I call these chickpea scramble breakfast enchiladas, but I want to eat them for every meal of the day. They actually almost didn’t make it into the oven at all, this time, because I couldn’t stop eating the filling :).
PSA: Readers in the Baltimore area! The second annual Vegan Mac n’ Cheese Smackdown is happening on Saturday, February 18th. The event was superfun last year and is sure to be even more of a blast this time around. For Daiya skeptics (including myself) there is even a “from scratch” category. It’s only $10 if bought in advance and includes both sampling the entries and participating as a judge by casting your vote. Proceeds go to Thrive Baltimore, which is a fantastic local organization that promotes health and sustainability in our communities. You can get more information and tickets here.
I’m excited to share this chickpea scramble breakfast enchiladas recipe with you today. Probably 90% of the recipes on my blog, while mostly straying notably from the original concepts, are inspired by foods from cultures not my own, like the cuisine of Mexico. I think it’s pretty freaking cool that sharing cultures with one another gives us new opportunities for creativity with food, and especially new ways to make exciting and flavorful vegan recipes. Without all of that, I might be eating plain steamed vegetables every day. Beyond only cuisine, there are so many ways that our collective consciousness is improved when we open our minds to new things and people different from ourselves; yet our similarities as humans (as food lovers!) also outweigh our differences. So I just wanted to take the chance to show my gratitude for everything that I’ve gotten to learn and my openness to what I’m yet to learn – and I hope that you’ll join me in that gratitude.
With that out of the way, it’s enchilada time, and today I’m serving up a breakfast-y version. I make enchiladas frequently enough that I’m a bit surprised I don’t have a recipe on the blog yet. They especially get into the rotation during CSA season as a vehicle for arbitrary groups of vegetables in the filling. One of my biggest complaints about other vegan enchiladas is that the filling is mostly whole beans. When you cut into an enchilada, the beans inside fall out and go rolling around all over your plate. Makes you wonder if there was any point in painstakingly wrapping the enchiladas to begin with!
I solved that problem with my latest and greatest way of making a chickpea scramble. Unlike just plain chickpeas, the chickpea scramble helps to bind the filling together. Originally I got this idea from Fettle Vegan; I take an entire can of chickpeas, liquid and all, and puree it in the food processor, and then scramble that mixture in a skillet with seasonings. It’s kinda like tofu scramble except less… tofu-y tasting. To the chickpea scramble mixture I added potatoes, jalapeno, bell pepper, and a pinch of spice. It almost didn’t become chickpea scramble breakfast enchiladas at all, since I kept sneaking spoonfuls of the filling before actually putting it in any tortillas. 🙂
I didn’t make my enchilada sauce the normal way because, for some reason even though I’m willing to fold filling into a whole tray of enchiladas, I’m too lazy to make roux. I just whisk together tomato puree, some finely-chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and a couple of seasonings and call it good. This sauce is VERY punchy and tangy (normally you’d have the flavor diluted by vegetable broth, which is also why the roux would be needed to thicken it). I think it plays well with the filling, but it’s certainly different, so I definitely encourage you to use your favorite enchilada sauce if you have one.
Chickpea Scramble Breakfast Enchiladas with Chipotle Sauce and Avocado Cream
Ingredients
For the chickpea scramble filling:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 russet potato peeled and diced
- 1/2 large yellow or white onion diced
- 1 bell pepper seeds and pith removed, diced
- 1 jalapeno seeds and pith removed, diced
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 15-oz. can chickpeas (see notes)
For the chipotle sauce:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder (or 1 clove of minced fresh garlic)
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 24 oz tomato puree
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce finely chopped
- 3 tbsp adobo sauce (plus more to taste)
- 2 tsp agave nectar (or sweetener of choice)
- 1/4 tsp liquid smoke optional
For the chickpea scramble breakfast enchiladas:
- 10 corn tortillas or as needed
- chickpea scramble filling (above)
- chipotle sauce (above) (or use your favorite enchilada sauce)
- toppings of choice guacamole/avocado, fresh cilantro, red onion, etc.
Instructions
For the chickpea scramble filling:
- Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cubed potato and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and browned, about 6-8 minutes (you can start step 2 in the meantime). Add the onion and cook for 2-3 more minutes, continuing to stir frequently, until slightly softened. Then add the bell pepper, jalapeno, and ground spices. Continue cooking over medium-low heat until the potato is fully cooked.
- Add the entire can of chickpeas to your food processor and blend until smooth. Push the potato mixture in the skillet to one side of the pan, and add a little more olive oil to the empty side. Pour in the chickpea mixture and let it cook until bubbling. Then 'scramble' it up and continue cooking it for another 2-4 minutes, until firmed up slightly.
- Fold the scramble chickpeas together with the rest of the veggie mixture in the pan, and set aside.
For the chipotle sauce:
- Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the paprika, black pepper, garlic, and oregano, and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the tomato puree, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce, agave nectar, and liquid smoke if using. Stir well to combine, and heat until bubbling slightly. Set aside.
For the chickpea scramble breakfast enchiladas:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add a couple of generous ladles of sauce to a small casserole dish (mine is about 7" by 10" and fits exactly 10 enchiladas).
- One by one, add generous portions of filling to corn tortillas, gently roll them, and place them seam-side down in the sauced dish. Once finished, spoon plenty more sauce to cover the top. You may have some sauce leftover if you use my recipe.
- Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes (precise timing not important), or until hot through and the sauce is nicely baked into the tortillas.
- Serve hot with toppings of choice. I made a quick avocado crema by blending an avocado with some lime juice and nondairy milk and pouring it over the cooked enchiladas.
Notes
LEFTOVERS/FREEZING: Enchiladas keep well in the refrigerator for a few days (only add avocado and fresh cilantro at serving time, if using). I would recommend freezing the sauce and filling individually instead of freezing cooked enchiladas (but I haven't tried it). NUTRITION: Nutrition facts do not include extra toppings, but they do include the sauce.
Nutrition
Other Mexican-inspired recipes from the blog:
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Natalie Bench says
Hi there! What if i’m using some frozen garbanzo beans that have thawed. I drained them before freezing – can i just add 1/3 cup of water to it in the food processor?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I think that would pretty much work.
Cate says
These are soooo good! I didn’t expect the filling to be so moist and flavorful but I gave it a try anyway and I’m glad that I did! I used bottled enchilada sauce as a shortcut and added red pepper flakes to make it spicier.
Vicki says
Green Valley Organics packages their 15.5 oz beans in a BPA-free ‘bag’! I bought them at Food Lion, but I thing I’ve seen them elsewhere.