These vegetarian quesadillas are super quick and easy to make. Use whatever vegetables and cheese you have on hand for a delicious, (relatively) healthy meal.
It’s been a while since I last posted. We’ve been sick, more or less, since December. It’s been tough.
I’m still sick so here’s something really quickly before I crawl back to bed.
This is one of those quick meals that are perfect for busy weeknights. You can make refried beans in advance, freeze the leftovers, then just grab some tortillas, veggies and cheese to whip up these veggie quesadillas.
These Vegan Tortillas are my very favorite. They don’t even use any unusual ingredients! They simply use oil instead of lard.
Use whatever vegetables you like! This is just what we had the other day.
The options are really endless: mushrooms, hot peppers, olives, celery, broccoli, zucchini. Almost any kind of veggies works as long as they’re chopped fairly small.
These vegetarian quesadillas are easy to make whole wheat, gluten-free or even grain-free. I wouldn’t recommend omitting the cheese for a vegan version, though.
The cheese helps hold everything together. Plus it makes these quesadillas way more delicious. 😉
For protein + extra flavor, I used refried beans but you can omit that and add more cheese. And if you don’t need these to be vegetarian, some leftover roasted chicken is great in these quesadillas.
For more Mexican-inspired recipes, try my Spicy Jalapeno Cabbage Salsa or Tex-Mex Corn Fritters! And if you’re celebrating Cinco de Mayo, or you’re just in the need for a refreshing drink, try this Prickly Pear Margarita.
And if you’d like something authentic, check out this great Albondigas Soup. It looks incredible!
If you try these quesadillas, I’d love to hear how they come out. Just leave a comment below. 🙂 Thank you!
Vegetarian Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 2 tortillas (gluten-free, whole wheat, whatever kind you want)
- 1/2 large carrot grated or chopped finely
- 1 small bell pepper or half a large one, your choice of color, finely chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped onion or 1-2 green onion green and white parts chopped for a milder option
- 1 large handful spinach chopped
- 1/3 cup refried beans
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup grated cheese cheddar or mozzarella or your favorite kind
- 1/2 teaspoon butter for cooking
Instructions
- Start by heating a pan over medium heat. Spread one tortilla with the refried, then sprinkle lightly with cheese. Sprinkle evenly with all the different veggies. Again sprinkle with cheese, just enough to hold it all together then top with the other tortilla.
- Add 1/2 tsp or so of butter to the hot pan and then put the quesadilla in and cook like a grilled cheese sandwich. Turn the heat down slightly so the ingredients in the middle have a chance to soften before the outside is crispy.
- When the bottom tortilla is golden very carefully flip the quesadilla over to the other side and continue to cook just until the other side is golden.
- Remove from the pan and let cool 3-5 minutes before slicing into quarters or sixths. Serve along side salsa, sour cream or burrito sauce.
Post updated 3/2020. Here’s an old photo:
Comments & Reviews
Stacey Crawford says
Wow, these look delicious. Saving the recipe for Meatless Monday!
ChihYu says
I love a good quesadilla! These are so delicious and full of flavor!
Charlotte Moore says
I have never eaten a quesadilla. I make tacos with the soft shells but never a true quesadilla.
Lynn says
These quesidilla’s are fantastic! Thank you for the recipie, I have always for some reason thought these would take a lot to make, but they are very easy! Thanks so much Heidi!
Kate says
These look PERFECT for the Super Bowl!
Gosia says
Oh My! Heidi, these quesadillas are absolutely fantastic. I’m right there with your son – fill them up with “anything” and I’ll eat them. Yours are finger-licking good-looking.
I totally relate to your second hand store quirk. I, too, cannot pass a cute little dish for the pictures to take with. It’s an addiction, my friend, harmless enough, if you have enough storage in your home.
The summer has arrived to the Lower Mainland, but is visiting only shortly, for two days apparently, then it’s back to the regular gloom.
Thanks for the words of encouragement, I appreciated them very much. Soon enough I’ll be in Phoenix, and will have plenty of home-made quesadillas myself with tonnes of sunshine to boot.
Where in the BC southern interior are you? I’m in Surrey, BC.
Hugs.
Gosia
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
Thank you! I agree, and I do love buying dishes but I’m running out of room already! I think I’ll have to find more room because I don’t think I can stop and eventually, buying one at a time, they’ll pile up!
I think our weather is going to be the same. We’ve had a couple very hot days now and after today I think we’re back to rain and thunderstorms which is so weird for this time of year. I hope my garden will keep growing even though it’s been slow so far.
I guess we’re actually more in the south eastern part of BC in a small town called Creston, it’s an hour west of Cranbrook. I actually grew up just across the bridge from Surrey in Coquitlam 🙂
Thank you for stopping by!
madge @ vegetariancasserolequeen says
Your quesadillas have inspired me to make some, as well!
Thrift stores are the best, aren’t they? Hmmm, better adding that to my to do list…
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
Awesome!
They really are! You never know what you’re going to find 😀
chinmayie @ love food eat says
These look great! I have also been making a lot of quesadillas lately. In India we make these whole wheat flat breads called ‘chapatti’ which is what i use! i always have some dough int he refrigerator and can make a few chappatis in minutes!
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
I never knew I could keep the dough in the fridge to use at any time. I’ll have to try that out, thank you!
Ari@ThE DiVa DiSh says
This is such a great staple meal to have when short on time. You can throw about anything into quesadillas 🙂 Yum!!
Lauren at Keep It Sweet says
These look delicious, I never think to add that variety of veggies to quesadillas when I make them. Yay for good buys at the second hand store!
Ashley @ The Drunk Squash says
Man, this makes me want to challenge myself to up my quesadilla game! Usually I’m a lazy “cheese and tortilla” gal, but these veggie quesadillas seem like the way to go. And so great that your son is into them too.
Oh and that thrift store sounds amazing. I’m unfortunately in a city with a lot of hipsters so all of our thrift stores are sooooo overpriced and picked over. I have to drive into the suburbs to get the good deals!
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
Go for it! You really can put anything in them. But no worries, sometimes we just go for the plain cheese and tortilla kind too 😀
I know what you mean! Some stores just have crazy prices, especially for used stuff. Antiques I can see, but just used stuff, not so much.
Maria @ Scandifoodie says
Yum, these look so tasty!
Bonny says
Heidi, you ARE a “totally awesome” Mom! And who cares if you don’t get 100% of that chores list done today, there is always tomorrow! Oh and if your hubby can’t get the transformer figured out, tell my nephew he has to bug his “Uncle O” to show him how its done… out of the boys in our family, my hubby was the transformer nut.
That Quesadilla looks fabulous! I’m going to have to try to make some homemade tortillas to make this with though, because store bought ones are gross.
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
Aw thanks, haha. Yep there’s always tomorrow. Quite a few things got bumped till tomorrow, but at least I got all the important things done.
Haha, I quickly figured out that they weren’t Evans’ thing. I got it more figured out than he did. Oh well, at least it’s fun just as a car for now. Maybe in 5 years Verne will be able to do it himself, LOL.
I know what you mean 🙁 It’s impossible to find good ones. If you have a hard time with the tortillas you can always come over sometime and I can help 😀
Bonny says
Ok, I will most likely take you up on the help factor. I think I’m going to try to make them tonight, but if I totally screw it up, I know there are other things to eat in the house… and then I can know where I actually need the help!
Next time there is a family dinner, bring his transformer and Olin says that he will help Verne figure it out… Evan just destroyed Olin’s transformers as a child lol.
Maryea {Happy Healthy Mama} says
You really can’t go wrong with vegetable-filled quesadillas. These look especially delicious with your homemade tortillas!