Veggie Quesadilla Recipe (Healthy, Easy)
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This easy, healthy veggie quesadilla recipe is packed with gooey cheese, black beans, and crunchy veggies. Done in less than 30 minutes they make a great weeknight meal!
Quesadillas are one of those meals that just about everyone likes: warm, crispy tortillas, melted cheese, and an assortment of toppings makes this recipe a comfort food favorite.
And these veggie quesadillas are the best!
Latest Recipe Video!
With just a few simple swaps, I was able to transform this classic Mexican dish into a vegetarian friendly, healthy quesadilla, with all of the flavor of the traditional recipe!
The best part: This family friendly meal is ready in under 30 minutes and is super kid-friendly too!! It’s a great option for a quick dinner on busy weeknights. I guarantee everyone is going to love this veggie quesadilla recipe!
👩🏻🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Melty cheese
- Crispy and hearty
- Super satisfying
- Easy to make
- Ready in less than 30 minutes
- Quick cleanup
- Family friendly!
🥘 Ingredients
This recipe calls for a few simple ingredients easily found at your grocery store. See detailed instructions and amounts in the recipe card below!
Whole Wheat or Sprouted Wheat Tortillas: For extra whole grains and fiber. Healthier than plain flour tortillas but works just as well!
Cheese: Use your favorite cheese! I like to use a Mexican cheese blend in this veggie quesadilla recipe – but any cheese that melts well would work. Cheddar cheese, monterey jack, or even oaxaca cheese would be great.
Black Beans: You can use refried or whole black beans (or a mix!) I used a mix of both in this recipe. You can also use pinto beans if you don’t have black beans.
Taco Seasoning: To give the black beans tons of flavor! If you don’t have taco seasoning, a mix of chili powder, garlic powder, and ground cumin would also work.
Veggies: This quesadilla filling is a great way to use up any veggies you have in your fridge! I used tomatoes, bell pepper, corn, and red onion, but you can use a mix of your favorite veggies! Baby spinach would be great to add for some extra greens and shredded red cabbage would add a nice crunch. If you like roasted veggies, roasted butternut squash, zucchini, yellow squash, or sweet potatoes would also work well here.
Toppings: I used salsa and guacamole! See below for more topping ideas for these healthy quesadillas.
🍽 Equipment
🔪 Instructions
Cook Beans: In a medium skillet, heat black beans over the stove on medium heat. Add taco seasoning to taste and stir until combined.
Warm Tortillas: Heat a large skillet or nonstick pan over medium to medium-low heat, spray with olive oil cooking spray. Add tortilla to the pan.
Assemble quesadillas: On half of the tortilla, add one layer of beans, one layer of cheese (1/8 cup), a layer of the vegetable mixture, and another layer of cheese (remaining 1/8 cup).
Cook Quesadillas: Grill your vegetable quesadilla in the pan until both sides are golden brown and crispy and the cheese has melted. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into quarters. Top with salsa, guacamole, and any other toppings you like!
❓Recipe FAQs
Typically, not really. Traditional quesadillas don’t have any fiber, use too much oil and lots of cheese causing them to be high in fat. They also rarely include veggies.
But this veggie quesadilla recipe is super healthy! By swapping out some of the traditional ingredients I increased the fiber and nutrients, while decreasing the fat and calories.
More Fiber: Using a sprouted wheat tortilla instead of a white tortilla added fiber while keeping the great taste.
Added Plant Protein: Adding black beans instead of just cheese added more fiber and protein to this recipe.
Higher in Nutrients: Including a mix of different vegetables increased the nutrient content of this dish.
Reduced Fat and Calories: Decreasing the amount of cheese and oil reduces the overall fat and calories without losing any flavor!
This recipe is family friendly and super kid-friendly too. These quick quesadillas are a tasty way to get kids to eat more veggies and is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser for even the most die-hard quesadilla fans.
📖 Variations
Gluten Free Quesadilla: Swap out the sprouted whole wheat tortilla for gluten free tortilla. All the other ingredients in this recipe are naturally gluten free.
Vegan Quesadilla: To make these veggie quesadillas vegan friendly, either eliminate the cheese or use a vegan cheese.
🧊 How To Store
Let your quesadillas cool, slice them into quarters, then transfer to an airtight container. They will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place in the microwave and warm through, or warm a skillet over medium heat and heat on both sides until completely warm.
👪 Serving Suggestions
These healthy quesadillas go well with other Mexican dishes, or are delicious all on their own with just a few toppings!
Toppings: Your favorite salsa or pico de gallo or hot sauce, guacamole, green onion, fresh cilantro, a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, or jalapeño peppers make this delicious quesadilla even more tasty.
Dishes To Serve With: Try serving with this taco soup, gazpacho, or with this southwestern quinoa salad!
💭 Expert Tips
- Use sprouted wheat tortillas, whole wheat tortillas or even corn tortillas instead of white flour tortillas.
- Prep your fillings ahead of time for easy assembly.
- Don’t over stuff your quesadilla. A quesadilla is better when you keep it on the lighter side. If you want some additional veggies, serve with a side salad or some sauteed fresh veggies on the side.
- Tortillas burn easily, so you want to fry your quesadillas on medium heat. It takes about a minute to a minute and a half to get each side crispy and golden–and your cheese will be perfectly melted, too.
🍲 More Mexican and Vegetarian Quesadilla Recipes!
- Black Bean Quesadillas
- Avocado Quesadillas
- Cheese Quesadilla for Kids
- Vegetarian Quesadillas with Lentils
- 30 Vegetarian Mexican Recipes
If you have tried this veggie quesadilla recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!
📋 Recipe
Veggie Quesadilla Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Sprouted Wheat Tortillas (1 per quesadilla)
- 1 cup Mexican shredded cheese blend (1/4 cup per quesadilla)
- 1 cup Refried or whole black beans (1/4 cup per quesadilla)
- 1 tsp Taco Seasoning (more to taste)
- 3 roma tomatoes diced
- ½ red onion diced
- ½ cup corn
- 1 red/orange/yellow bell pepper diced
- 8 tbsp Salsa (2 tbsp per quesadilla)
- 4 tbsp Guacamole (1 tbsp per quesadilla)
Instructions
- Heat beans over the stove on medium heat. Add taco seasoning to taste and stir until combined
- Heat a large pan over medium to medium-low heat, spray with olive oil cooking spray. Add tortilla to pan.
- Assemble quesadillas: One layer of beans, one layer of cheese (1/8 cup), a layer of onions corn, & peppers, and another layer of cheese (remaining 1/8 cup).
- Grill the quesadillas in the pan until both sides are browned and crispy and the cheese has melted. About 1-2 minutes on each side. Top with diced tomatoes, 1 Tbsp guac and 2 Tbsp salsa.
Notes
- Use sprouted wheat tortillas, whole wheat tortillas or even corn tortillas instead of white flour tortillas.
- Prep your fillings ahead of time for easy assembly.
- Don’t over stuff your quesadilla. A quesadilla is better when you keep it on the lighter side. If you want some additional veggies, serve with a side salad or some sauteed fresh veggies on the side.
- Tortillas burn easily, so you want to fry your quesadillas on medium heat. It takes about a minute to a minute and a half to get each side crispy and golden–and your cheese will be perfectly melted, too.
- To make this gluten free, just use a gluten free tortilla. To make this vegan, omit the cheese or use vegan cheese.
