Cauliflower, Black Bean and Rice Enchilada Lasagna

Cauliflower, Black Bean and Brown Rice Enchilada Lasagna

Enjoy the same great flavors of enchiladas as a lasagna! It's easier to build, fun to serve, and the tortillas act as lasagna noodles for a great texture and flavor.

Cauliflower, Black Bean and Brown Rice Enchilada Lasagna

One of the reasons I love enchilada sauce is because it can be repurposed in so many different ways. I have a homemade enchilada sauce from my cookbook that I absolutely love, but this time, I used a jarred enchilada sauce (this one from Siete foods), so it all came together even more easily!

Cauliflower, Black Bean and Rice Enchilada Lasagna

I love cauliflower in these enchiladas, because it’s hearty and fluffy, and adds a nice texture to the lasagna. Also, it absorbs sauce very well, so it gets soaked up with enchilada sauce. The black beans are a great plant based protein source, and the brown rice makes the entire dish filling and bind together.

Cauliflower, Black Bean and Rice Enchilada Lasagna

You can also make these as traditional enchilada style and just stuff roll tortillas with the cauliflower and black bean filling, some cheese, and then pour over the enchilada sauce, sprinkle with more cheese, and bake until bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Either way you make these, they’re delicious – and the lasagna style is fun to serve!

Cauliflower, Black Bean and Brown Rice Enchilada Lasagna

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 small heads of cauliflower or 1 large head of cauliflower florets removed
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil + more to drizzle
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 small onion minced
  • 1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 2 cups enchilada sauce*
  • 12 to rtillas I used Siete Foods
  • 2-3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • to serve: sliced avocado and cilantro

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the cauliflower. Drizzle with some olive oil, toss to coat, and then season with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until fork tender.
  • Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Once oil is shimmering, add the garlic and onions and cook for 5 minutes or until translucent. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the black beans and brown rice and stir to combine. Once the cauliflower is done, add it to the large mixing bowl and add about 1 cup of the enchilada sauce and stir together to combine.
  • Add half of the cauliflower mixture to the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish and spread it out. Add enough tortillas to cover the mixture (it's okay if some overlap - mine did!), about 6. Pour half of the remaining sauce on top of the tortillas, then sprinkle with half of the cheese. Add the rest of the cauliflower mixture and top with remaining tortillas (again, I used about 6.) Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas and remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
  • Garnish with avocado slices and cilantro, if using.

Recipe Notes

*Homemade enchilada sauce if you want to make it yourself:
Ingredients
For the enchilada sauce:
4 tablespoons avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
16oz (or two 8oz cans) tomato sauce
1.5 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt, to taste
Directions:
Prepare the enchilada sauce. Heat the oil in a medium pot over high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the arrowroot powder. Reduce the heat to medium and whisk until combine, about 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, broth, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Increase the heat to high to bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.

with love, Ali

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comments

  • Looks delicious! What is the quantity needed for the black beans? I think you forgot them in the ingredients list šŸ˜‰
    • Hi Missy!! The recipe has been updated. 1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed!
  • Sounds great! How many cups/cans of black beans should be used? Recipe doesn't specify. Thanks!
    • Hi Ann! The recipe has been updated. 1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed!
  • Made this and it turned out very good. It was very heavy and high in calories (if you used 3 cups of regular cheese and two avocados it would be around 650 calories per servingā€”and the servings arenā€™t that big!) thoughā€”as there are both tortillas and rice. I think you could make this with cauliflower rice instead of the separate cauliflower florets and rice and it would be just as good and less heavy.
    • That would be great, Lauren! We're so glad you enjoyed it!