This colorful and fun dairy-free entree is a favorite of mine, prepared with my vegan pesto that takes mere moments to prepare. If I am feeling extra-ambitious, I like to also prepare my Dairy-Free Sour Cream and guacamole for a little extra flavor and flair. Be sure that whatever chunky salsa you decide to use is not too runny, as this will make your quesadilla soggy. To prevent this, I like to use a fork when transferring the salsa to the quesadillas to allow any excess liquid to drain from the tomatoes.
Makes 8-10 quesdaillas
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 t. cardamom
- 1 15-oz can sweet potato puree
- 1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ t. salt, plus more to taste
- 8-10 large dairy-free tortillas (I prefer whole-wheat varieties)
- 1 Recipe Vegan Pesto (see head note)
- About ½ cup chunky salsa
1. Preheat the oven to 250 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil, adding the onion and garlic once hot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are fragrant and tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the cardamom and cook for 1 minute more. Remove the onion mixture from the heat and transfer to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir in the sweet potato puree, black beans, cilantro and salt.
3. Transfer the sweet potato mixture to the skillet, and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is warmed through. Transfer the mixture back to the mixing bowl and cover to keep warm while preparing the tortillas.
4. Fold each of the tortillas in half to make a crease down the middle, then open back up so that the tortilla is in front of you like and open book. Spread about 2-3 T. of the vegan pesto on one of the sides of the “book,” followed by some of the sweet potato mixture, followed by about 2 T. of the salsa. Fold the dry side of the tortilla over the sweet potato side, pressing slightly to close.
5. Lightly oil a griddle or heavy bottomed skillet, and heat over high heat. Cook each quesadilla, flipping to cook both sides, until the tortillas are golden brown and slightly crisp. Transfer the quesadillas to the prepared baking sheet and into the oven to stay warm while you finish the remaining quesadillas. Serve hot.
