One of my all-time favorite breakfasts are these vegan chilaquiles rojos! Crispy strips of corn tortilla are coated in a guajillo-tomato salsa, tossed with a mixture of vegetables, and sprinkled with vegan queso cotija, and almond crema.
When I first decided to go vegan, I found breakfast to be one of the hardest things. Believe me, you get tired of oatmeal pretty fast, and sometimes you just want something hearty and savory. In the beginning, I was too scared to try a tofu scramble, but I love them now. That’s where easy vegan chilaquiles come in. They are crunchy, spicy, and just the right amount of creamy.
What are chilaquiles??
Chilaquiles are a Mexican dish served for breakfast and sometimes dinner. It consists of fried tortillas strips, a salsa, crema, and cheese. They can be red, green, or even made with mole. To make breakfast chilaquiles, you can they can serve them with a tofu scramble, and if you’re going to have them for dinner you can add a chicken substitute.
For this vegan version, I’ve used an almond crema to off-set the heat in the dish. Why an almond crema? I’m going to tell you a little secret. I don’t like cashew cream, gasp! I know, I’m a pretty bad vegan, but it’s just too sweet for me. I don’t think it goes very well with Mexican food, that’s why I’ve come up with my own version of crema. I also make my own vegan cotija cheese but it is not really essential to the dish if you want to omit it.
The Recipe: Vegan Chilaquiles Rojos
- For a healthier version bake your tortilla triangles at 350F for 30 min.
- You can buy pre-made enchilada sauce to make a quick version of this.
- You can add any veggies you like, I simply added my favorites.
- Place your chilaquiles in a casserole dish and top with vegan melty cheese to make this an easy breakfast casserole.
Ingredients
Vegetable Sauté
- 1 tbsp. Vegetable oil
- 2 Zucchini, diced
- ½ hd. Broccoli florets
- 2 Tomatoes, diced
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup Vegetable broth or water
- ½ cup Black beans, canned or home-made
- 1 cup Spinach, chopped
Sauce
- 4 Chile guajillo, devained and seeded
- 2 cans (14.5 oz) Diced tomatoes
- 1 Onion, white, chopped
- 4 Garlic, cloves
- 1-2 Arbol chiles,
- 24 Corn tortillas, cut into triangles, 12ths
- 1 cup Vegetable oil
Garnish
- Almond Crema
- Vegan Queso Cotija
- 1 Avocado sliced
- 1/4 cup Chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Vegetable Saute: Heat 1 tbsp. of oil (optional) in a large sauté pan to medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add zucchini and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomato, and garlic, and let cook for 1 minute more. Add broccoli and ¼ cup of water and cover. Lower heat to medium and cook for 1-2 minutes or until broccoli starts to get tender. Add black beans and spinach. Stir. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Sauce: Boil water in a small pot. Place the dried guajillo and arbol chiles in the water and simmer for 5 min. Drain and place in the blender with the tomato, onion, and garlic. Blend until smooth. Strain. Pour finished sauce into a large pot and simmer for 5 min. Set aside.
- Pour vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed pot , enough to cover about 2 inches of the bottom. Heat to about 350F at medium-high heat. Fry the tortilla triangles in batches until golden brown. Place the fried tortillas on a paper towel lined tray and let cool.
- Assemble: Toss the tortilla chips with the tomato sauce in the large pot where it was simmered. The tortillas will begin to soften, but we don’t want them completely soft, so plate the tortillas and sauce immediately. Top with ½ cup of the veggie mixture, chopped cilantro, avocado slices, drizzle with the crema, and sprinkle with vegan cotija.
Notes
- You can buy pre-made enchilada sauce to make a quick version of this.
- You can add any veggies you like, I simply added my favorites.
- Place your chilaquiles in a casserole dish and top with vegan melty cheese to make this an easy breakfast casserole.
