Having trouble getting in your veggie count for the day? Try stuffing them inside of a cheesy tortilla and watch the numbers dwindle. These are the best Veggie Quesadillas, and they come kicked up thanks to a little Southwest flair and loads of flavor.
Black beans, corn, peppers, and onions are surrounded by a melty layer of Monterey Jack cheese, all perfectly packaged in a toasty flour tortilla and served up in handheld, dippable form!
Quick to assemble and a total cinch to make, this dish makes for an easy, crowd-pleasing party appetizer, a healthy lunch or light Dinner option! Love Mexican food? Bookmark these savory BBQ Pork Quesadillas for next time!
HOW TO MAKE VEGGIE QUESADILLAS
- Cook Peppers and Onions - Sauté bell pepper, onion, and jalapeño on the stovetop until softened and transfer to a bowl.
- Combine Filling Ingredients - Add the cooked veggies, corn, black beans, seasoning, and cheese to the bowl and stir to combine.
- Clean the Pan and Add Oil - Wipe the pan clean, drizzle with a bit of oil.
- Assemble and Cook the Quesadillas - Add a single tortilla to the pan, scatter about 1 cup of filling over half of it and let it sit for about 1 minute, just until the cheese has melted. Then, fold over the tortilla and allow it to cook for about 1 minute more. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- Cut and Serve - Cut the Veggie Quesadillas into halves or quarters, add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
The filling for these Veggie Quesadillas is a vibrant (yet savory) mix color and flavors. But, the best part? You'll find it quick and easy to whip up!
Monterey Jack is forever our numero uno when it comes to lending an extra melty, cheesy vibe to Mexican food. And, of course, the whole shebang could not be complete without a toasty flour tortilla to hold it all together!
In addition to this, we'll also talk possible veggie substitutions (or additions) and topping ideas for your Veggie Quesadillas!
If you are more of a meat-kind-of-protein family, we have steak quesadillas on our dinner rotation a lot. It's one of our faves!
THE VEGGIE-BLACK BEAN MIX
The filling is a flavorful and hearty mix of black beans, canned corn, red bell pepper, jalapeños, and red onion. Note, the bell pepper, jalapeño, and onion will need to be chopped and pre-cooked before going into the filling.
TIP: Make sure you take the extra time to rinse the black beans. Canned black beans will have a gritty texture on the exterior if not taken care of.
THE CHEESE
The most popular cheese for filling quesadillas is Monterey Jack. This is because it is a great melting cheese that is mild enough to allow other flavors to shine!
Freshly grated cheese is always best, but if you are in a pinch for time, you could use a good quality pre-shredded cheese. If you can't find a bag of Monterey Jack, feel free to sub in a Mexican cheese blend.
THE SPICES
You won't need much in the way of spices for these Veggie Quesadillas. Just a simple mix of Kosher salt, ground cumin, and garlic powder is all you need.
TORTILLAS
Typically, quesadillas are made with flour tortillas. These days, you'll find flour tortillas in a wide variety of sizes -- standard-sized flour tortillas (sometimes labeled fajita grande) is what you're looking for.
OTHER VEGGIES YOU COULD USE!
There are a ton of vegetable combinations you could use as the filling for your Veggie Quesadillas (Fajita Veggies, anyone?), and you should feel free to change up the recipe to fit your personal preferences.
Whichever vegetables you decide to add, you'll want to be sure they are the right size for your filling -- no more than a ½" in thickness -- to avoid a bulky filling that can't stay together.
- Diced Avocado
- Yellow Squash
- Zucchini
- Spinach
- Mushrooms
- Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Olives
Squash, spinach, and mushrooms are all vegetables with a rather high water content. To avoid a soggy filling, you'll need to make sure you have removed as much of that water as possible during the cooking process before you add them to your quesadilla filling.
As for potatoes and sweet potatoes, those will also need to be fully cooked in advance before they are added to the filling.
TOPPING IDEAS
The fun combos don't stop there! You can easily take your Veggie Quesadillas to the next level with a few bonus toppings on the side! Below are some ideas for how to spruce them up:
- Guacamole
- Pico de Gallo
- Chopped Cilantro
- Shredded Lettuce
- Salsa
HOW TO STORE THEM
Veggie Quesadillas are good in the refrigerator stored in an airtight container for about 3 days. If you’d like to extend the shelf life, you can freeze them!
CAN YOU FREEZE QUESADILLAS?
You can keep quesadillas in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze them, transfer them to an airtight, freezer-safe container, separated by sheets of wax paper to prevent them from sticking and developing freezer burn. It’s best if there is not too much headspace from the quesadillas to the lid.
You can also wrap them in wax paper and place them in a freezer-safe, zip-top gallon-sized bag.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH VEGGIE QUESADILLAS
If you're looking to round out the meal with a little extra sustenance, you can't go wrong with Spanish Rice, Charro Beans, or a hearty avocado dip. Smoky Sweet Potato Wedges would also pair nicely with the flavor profile of these Veggie Quesadillas!
Easy Spanish Rice Recipe
Refried Bean Dip with Cream Cheese
Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
Sweet Potato Wedges Recipe
Charro Beans
5 MORE HEALTHY MEXICAN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Fajita Salad
- Tacos De Camaron
- Healthy Taco Salad
- Chicken Taco Casserole
- Chicken Quesadillas from Lil Luna
Veggie Quesadilla
Ingredients
- Up to 4 tablespoons avocado or canola oil, separated
- ½ cup red bell pepper, diced (about ½ a pepper)
- ½ cup diced jalapeño, seeds removed (about 2 jalapeños)
- ¼ cup diced red onion (about a ¼ of an onion)
- 1 cup drained and rinsed canned black beans
- ⅔ cup canned corn, drained
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 6 flour tortillas
- Diced avocado, sour cream, and pico de gallo for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a sauté pan over medium-high heat and allow it to come to temperature. Add the bell pepper, diced jalapeño, and onion and cook for 4-6 minutes, until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer the veggie mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl and add the black beans, corn, salt, cumin, and garlic powder. Stir to combine. Add the cheese and stir to combine once more.
- Wipe the pan clean and place over medium-low heat. Add a light drizzle of oil to the pan and allow to come to temperature.
- Carefully, place 1 flour tortilla on the pan and scatter about 1 cup of filling to only one half of the tortilla. Once the cheese starts to melt (about 1 minute), use a spatula to fold the bare side over the side with the veggie mixture. Hold the quesadilla down with your spatula until the filling has melded together, about 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
- Repeat with the remaining tortillas, adding an additional light drizzle of oil to the pan as needed. Cut in halves or quarters, serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
priya says
such a lovely recipe 🙂