A few weeks ago we went out to a Mexican restaurant. I saw a delicious sounding mushroom quesadilla on the menu but of course, when I asked if they could make it without cheese, they said no. What would hold it together?!
So I wanted to make a vegan quesadilla recipe that holds together. Instead of using vegan cheese (against which I have no hard feelings, they taste awesome; I just tend to eat whole foods 99% of the time), I decided to go for sweet potato puree and tofu filling for that cheezy look and texture. And it turned out absolutely delicious!
Some tips:
1. Don't "overfill" your tortilla so that when you press on it, no filling squishes out.
2. If folding your tortilla in half to half-moon shape, make sure it is not cold. Cold tortilla tends to break.
3. Use a flat spatula to press down on the quesadilla and resist the urge to turn it too quickly! Let it get nice and golden brown and crispy.
Sweet potato of course is full of Vitamin A to keep your eyes healthy and your skin repaired and vibrant. Tofu adds protein power, while corn tortilla is gluten free. Use gluten free tamari to make the recipe GF, if you wish. Enjoy!
YIELDS
1-2 servings (as main dish)
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 1/4 cup sweet potato puree
- 1/3 block firm tofu
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 onion, sliced thinly
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/8 tsp ground cumin
- 3/4 tsp soy sauce or wheat free tamari
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- dash cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup fresh chopped leafy greens (collard greens, kale, or spinach)
- 5-6 assorted mushrooms, sliced
- 3-4 corn tortilla, taco sized
- to taste hot sauce
Directions
1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes until translucent.
2. Add mushrooms, garlic, coriander, cumin, cayenne, and salt and cook for another 3 minutes or until mushrooms are just tender.
3. Gentle squeeze water out of the tofu, and then crumble it into the pan. Add leafy greens (I used collards), soy sauce, and hot sauce. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Add sweet potato and nutritional yeast. Stir well to combine for another minute or two. Take off the heat.
5. To assemble, place a tortilla flat on a non stick pan. Add a thin layer of filling to the center and place another tortilla on top. (Alternatively, use one tortilla and fold it in half). Bring the pan to medium-high heat and press down firmly on the quesadilla to get a good browning on the tortilla. After about 3-4 minutes on each side, your quesadilla should be nice and crispy. Serve with guacamole and hot sauce.
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