Vegan Protein Quesadillas (gluten-free, oil-free)
Dreaming of a healthier alternative to classic quesadillas? I've got you covered. These vegan protein quesadillas are gluten-free, oil-free, super nutritious - and of course delicious!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Soaking time (lentils): 3 h
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 40 min (+3 h soaking time)
- Yield: 3-4 servings
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 recipe 3-ingredient lentil tortillas
For the filling
- 1 red pepper
- 1 red onion
- 1 can black beans
- 1/2 can corn
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- salt and pepper
For the vegan cheese sauce
- 1/2 cup diced carrots (60 g)
- 3/4 cup coconut milk from a can
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (15 g)
- 2 tbsp tapioca starch*
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- black pepper
Instructions
For the tortillas
- Prepare the tortillas according to the instructions in the recipe. (Keep in mind that the lentils need to be soaked for a few hours.)
For the filling
- Thinly slice the onion and bell pepper.
- Sautée the veggies in a bit of water in a pan for a few minutes until soft. Add the drained beans and corn plus the spices and cook for another few minutes until heated. Put aside.
For the vegan cheese sauce
- Cook the diced carrots in boiling water for about 7-9 min until soft.
- Blend all the ingredients for the sauce together with 3 tbsp of the carrot-cooking water.
- Transfer the sauce to a small pot and bring to a boil.
- On low heat keep stirring the sauce until it becomes thick and stretchy (30-60 sec). Add a few more splashes of water or coconut milk if it becomes too thick. Take the pot off the stove.
- Once you've prepared all the components, assemble the quesadillas by putting some of the filling on one half of the tortilla, followed by a bit of sauce. Fold the tortilla over and cut in half.
- Serve the vegan quesadillas with fresh guacomole, pico de gallo and/ or hot sauce.
Notes
* There is no good substitute for tapioca starch here. Corn starch doesn't make the sauce stretchy, however it may still help to at least thicken the sauce enough to be spread onto the quesadillas.