Healthy Salsa Verde Taco Casserole

Homemade salsa verde—a tantalizing blend of savory tomatillos, spicy jalapeño, herbal cilantro, and tangy lime juice—transforms simple pantry staples into a mouthwatering taco casserole. The meaty filling is made up of mushrooms and barley that have been infused with Southwest seasonings and cooked to tender perfection before being layered between soft corn tortillas. Roasted corn, spinach, and cannellini beans add extra heft to this Mexican-inspired dish while a sprinkling of nutritional yeast delivers a scrumptious cheesy finishing touch. Feel free to add a dollop of vegan sour cream to each slice of this comforting and healthy casserole that’s bound to become an instant hit in your household.

Tip: You can make the salsa verde (Step 1 in this recipe) up to 3 days ahead and keep it refrigerated in an airtight container.

For more vegan Mexican recipes, check out these tasty ideas:

By Ellen Boeke,

Ingredients

  • 1½ lb. tomatillos, husked, washed, and halved
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped onion
  • 2 fresh jalapeño chiles, halved and seeded, if desired
  • ⅓ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 8-oz. package fresh cremini mushrooms, chopped (3 cups)
  • 2 cups cooked barley
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 8 6-inch corn tortillas
  • 1 15-oz. can no-salt-added Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained (1½ cups)
  • 1 cup frozen roasted corn
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • Sliced scallions and fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

  • For salsa verde, preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 15×10-inch baking pan with foil. Spread tomatillos, onion, and jalapeños in pan. Roast 30 minutes or until slightly charred. Cool slightly. Transfer to a blender. Add ⅓ cup cilantro and the lime juice. Cover and blend until mostly smooth. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
  • In a large nonstick skillet cook mushrooms over medium 6 minutes or until tender. Stir in barley, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and ½ cup water. Cook 4 minutes or just until water is absorbed. Stir in spinach until just wilted.
  • Cut four of the tortillas into 1-inch-wide strips. Spread barley mixture in a 2-quart baking dish. Top with tortilla strips, beans, corn, nutritional yeast, and salsa verde. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Top with scallions and additional cilantro. Serve with remaining tortillas, warmed.

Comments (2)

(5 from 2 votes)

Recipe Rating

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Barna Solomon

I have read this 3 times and don’t see what to do with the other 4 tortillas that are not cut into strips. I would like to try this but need the info.

Random

Made this tonight. Came out amazing! I used quinoa instead of barley.

About the Author

Ellen Boeke headshot

About the Author

Ellen Boeke

Ellen Boeke has more than 25 years of experience as a recipe developer and food editor. She holds Bachelor's of Science degrees in consumer food science and journalism from Iowa State University and attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France. Find her on LinkedIn.
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