Having grown up in California, Mexican food is one of my favorites and actually, can work very well in a plant-based diet. These chiles rellenos are a perfect example.
Canned Whole Green Chiles
Poblano peppers work best in this dish and roasting them bring out a real depth of flavor. This recipe also calls for cayenne pepper but if you don’t like spicy then you can leave it out or if you like spicier food add a tinge more. Make sure you use a good quality seasoning and that your seasoning herbs and powders are fresh.
What makes Mexican food so delicious is a combination of things, but one is the use of complex flavors in sauces. This can take time, but produce good results.
However, convenience can shorten your cooking time. If you like making everything from scratch, by all means, use fresh ingredients. I've included recipe shortening ideas, such as using canned chilies and store-bought enchilada sauce. I found a Whole Foods 365 brand that has good ingredients such as organic tomato puree, red bell peppers, vinegar, and spices.
Here's a few more plant-based recipes to try:
I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Vegan Chiles Rellenos! If you have a photo, post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking
| Prep Time | 35 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
Servings | people |
- 6-8 fresh pasilla chiles or sometimes called chiles poblano. (Or, use canned whole green chilies, pictured above.)
- 1 package firm organic tofu drained and pressed for about 10 minutes *
- 1/4 cup basil chopped
- 1/3 cup pistaschios chopped
- 2 Tbl nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 medium-sized zucchini chopped ¼” dice
- 3/4 cup corn either fresh or frozen
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 28 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 Tbl tomato paste
- 1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients Chilies and Filling
Red Enchilada Sauce (you may use store-bought if you prefer)
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- Prepare fresh chiles by preheating the oven to "broil" Put the chiles under the broiler and cook until the skin begins to blacken, making sure to turn frequently. Remove them from the oven and place into a bowl. Cover with a plate for a few minutes to loosen the peel. Peel the outer skin, being careful not to tear the flesh of the chili. Lower the oven to bake at 350°F.
- With a sharp paring knife, make a long slit the length of each chili and then gently remove and discard all of the seeds. Set the chiles aside while you make the filling.
- If using store-bought chiles: cut chiles with a small slit and remove seeds.
- Prepare the filling: Crumble the tofu into a large bowl. Add the chopped basil, pistachios, nutritional yeast, cumin along with the diced zucchini and corn. Mix to combine. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Use a small amount of vegetable broth or water to saute the onions and garlic in a large pan until the onions are almost tender.
- Place the can of fire roasted tomatoes into a blender along with the cook onions, tomato paste, and vegetable broth. Blend until the tomatoes are pureed adding more vegetable broth, as needed.
- Pour into a sauce pan. Add chili powder, oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper and stir to combine. Cook for 30 minutes to combine flavors.
- Assembly: add a little of the homemade or store-bought sauce to the bottom of a large baking dish.
- Stuff each chili with about 1/3 cup of the tofu mixture (or more if needed) and place on top of the sauce.
- Cover the chiles with sauce and bake for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
*Pressing Tofu: drain the tofu and wrap with a few paper towels and then a dish towel or some newspaper. Place on a plate. Put a heavy object on top such as a can of tomatoes or a sauce pan filled with a can and press for about 10-15 minutes.
Going forward can you audit your recipes for accuracy like oven temps and how many teaspoons of cumin etc…. thankfully I make Mexican and Spanish food a lot. A true enchilada sauce will be a bit thinner and have a chicken stock back bone to it which you can use vegetable broth or nutritional yeast broth to balance the taste of what should be with what can actually be done. Cilantro and Mexican oregano are a must not basil in almost any Spanish style dishes. Just my thoughts….
Thanks for your feedback. I always appreciate insight and when it’s brought to my attention that something is missing from a recipe. I have updated the missing info. I actually worked on this recipe with my friend and Mexican housekeeper so I did have an “authentic” input, but it does have my own take on the traditional. I hear what you’re saying with the basil! You are always welcome to change it up to your own liking. I appreciate your suggestions and will give it a try next time. 🙂