Table Notes
All recipes

Mexican

Vegetarian Enchiladas with Butternut Squash

Serves
4
Meal
dinner
Protein
beans/black-and-pinto-beans
Carbs
tortillas/corn

Ingredients

For the beans

  • 125g dried black beans
  • 125g dried pinto beans
  • 1 tsp fine salt

For the roasted vegetables

  • 1kg butternut squash
  • 1 red onion
  • 3 peppers
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

For the sauce

  • 1kg passata
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 4 tsp ground cumin
  • 4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

To assemble

  • 8 soft tortillas
  • 200g Cheddar cheese, grated

Method

Soak and Cook the Beans

  1. The night before cooking, check 125g dried black beans and 125g dried pinto beans for small stones or damaged beans, then rinse them thoroughly.
  2. Put the beans in a large bowl with at least 1.5 litres cold water and soak for 8 to 12 hours.
  3. Drain and discard the soaking water, then rinse the beans again.
  4. Put the soaked beans in a pressure cooker with 600ml fresh water and 1 tsp fine salt. Check that the beans are submerged by about 1cm and that the cooker's minimum-liquid requirement is met. If not, add more water 50ml at a time. Follow the cooker's legume fill-level instructions.
  5. Cook at high pressure for 9 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally until the valve drops. Do not use a quick release because beans can foam through the valve.
  6. Follow the appliance and bean-packet instructions where they differ. The beans are ready when both varieties are completely tender and creamy inside, with no firm or chalky centre. If necessary, use the saute setting to simmer them for a few more minutes.
  7. Lift the cooked beans into a bowl with a slotted spoon and set them aside.
  8. With the pressure-cooker lid off, use the saute setting to boil the remaining bean cooking liquid until only 150 to 200ml remains. Pour this concentrated cooking liquor into a heatproof measuring jug and reserve it for the sauce; do not discard it.

Roast the Vegetables

  1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
  2. Peel and seed 1kg butternut squash, then cut it into 2cm cubes. Cut 1 red onion and 3 peppers into similarly sized 2cm pieces.
  3. Divide the vegetables between two large baking trays. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp fine salt, and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, then toss until evenly coated and spread into a single layer.
  4. Roast for about 45 minutes, turning the vegetables and rotating the trays after 25 minutes, until the squash is tender and the edges are lightly browned.

Mix the Sauce

  1. Put the following in a large bowl:
    • 1kg passata
    • 3 crushed garlic cloves
    • 2 tbsp paprika
    • 4 tsp ground cumin
    • 4 tsp dried oregano
    • 1 tsp chilli flakes
    • 1 tsp fine salt
    • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
    • all 150 to 200ml reserved bean cooking liquor
  2. Stir until evenly combined, then set the sauce aside while the vegetables finish roasting.

Make the Filling

  1. Put the roasted vegetables and all the cooked black and pinto beans in a large bowl.
  2. Add half of the tomato sauce and fold everything together until evenly coated.

Assemble and Bake

  1. Spoon half of the remaining tomato sauce into the base of a large baking dish.
  2. Divide the filling evenly between 8 soft tortillas. Fold in the ends, roll each tortilla tightly, and pack them seam-side down in the dish.
  3. Pour over the remaining tomato sauce and scatter 200g grated Cheddar evenly over the top.
  4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden.

Notes

The stated cooking time excludes the 8 to 12 hours needed to soak the beans. Pressure-cooker timings and minimum-liquid requirements vary, so follow the appliance and bean-packet instructions where they differ. The beans must be fully cooked before they are mixed with the acidic tomato sauce because acid can prevent undercooked beans from softening properly.

Reducing and retaining the bean cooking liquor keeps its dissolved solids in the dish without adding enough water to make the tortillas soggy. Remove the beans before reducing the liquor so they do not continue cooking and lose their shape.

The sauce does not need to be cooked separately. Passata is already processed, and the garlic, herbs, and spices cook when the assembled enchiladas bake. Simmering it first would mellow the garlic and thicken the sauce, but it is optional rather than necessary here.