Description
Delicious and nutritious Black Bean Quesadillas featuring a creamy cashew queso dip, seasoned black beans, and fresh vegetables for a hearty vegan meal perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Cashew Queso Dip
- 1/3 cup cashews
- 2 tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2/3 cup soy milk
Quesadilla Filling
- 1 tsp olive oil (or 1 tbsp water for frying)
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and diced
- 1.5 cups cooked black beans (1 can, rinsed and drained)
- ½ cup frozen corn
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 pinch sea salt flakes
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 4 large whole grain tortillas
Instructions
- Prepare Cashew Queso Dip: Soak the cashews in boiling water for 30 minutes to soften them. Drain thoroughly then add to a small blender along with the chipotle in adobo sauce, nutritional yeast, and soy milk. Blend until completely smooth and creamy to create the cashew queso dip.
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the finely diced red onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.
- Add Bell Pepper and Spices: Add the diced red bell pepper to the pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Then add ground cumin, sweet paprika, ground coriander, dried oregano, a pinch of sea salt, frozen corn, and cooked black beans. Stir to combine and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes to heat through and let the spices blend.
- Assemble Quesadillas: Lay out a whole grain tortilla and spread a generous amount of the cashew queso dip on half of the tortilla. Spoon an even layer of the black bean and vegetable mixture over the queso, then top with fresh baby spinach. Fold the tortilla over to enclose the filling.
- Cook Quesadillas: Heat a clean pan over medium to low heat. Place the folded quesadilla in the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottom is golden and crispy. Carefully flip and cook the other side until golden as well. Optionally brush with olive oil to enhance crispiness.
- Serve: Repeat the assembly and cooking process with the remaining tortillas and filling. Serve the quesadillas warm with your favorite toppings like salsa, guacamole, or vegan sour cream.
Notes
- Soaking cashews in boiling water softens them for a smoother queso dip consistency.
- You can substitute soy milk with any other plant-based milk like oat or almond milk.
- Using whole grain tortillas adds fiber and nutrients but feel free to use your preferred variety.
- Adjust chipotle in adobo sauce quantity to suit your preferred spice level.
- To keep the quesadillas vegan, omit any cheese or sour cream toppings.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (including soaking time)
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Sautéing and pan-frying
- Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 quesadilla
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: Black Bean Quesadillas, vegan quesadillas, cashew queso dip, plant-based recipe, Mexican-inspired vegan meal, healthy dinner, vegetarian tacos
