I’ve been sharing a lot of recipes with cheese analogues the past couple of months and I thought I’d switch it up this time. I’ve made great vegan quesadillas over the years using various cheese substitutes, but how about a plant-based quesadilla that doesn’t rely on anything cheezy at all?
Consequently, the vegan quesadillas that I have for you today are of the avocado variety. Instead of making an extra component of cashew mozzarella or the like to hold the tortilla together, mashed up seasoned avocado and refried beans do that job for us today.
This no cheese version doesn’t taste the exact same as a non vegan quesadilla, but does it need to? With delicious fajita-seasoned stir-fried vegetables and creamy avocado, I certainly don’t miss the other stuff.
Browsing the other offerings for vegan quesadillas on the internet I see a whole list of interesting fillings standing in for the cheese:
Hummus – this sounds rather delicious, but distinctly Mediterranean tasting. Have any of you tried it?
Mashed sweet potato – surely tasty. I know from my sweet potato tortilla soup that this can be a great flavor combo.
Beans blended up with tomato paste and nutritional yeast – I’m very intrigued by this version and will report back here when I’ve given it a try!
Daiya – I’m sure you already know how this makes me feel.
Clearly there are a lot of fun variations possible but you can’t go wrong with everyday-tasty smashed avocado, refried black beans or pinto beans, and veggies in your basic vegan quesadillas. I kind of think of it as avocado toast in tortilla form, which means you know it’s gonna be good. Enjoy!
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5 from 6 votes
Smashed Avocado Vegan Quesadillas
Your basic vegan quesadillas made with everyday ingredients: refried beans, mashed avocado, and stir-fried vegetables.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-heat high. Get the spice mix ready by adding all of the spices to a small bowl. Once the oil is hot, add the bell pepper, zucchini, and red onion.
Cook the vegetables over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until nicely browned and softened, about 5 minutes. Add the spices and cook for 1 minute more, or until fragrant; remove from the heat and set aside.
Stir the lime juice into the mashed avocado. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Fill your vegan quesadillas. Take a tortilla and lay it flat. Onto one half of it, spread about one sixth of the refried beans, then avocado, and vegetables, and chopped fresh cilantro if desired. Fold the tortilla in half to close it. Repeat until all of the tortillas are filled.
Clean out your skillet and heat it over medium heat. Lightly oil it and then add a folded vegan quesadilla to the pan. (Cook 2 at a time if you have enough space). Cook until lightly browned and crisped, then flip over and repeat on the other side; about 3-4 minutes per side. Repeat until all of the quesadillas are cooked. Serve with salsa of choice!
Notes
Nutrition will vary depending on the refried beans and tortillas used.
These quesadillas are made with hummus instead of cheese, and they are absolutely delicious! Hummus quesadillas are a healthy dairy-free and vegan meal. Recipe below makes one folded/half-moon quesadilla; multiply as necessary.
You need to have cheese on both ends of the tortilla so it glues the ingredients together. Just like a stuffed grilled cheese! Not to mention, it's quesadilla math. The quesadilla I'm sharing below uses my turkey taco meat and I add beans, salsa, my quick pico and cheddar and monterey jack.
Interestingly, Anais points out that a quesadilla without cheese in Oaxaca is called an 'empanada', which could be a surprise for people used to baked or fried hand pies with filling.
Sometimes the best cheese for quesadillas is whatever you have in the fridge when the craving strikes. Cheddar and Monterey Jack are standards of American-style quesadillas. But if you are planning ahead, consider that freshly grated cheese such as cheddar or Monterey Jack makes the meltiest quesadillas.
The best cheese for quesadillas is any cheese that melts well. Oaxaca cheese, Chihuahua cheese, cheddar, Monterey Jack, and mozzarella cheese are all great options. Avoid pre-shredded cheese for quesadillas. Freshly grated cheese will melt better and create a gooier filling!
To achieve this, simply dampen the edges of the tortilla with a bit of water before folding it. Remove from the pan and firmly press the edges together to create a tightly sealed quesadilla. How long do you wait to flip a quesadilla? Keep an eye on your cheese, other ingredients, and the bottom of the tortilla.
Southwestern: Fill your quesadilla with black beans, chopped onions, peppers, tomatoes, corn, cilantro and pepper jack cheese. Sprinkle with your favorite spices, like garlic powder, chili powder, cumin or red pepper flakes, and top with a spoonful of Greek yogurt or sour cream.
I opt for butter over oil whenever possible, but this is one case where oil is better: Butter contains water, which means that your quesadillas will turn out damp and floppy. Oil is pure fat, so it browns tortillas impeccably, resulting in pleasantly crispy spots on the outside of your quesadilla.
To millions in Mexico City, a quesadilla without cheese makes total sense. As cook Marta Martínez explains, her customers like their quesadillas filled with all kinds of ingredients: squash blossoms, mushrooms, sliced peppers — cheese is often an afterthought.
Once it's hot, lay in a tortilla and sprinkle with two tablespoons of the cheese mix, making sure you leave a decent border all around the edge. When the cheese begins to melt, add a few slices of chilli and a pinch of epazote (or oregano), and fold over the tortilla, pressing it down to help seal it.
Mexican melting cheeses like queso Oaxaca (quesillo), Chihuahua, Asadero, and Quesadilla are the best Mexican cheese for quesadillas. If you can't find any in a store near you, I recommend using Monterey Jack.
It's not soft, it's not a taco. Roasted Chile Poblano Quesadilla requires medium heat on a comal to turn the exterior crispy. The quesadilla is crispy on the outside without being hard, and it's moist on the inside, the melted cheese providing a contrast. You need really good melting cheese and good tortillas.
— is to use only a little bit of butter or oil in the pan when cooking the quesadillas. Too much and I find the tortilla ends up soggy and greasy instead of crispy. Just a half teaspoon or so to coat the bottom of the pan ensures a crispy tortilla with golden-brown spots.
Place one tortilla flat on the frying pan. Cook for 1 minute, then flip the tortilla over. Sprinkle a little more than 1/4 cup cheese on top of tortilla, followed by some olives, avocado, and hot pepper sauce. Place another tortilla on top to make a sandwich; cover with a lid.
To get a folded-in-half tortilla to stick together without cheese, try eggs. Put the open tortilla in the pan, then pour a thin layer of beaten eggs on top. Cook slowly until the eggs start to solidify but are still wet on top. Then fold the tortilla in half.
She says customers have their own preference, but it's totally normal to order a quesadilla without cheese. Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. A few years back, a meme circulated online that attempted to justify this cheeseless quesadilla with an etymology lesson.
Introduction: My name is Aron Pacocha, I am a happy, tasty, innocent, proud, talented, courageous, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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