Walnut and Mushroom Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe

Whether you are vegetarian or not, you’ll love today’s new recipe: Walnut and Mushroom Vegetarian Enchiladas.

Thank you to the California Walnuts Commission for sponsoring this post!

Surprisingly “meaty”, and satisfying thanks to all the veggies, these vegetarian enchiladas will be your new favorite weeknight meal. It makes plenty of leftovers for packed lunches and is officially approved by my taste tester and meat-loving husband, too! 🙂

Vegan? Simply leave off the cheese on top – they’ll be just as delicious without it. And if you’re gluten free, this recipe is, too – just be sure to use gluten free certified corn tortillas and enchilada sauce.

Using Walnuts as a Meat Substitute

Have you guys ever tried using walnuts to make a vegetarian “meat”? I hadn’t, and it worked surprisingly well, especially when mixed with some mushrooms and cauliflower! The texture ended up really similar to ground beef. It even looked like it!

Health Benefits of Walnuts

In addition to being versatile and tasty, walnuts are also great in recipes because they are nutritional superstars! Walnuts provide a convenient source of protein (4 grams per serving) and fiber (2 grams per serving), and are a good source of important minerals magnesium and phosphorous.

Also, did you know that walnuts are the only nut (and one of the few foods) that are significantly high in the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)? In one ounce of walnuts you’ll find 2.5 grams of ALA – that’s more than five times the amount found in the next highest nut!

In fact, a new study on omega-3s found that consuming omega-3s from plant-based sources, like walnuts, may reduce risk of all-cause mortality, whereas marine-derived omega-3s (EPA and DHA, found in fish), may reduce the risk of heart-related fatalities. The greatest protective benefits from total mortality were actually observed in diets that included both plant-based and marine-derived omega-3s, though, as they appear to act synergistically.

The study also found that ALA provided additional health benefits even in a population already consuming high amounts of omega-3s from seafood; as such, ALA may actually contribute health benefits of its own, aside from just its conversion to EPA and DHA. Interesting!

So – now that you know why walnuts are awesome, let’s get back to eating them, shall we? 🙂

Walnut and Mushroom Vegetarian Enchiladas

Step 1: Assemble your army. Veggies galore!

Step 2: Make your enchilada filling.

This recipe is nice because your food processor will do most of the chopping for you. In a food processor, you’ll simply combine the walnuts with some mushrooms, onion, and cauliflower and process briefly until the texture resembles that of ground meat. It’s crazy how similar it looked, actually!

Step 3: Spice your enchilada “meat”.

Toss the “meat” mixture into a pan with some spices, enchilada sauce, and canned diced green chiles. After the liquid boils off, add in some spinach and stir until it wilts down.

Step 4: Assemble your vegetarian enchiladas.

Spread a thin layer of enchiladas sauce in a deep baking pan (6×11 or 6×13), grab your tortillas, and one by one place a large spoonful of the mixture inside a tortilla, roll it up, and place it seam-side down in the pan.

Once all the filled tortillas are in the pan, pour the rest of your enchilada sauce on top!

Cheese is an optional but tasty addition here. Throw some on top before popping the enchiladas in the oven if you want to!

Twenty minutes later and you are ready to eat.

Enjoy as is or top with additional chopped veggies, cilantro, or hot sauce.

The full recipe is below. I hope you enjoy them as much as Matt and I did!

Walnut Mushroom Vegetarian Enchiladas

July 24, 2019

Whether you are vegetarian or not, you’ll love this recipe. This satisfying and nutritious dish will be your new favorite weeknight meal.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Yield

4 TO 6

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 and 1/2 cups cauliflower florets (about half a medium head)
• 1 cup crimini mushrooms
• 1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 4oz can diced green chiles
• 2 10oz cans enchilada sauce (red or green)
• 10 oz baby spinach
• 8-10 corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese (optional)
• Chopped veggies and cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine cauliflower, mushrooms, onion, and walnuts in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, resembling the texture of ground meat.
3. Add this mixture to a large saute pan with the smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, green chiles, and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Cook over medium-high heat for up to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and any liquid in the pan has evaporated.
4. Stir in the spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until wilted.
5. Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce evenly into the bottom of a baking dish (6x11 or 6x13).
6. Scoop about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of filling into each tortilla, roll up, and place seam side down in the pan. Pour remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the top.
7. Top with cheese, if desired, then cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until heated through and the edges are slightly crispy.
8. Serve hot; garnish with chopped veggies and cilantro, if desired.

Did you make this recipe?

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Are you a walnut fan? What’s your favorite way to eat them? I often toss a handful on my Perfect Microwave Banana Oatmeal or Flour Free Breakfast Pancake in the morning!

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References and More Information:

• Dietary α‐Linolenic Acid, Marine ω‐3 Fatty Acids, and Mortality in a Population With High Fish Consumption
• The Evidence for α-Linolenic Acid and Cardiovascular Disease Benefits: Comparisons with Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid
• California Walnuts Recipe Database
• California Walnuts Plant-Based Eating Toolkit
• California Walnuts Health Research Database