together. Sometimes all it takes is a warm pan of enchiladas, a bowl of fresh salsa, and a table where everyone is welcome.
INGREDIENTS
For the Dried Chiles
2 large dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
½–1 dried pasilla chile, stems and seeds removed, optional
For the Tomato & Aromatic Base
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp tomato paste
12 oz plain tomato sauce
For the Seasoning
1 tsp ground cumin
¾ tsp dried Mexican oregano
½ tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp pure maple syrup, plus more to taste
2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Organic Seasoned Vegetable Base, or equivalent vegetable concentrate
½ cup water, plus more only as needed
Fine sea salt, to taste
METHOD
Step 1 — Prepare the Dried Chiles
Remove the stems and seeds from the ancho chiles and optional pasilla.
Heat a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Toast the chiles very briefly, just a few seconds on each side, until fragrant and slightly pliable. Do not allow them to scorch or blacken.
Place the toasted chiles in a bowl and cover completely with hot water. Let soak for about 20 minutes, or until thoroughly softened.
Drain the chiles and discard the soaking water.
Taste a tiny piece of the softened pasilla before adding it. If it seems hotter than you want for this gentle sauce, simply leave it out.
Step 2 — Build the Tomato Base
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add:
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
Cook for 6–8 minutes, until soft and beginning to turn golden.
Add:
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Add:
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp ground cumin
¾ tsp dried Mexican oregano
½ tsp smoked paprika
Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and the spices become fragrant.
Add:
1 (15 oz) can plain tomato sauce
Stir well, scraping up everything from the bottom of the pan. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes.
Step 3 — Blend the Sauce
Transfer the tomato mixture to a blender.
Add:
Softened ancho chiles and optional pasilla
½ cup water
2 tsp vegetable bouillon concentrate
2 tsp pure maple syrup
Blend until completely smooth and velvety.
Do not automatically add additional water. The sauce should be rich and concentrated rather than thin.
Step 4 — Simmer the Sauce
Return the blended sauce to the saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
Cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the dried chiles and tomato have settled into one another and the sauce tastes cohesive rather than like separate ingredients.
If the sauce becomes thicker than you want for enchiladas, add water a tablespoon or two at a time.
The finished sauce should be thick enough to generously coat a spoon but fluid enough to spread easily beneath and over the enchiladas.
Step 5 — Taste & Balance
Now taste the sauce on its own.
If it needs more sweetness to soften the tomato acidity or the natural bitterness of the dried chiles, add:
½–1 tsp pure maple syrup
If it tastes flat or needs greater savory depth, add:
½ tsp vegetable bouillon concentrate
Taste before adding salt, since the bouillon already contributes quite a bit.
If you want a little more smoke, add:
¼ tsp smoked paprika
Make adjustments gradually, simmering for another minute or two between additions.
The finished sauce should taste richly tomatoey, distinctly ancho, gently smoky, savory and rounded—not hot, watery, sharply acidic or noticeably sweet.
NOTES
Why I Love Ancho Chiles
Ancho chiles are dried poblano peppers.
Rather than bringing intense heat, they offer a deep, earthy flavor with subtle notes of dried fruit, cocoa, and sun-ripened peppers. Here they mingle with rich tomato and gentle smoke to create an enchilada sauce that is warm, comforting, and full of flavor without being fiery.
About the Heat
This recipe is intentionally gentle rather than spicy.
Dried chiles can vary in heat, so taste a tiny piece of the softened pasilla before adding it to the sauce. If it seems hotter than you’d like, simply leave it out.
If you’d like a little more heat, add a pinch of cayenne, sauté a finely chopped jalapeño with the onion, or increase the amount of pasilla chile.
A Note About the Chiles
Toast the dried chiles only briefly—just until fragrant and pliable. Allowing them to scorch can introduce bitterness.
After soaking, discard the soaking water rather than adding it to the sauce. Fresh water gives the sauce a cleaner flavor and allows the tomato, ancho, and spices to remain beautifully balanced.
Keep the Sauce Rich
Begin with the ½ cup of water called for in the recipe and add more only if the finished sauce needs it.
Enchilada sauce should be fluid enough to coat the tortillas generously, but concentrated enough that its flavor isn’t lost once the filling, tortillas, and toppings join the pan.
Don’t Skip the Lettuce
If you’ve never enjoyed enchiladas topped with a generous handful of shredded lettuce, I hope you’ll give it a try.
This is exactly how I grew up eating them, and I still wouldn’t serve enchiladas any other way.
The cool, crisp lettuce provides the perfect contrast to the warm, smoky enchiladas beneath it.
Traditional iceberg lettuce is classic, but crisp romaine is wonderful too.
Tortillas Matter
Corn tortillas are traditional and provide the best texture.
If they’re dry or prone to cracking, dipping them into the warm enchilada sauce before rolling makes all the difference. It softens the tortillas, adds flavor, and makes them much easier to roll.
Baking in Cast Iron
These enchiladas can also be assembled and baked in a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or baking pan.
Spread a generous layer of sauce over the bottom, then arrange the filled enchiladas snugly in the pan before spooning the remaining sauce over the top. Depending on the size and shape of your cast iron, you may need to arrange them in a slightly different pattern than you would in a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
Cast iron holds heat beautifully, so the sauce around the edges may bubble and caramelize a little more deeply—which is never a bad thing.
Make Ahead
The enchilada sauce and fillings can both be prepared a day in advance.
Store them separately in the refrigerator, then assemble and bake when you’re ready to serve.
The sauce actually develops even deeper flavor overnight.
Freezing
The assembled enchiladas freeze beautifully before baking.
Wrap the baking dish tightly, freeze, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.
Serving Ideas
Serve with:
Authentic Mexican Rice
Homemade refried or black beans
Avocado slices
Simple cabbage slaw
Homemade Mexican crema
Fresh salsa
A Final Thought
Some meals ask us to slow down before we ever sit down to eat.
There is something wonderfully satisfying about warming the tortillas, spooning in the filling, rolling each enchilada by hand, and watching the baking dish slowly come together. Those quiet moments become part of the meal itself.
When the pan finally comes to the table, everyone gathers, helps themselves, and reaches for just one more enchilada. That’s one of my favorite kinds of cooking—not because it’s complicated, but because it’s meant to be shared.
For me, that’s exactly what Meals That Gather People is all about.
This is the kind of food that nourishes quietly.
It asks us to slow down,
to listen,
and to remember what is enough.