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Vegetarian Green Enchiladas with Spinach and Arugula
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4.58 from 7 votes

Vegetarian Green Enchiladas with Spinach and Arugula

Green enchiladas filled with spinach and arugula. Makes 6 servings.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican, Vegetarian
Keyword: enchiladas, green enchiladas, spinach enchiladas, arugula enchiladas, green enchilada sauce
Servings: 6 servings.
Calories: 215kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch spinach, or 5 ounces of baby spinach and arugula mix
  • 1 bunch arugula, or 5 ounces of baby spinach and arugula mix
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion , diced in 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1 or 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • 2 serrano chiles , seeds removed, minced, optional (see note)
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lime juice
  • fine sea salt , as needed
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 6 to 8 ounces grated Monterey jack cheese (see note)
  • About 2 cups green enchilada sauce , purchased or homemade

Instructions

  • Wash the spinach well. Cut the leaves away from the stems, discarding the stems, and chop the leaves into 1-inch strips. Wash the arugula and discard the stems. If the arugula leaves are large, chop them as well. If you're using baby spinach and arugula, you can skip this step.
  • Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir and cook the onion, garlic and chile, if using, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the spinach and arugula, continuing to cook and stir until the leaves are wilted and shrunk. Stir in the cilantro. Season with vinegar and salt.
  • Lightly oil in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/2 cup of green enchilada sauce in the bottom.
  • Pre-heat oven to 350°. Place tortillas on baking sheets, 4 to 6 tortillas to a pan. Lightly brush or spray both sides of the tortillas with oil. Bake about 5 minutes, until pliable. (see note)
  • Spread a heaping tablespoon of the greens in a tortilla. Sprinkle about the same amount of cheese on top. Roll the tortilla around the filling and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. You can cover the pan at this point and refrigerate overnight.
  • Pour green sauce over the rolled tortillas, making sure to coat the ends. Sprinkle with more cheese, if you wish.
  • Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with some chopped cilantro and parsley.

Notes

  • You won't need the real green chile if you use pepper jack or habanero cheddar cheese to create flavorful “picante” spicy heat.
  • Mexican cooks fry their tortillas in oil to make them pliable and so they don’t absorb the sauce. I prefer this oven-warming method for more ease, less mess and ultimately less calories.

Nutrition

Serving: 2g | Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 290mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 0.7mg