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Vegan Pastel Azteca

Name: Vegan Pastel Azteca
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 12 Corn tortillas; 400 g Black beans; 3 Roasted poblano chilli strips; 150 g Vegan cheese; 200 ml Cashew cream; 1 White onion; 3 cloves Garlic; 2 tbsp Vegetable oil; Salt; 500 ml Salsa verde

50 min (20 prep + 30 cook) Medium 6 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 30 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Vegan Mexican tortilla lasagne with black beans and salsa verde.

About this recipe

A Mexican layered casserole with corn tortillas, black beans, salsa verde, roasted chilli strips and cashew-based vegan cheese. A comforting, deeply flavourful plant-based dish.

History & Origin

Pastel Azteca is one of those dishes many Mexicans remember fondly from childhood. Despite its grand name, it is a humble, home-style preparation passed down through generations across Mexico. Its layered structure — tortillas, sauce, filling and cheese — resembles a lasagne, but made entirely with Mexican ingredients. The dish is thought to have its roots in the colonial era, when families began combining European cooking techniques with native ingredients such as maize, chillies and black beans. The salsa verde, made from tomatillos and chilli, gives it the distinctive character of central Mexican cuisine. In this vegan version, traditional cheese is replaced with homemade cashew cream that melts slightly in the oven, and soured cream gives way to a plant-based alternative. The roasted poblano chilli strips add a smoky, spicy note that makes this dish unmistakably Mexican. The result is a juicy, flavoursome casserole full of layered textures that satisfies completely. Perfect for sharing with family or bringing to a gathering, this vegan Pastel Azteca proves that Mexican cuisine can be fully plant-based without losing a single gram of flavour or cultural identity.

Estimated cost

£8.00

Total cost

£1.33

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

320

Calories

12g

Protein

45g

Carbohydrates

11g

Fat

Fibre

480mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Preheat the oven to 180C. In a frying pan with oil, soften the onion and garlic until translucent, about 4 minutes.
💡 Use a heavy-bottomed pan for even sweating.
2
Add the black beans to the pan and season with salt. Mix well and cook for 3 more minutes until you have a smooth but textured paste.
3
In the same cleaned pan, warm the salsa verde with a little oil. Season and set aside.
💡 If using jarred salsa verde, heat it with a pinch of garlic powder for extra depth.
4
In a greased baking dish, lay down a layer of tortillas, then a layer of beans, roasted chilli strips, cashew cream and vegan cheese. Pour salsa verde over the top.
5
Repeat the layers until all the ingredients are used. The final layer should finish with salsa verde and vegan cheese on top.
6
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 10 minutes to brown the surface.
💡 The casserole should be beautifully juicy inside and lightly golden on top.
7
Leave to rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve with extra cashew cream or salsa verde on the side.