Vegan Chilaquiles with Mole Recipe
This vegan chilaquiles with mole recipe is a delicious way to use up extra tortilla chips and empty out the leftovers from your refrigerator! This version is made with a homemade mole sauce, black beans and corn, and topped with avocado, cilantro and fresh tomatoes!
If you haven’t noticed by now, Mexican food holds a special place in my heart! From tortilla soup to enchiladas to tacos, these classic Mexican dishes often play a staring roll on our dinner table. Anytime I can use chiles, jalapeños, beans, and avocado in a dish is a happy day for me!
Everyone knows these traditional Mexican dishes, but there is so much more to Mexican food. I suggest going beyond the basics! And you can start with these vegan chilaquiles with mole, one of my favorite easy dinners to throw together on a weeknight.
What are chilaquiles?
Chilaquiles are a Mexican dish of stale tortillas simmered in sauce. I know that description might not be making the best case for them, but hear me out here! Think nachos, but the emphasis is more on the delicious sauce and less on the chip (and not at all on weird neon orange cheese). The chips soften up a bit, but still retain some crunch and texture. Traditionally, chilaquiles are made with red or green salsa, but in this vegan chilaquiles variation I used a mole sauce.
The dish was basically designed to use up leftovers. Throw some torn up day old tortillas or tortilla chips in a flavorful sauce. Chilaquiles are so customizable, add any other random leftovers - tomatoes, grilled zucchini, shredded chicken, a fried egg...there's no rules! And while this recipe is made with a homemade mole sauce, which admittedly, is a bit complicated and has a lengthy ingredient list, you could easily swap jarred salsa verde, a basic tomato sauce spiked with canned chipotle chiles, jarred enchilada sauce or even a store bought mole sauce. Because the main ingredients are tortilla chips and sauce, chilaquiles can be a great budget friendly meal. It’s also wonderful for entertaining since these can be prepared ahead of time!
How to Make Mole Sauce for this Vegan Chilaquiles Recipe
For starters, mole is pronounced “moh-lay!”
Mole is a traditional Mexican sauce, and while there are many variations, it generally contains fruit, nuts, spices, and frequently chocolate. If you've never tried mole, the ingredients list probably sounds a little crazy. Chocolate? In Mexican food? Just go with it!
This vegan mole sauce is nutty, spicy, savory, and a little bit sweet! It has the bitterness and richness of chocolate, without tasting like a melted Milky Way. It’s a variation on mole poblano, which is perhaps the most well known of the mole sauces. I know this recipe is kind of long but I guarantee you won’t regret taking the time to prepare this vegan mole sauce!
To begin, you’ll need to broil to the poblanos and jalapeños on a baking sheet for three minutes each side, until the skins are blackened. Place them in a bowl covered in plastic wrap to hold in the steam and when they’re cool enough to handle, remove and discard charred skin, stem, seeds and chop remaining flesh. The steam will make removing the skins from the flesh a little easier!
Next, add the dried chiles and raisins to 2-3 cups of warm water. Leave them there to soften for about 10-15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. This step helps to add flavor and body to the sauce. Remove the chiles and raisins with a slotted spoon and save the chili broth.
For the next step you’ll need to heat 2 tablespoons of a neutral flavored oil in a medium sized skillet. I would recommend any vegetable oil such as canola, peanut, corn, or safflower! Sauté your chopped onion with a pinch of salt in the skillet until translucent, then add your minced garlic until fragrant. Then add the chopped tomatoes and cook those until they've softened, for about 5 minutes.
Now add all of your herbs, spices, nuts and seeds to the tomato mixture and cook for 2 minutes. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the chili broth and simmer for 10 minutes to let the all of the flavors meld. Transfer this mixture and the charred poblanos and jalapeños to a blender, add the cocoa powder, masa or cornmeal, and sugar, and blend until it’s pureed! Taste your vegan mole sauce and add any salt that's needed.
This mole sauce will go great on many different dishes. I also used to make these mole enchiladas. Freeze the extra sauce that the recipe makes for up to 6 months!
Vegan Chilaquiles with Mole Recipe Adaptions
These vegan chilaquiles are completely customizable. Feel free to add more vegetables, like sauteed zucchini or peppers. You could also top it with a fried egg, or add shredded chicken - although it obviously wouldn’t be vegan anymore. Save time with store bought mole, enchilada sauce, or try it more traditionally with salsa.
This vegan chilaquiles with mole recipe has been updated to give you the best possible content.
Vegan Chilaquiles with Mole Recipe
Serves 3-4ish
This recipe will make extra mole sauce, which you can freeze and use for later. It would also be delicious in slow cooker chicken, over grilled tofu or with enchiladas. I used sweet potato tortilla chips, but feel free to use any kind you like.
Ingredients
Mole Sauce:
3 poblano chiles
1 jalapeno
3 dried chipotle chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 dried New Mexico chiles or ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
3 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons neutral flavored oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons peanuts
3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons masa or cornmeal
2 teaspoons sugar
Chilaquiles:
1 tablespoon neutral tasting oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
6-8 ounces tortilla chips
For garnish: avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, cilantro
Instructions
Turn on the broiler. Place the poblanos and jalapenos on a large baking sheet and broil for 3 minutes per side until skin is blackened. Place in a bowl and top with plastic wrap or a plate to trap steam. When peppers are cool enough to handle, remove and discard charred skin, stem, seeds and chop remaining flesh.
Warm 2-3 cups of water in a pot or glass measuring cup until almost boiling. Add dried chiles and raisins and let sit to soften while you prepare the other ingredients, about 10-15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chiles and raisins and reserve the “chili broth.”
Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add onion and a pinch of salt, and saute 5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and saute 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are softened, another 5 minutes. Add oregano, cumin and thyme, black pepper, cinnamon, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds, and cook 2 minutes. Pour in 1 1/2 cups chili broth and simmer 10 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Transfer the sauteed onion-tomato mixture and charred poblanos and jalapeno to a blender. Add cocoa powder, masa, and sugar. Blend until pureed. Taste and season with salt.
In a large skillet, heat oil on medium high heat. Add onion and corn and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add black beans, cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Add tortilla chips and stir to combine. Add enough mole sauce to cover (~ 1 cup) and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Serve with desired garnishes
If you like this vegan chilaquiles with mole recipe, you might also like:
Mexican Baked Eggs
Grilled Mexican Zucchini Boats
Vegan Taco Salad with Tempeh Meat
