When I first went vegan in college I made a lot of really, really bad food. Like, incredibly terrible. I’m still friends with the boyfriend I had at the time and he never lets me forget about the night I followed a recipe for “vegan mac and cheese” that called for way too much mustard. It was easily one of my biggest cooking fails! Funny enough, my current favorite vegan macaroni and cheese recipe contains a tiny bit of Dijon and I always internally giggle when I add it to the sauce.
Anyway, another recipe I followed around this time was a Tortilla and Black Bean Pie I found on the Martha Stewart website (this was before Pinterest – or at least before I knew what Pinterest was). It was much tastier than the mustard disaster. In fact, I consider it one of my first cooking successes. This Vegan Mexican Lasagna is my loose interpretation of what I remember making in my tiny studio apartment all those years ago.
If you have our cookbook, Frugal Vegan, I hope you’ve tried my Easy Vegan Enchiladas recipe. It’s a version of a recipe my dad used to make when I was growing up. This Vegan Mexican Lasagna has a similar flavor profile and addictive quality. I’ve successfully made it with both corn tortillas and flour tortillas. While I usually prefer to use corn tortillas in my cooking, I have to admit that the flour tortillas took this dish to a new level. Since they’re softer, it reminded me more of a traditional lasagna. Swoon.
Something else you can try if you feel like getting creative is using soyrizo instead of refried beans. Trader Joe’s carries it in the refrigerated section near the tofu, and I’ve also bought it at Von’s. I haven’t looked for soyrizo at Whole Foods but I’m sure they carry it. I suspect it’s sitting on the shelves of your local grocery store, too! Since soyrizo already super flavorful, there’s no need to season it as the recipe is written with the refried beans. Just add it to the pan with the onion, jalapeño, and garlic and heat through before adding the remaining ingredients.
Our Vegan Mexican Lasagna is layered with soft tortillas, creamy refried beans, and veggies from your garden (or your pantry). It’s a great meal prep recipe since it freezes well, and it’s ideal for feeding a crowd; a single slice is super filling. Don’t forget to top it off with fresh cilantro and avocado before serving!
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Our Vegan Mexican Lasagna is layered with soft tortillas, creamy refried beans, and veggies from your garden (or your pantry). It’s a great meal prep recipe since it freezes well, and it’s ideal for feeding a crowd!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. paprika
- ½ Tbsp. cumin
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 1 15-oz. can of refried beans (make sure they’re vegetarian)
- 1 15-oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 14.5-oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained (or 5 to 6 fresh tomatoes, diced)
- 1 15-oz. can of corn, drained, divided
- 1 4-oz. can diced green chiles
- ¾ cup enchilada sauce
- 4 green onions, chopped, plus more for topping
- 12 taco-sized tortillas
- 1 cup vegan cheese (optional)
- Fresh cilantro and avocado, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the spices and cook 30 seconds more. Then add in the refried beans and stir to fully combine.
- Add the black beans, diced tomatoes, 1 cup of the corn, diced green chiles, and the green onion to the skillet, followed by the enchilada sauce. Stir to combine and remove from heat.
- Spray a 9×13 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray or rub the bottom and sides with olive oil. Place two tortillas on the bottom of the baking dish; they’ll overlap in the middle just slightly. Cut a third tortilla into small triangles to fill in any gaps. Don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be perfect!
- Add a heaping cup of the bean mixture to the dish and spread into an even layer. Repeat with another layer of tortillas followed by another cup of bean mixture. In the end, you should have four layers of tortilla and four layers of beans (the very top layer should be the bean mixture). Sprinkle with vegan cheese, if using, and cover the baking dish with foil.
- Bake the Mexican Lasagna for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly around the edges. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining corn and green onion over the top. Garnish with fresh cilantro and sliced avocado just before serving.
This was a big hit with young and old alike.
★★★★★