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vegan quesadillas stacked
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4.92 stars (35 ratings)

Cheesy Vegan Quesadillas with Black Beans and Vegetables

Ooey, gooey, Mexican cheese made in the food processor with whole, plant foods in minutes! Add black beans, zucchini, squash, tomatoes and mushrooms for the BEST Cheesy Vegan Quesadillas you'll ever eat.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 403kcal
Author: Nora Taylor

Ingredients

Mexican Cheese

  • 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons mild salsa

The rest

  • 1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 small zucchini, chopped small
  • 1 small yellow summer squash, chopped small
  • 2 small tomatoes, chopped small
  • 3 mushrooms, chopped small or sliced
  • 8 tortillas (8-10 inch size), whole grain, gluten free or white if preferred*
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mexican Cheese

  • In a food processor, add the cashews and process for 3-4 minutes until they start to get buttery. This will take 3-4 minutes, so be patient! (see photos above for reference)
  • Add in the nutritional yeast, spices, salt and salsa, and process again until smooth and creamy. If it seems too dry, add a little more salsa. Set aside.

Assemble and Cook the Quesadillas

  • Heat up a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly spray with oil, or put a little vegan butter in the pan and spread it around. (May omit both for oil free)
  • Spread some of the Mexican cheese (about 1/3 cup) on a tortilla, and sprinkle with desired amounts of black beans and vegetables. Add another tortilla on top and pat it down.
  • Carefully place the quesadilla in the pan, and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Very carefully flip it over and cook on the other side until nice and golden. Remove from skillet and cut into quarters. Repeat these steps with remaining tortillas and ingredients.
  • Serve warm with more salsa and/or vegan sour cream.

Notes

  1. For oil free tortillas, Whole Foods carries the Engine 2 brand that are oil free. Ezekial also has sprouted tortillas that are quite good and oil free. 
  2. Feel free to be creative with the vegetables! Use what you have on hand. Other good options would be corn and spinach.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 684mg | Potassium: 866mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 644IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 5mg