Lentil Quesadillas: Veggie Quesadilla Recipe

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Lentil Quesadillas are a simple veggie quesadilla recipe perfect for a weeknight meal. Made with just 5 simple ingredients, you can pull it together in 30 minutes or less. Whole wheat tortillas are stuffed with toasted cumin seeds, lentils, corn, and cheese, then topped with fresh pico de gallo. It’s a kid friendly meal your family will love!

This lentil quesadilla recipe makes a perfect meal when you are short on time but still want something nutritious. They are baked in the oven so you can easily make them for a crowd (in bulk!), and are high in protein to keep everyone full and satisfied.

👩🏽‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

• Healthy Dinner
• Kid-Friendly
• Delicious Vegetarian Mexican Recipe
• Perfectly Spiced
• Easy Pantry Ingredients
• Vegan Option (skip cheese)
• Gluten-Free Option (use corn tortillas)

🥘 Ingredients

This recipe uses just 5 ingredients easily found in your pantry or your local grocery store!

You will need: whole wheat tortillas, cumin seeds, corn, pre-cooked lentils (I like the lentils from Trader Joe’s as it saves time), and your favorite shredded cheese blend!

🍽 Equipment

• A Large Skillet
• Set of Prep Bowls
• A high quality Baking Sheet

📖 Variations

There are so many delicious ways to mix up these cheesy quesadillas, but here are some of our favorites!

• Vegan Quesadillas: Either omit the cheese, or use vegan cheese!
• Sweet Potato Lentil Quesadillas: Give these vegetable quesadillas a sweet and savory twist by adding some roasted sweet potatoes into the filling along with the corn and lentils!
• Spicy Cheesy Mexican Lentil Quesadillas: Give these quesadillas a spicy Mexican kick by adding cayenne pepper, chili powder, and your favorite taco seasoning to the corn and to sprinkle over the quesadilla filling before you cook them! You can also swap out the Mexican 4 cheese blend for pepperjack cheese for even more heat!
• Gluten Free Quesadillas: Use a gluten free tortilla or a corn tortilla instead of the wheat tortillas used in this recipe!

🔪 Instructions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast cumin seeds in large, dry skillet over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until fragrant, shaking pan constantly. Transfer to small bowl, and set aside.

Step 2: Toast the corn in the same skillet until golden brown, shaking the pan for about 5 min or until cooked through. Transfer to medium bowl, set aside.

Step 3: Arrange 4 tortillas on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil cooking spray. Sprinkle half of the tortilla with ~2-3 Tbsp grated cheese, and 1/4 tsp toasted cumin seeds. Top with 1/4 cup lentil filling, 1/4 cup corn, and fold tortilla over.

Step 4: Repeat for the remaining tortillas.

Step 5: Put the tortillas in the oven and broil for 5-10 min until the tops are lightly browned and crispy. Put the tortillas in the oven and broil for 5-10 min until the tops are lightly browned and crispy. Serve with Pico de Gallo, avocado, guacamole, Plain Greek Yogurt, or diced green onions on top!

🥗 Are Lentil Quesadillas Healthy?

We often think of quesadillas a not being particularly healthy, but this recipe is a perfectly well-balanced meal! Here’s what gives this dish a nutritious punch:

• Whole Grains: Using sprouted wheat (or whole wheat) tortillas instead of white tortillas increases the fiber and protein in this dish, and reduces the amount of refined carbs.
• Plant Protein: Instead of loading on extra cheese or ground beef, these quesadillas use lentils. Lentils are a plant-protein that are high in fiber, low in calories, and high in folate and magnesium. Folate helps turn carbs into energy, and magnesium has a variety of benefits including heart health and reducing anxiety.
• Baked, not fried: I chose to oven bake these lentil quesadillas, which helps reduce the amount of oil you need to get these quesadillas really crispy.

❓Recipe FAQs

👪 How to Serve

Make this a meatless Monday meal! This recipe pairs well with a simple side salad or a healthy helping of a steamed vegetable of your choice such as broccoli or cauliflower, seasoned with salt & pepper. Top these quesadillas with sour cream, sliced avocado or a spoon of guacamole to really put them over the top! Add in some refried beans to increase the protein!

💭 Expert Tips

• I used frozen corn, but you can also use fresh or canned.
• To save time use cooked lentils. I buy mine from Trader Joe’s. 
• You can use green lentils or brown lentils, but don’t use red lentils as they don’t hold their shape as well, and are better in soups.
• To reduce the overall fat in these quesadillas you can use reduced fat cheese, but you can also just use less of the full fat variety (which is what I’d recommend doing!)
• Use cumin seeds rather than ground cumin. When you toast cumin seeds the oils are released which brings out a beautiful aroma.
• Keep the cumin seeds from burning by constantly shaking the pan. This will also ensure they are toasted evenly.
• Toasting the corn in the same pan as the cumin seeds will give the corn a nice flavor.
• If you don’t have sprouted wheat tortillas you can use whole wheat tortillas, gluten free tortillas, or even corn tortillas!
• Stuff the quesadillas with additional vegetables you have on hand, or sub the corn for another vegetable such as red peppers or zucchini.
• Spray the tortillas with a cooking spray or lightly brush the tortillas with oil to get them nice and crispy.
• Top these quesadillas with slices of avocado for added creaminess and healthy fats.

🌯 More Healthy Quesadilla Recipes!

• Healthy Black Bean Quesadillas
• Vegan Quesadillas
• Poblano, Mango, Avocado and Black Bean Quesadillas
• Black Bean and Pepper Jack Quesadillas
• Fajita Veggie Quesadilla by Kitchen Gidget

📋 Recipe Card