Confession: I love cheese almost as much as I love vegetables. And when the two come together, it’s typically a perfect pairing. These vegetarian fajita quesadillas certainly hit the spot!
As much as I love cheese and vegetables, I almost never order a quesadilla when I go out for food, whether a Mexican restaurant or your hole in the wall taqueria. Why? The cheese ratio. Brace yourselves, fellow cheese lovers. It’s too much cheese.
Shocking. I know. How can there be too much cheese in a quesadilla? Well, when I can’t taste anything beside the cheese, and I feel like I’ve got a greasy mess on my hands. Not a great combo. At. All.
So, these vegetarian fajita quesadillas have a cheese to vegetable ratio that’s probably similar to my pasta and vegetable ratio. There’s plenty of cheese for that gooey, stringy melt, which is absolutely necessary for a good quesadilla. But you’ll taste all the vegetal goodness inside too! Because there are a ton of beautiful, delicious vegetables stuffed in between those tortillas.
As we’re at the height of summer, I filled my fajita quesadillas with poblano peppers, sweet corn and zucchini. I’m swimming in these ingredients at the farmers markets. Every vendor has them! I also tossed in some black beans for hearty leguminous protein so these quesadillas will certainly fill you up for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. (Yes, I have quesadillas for breakfast. Why not?) You could also cut them smaller and serve them as an appetizer or snack!
I wanted to recreate that piping hot seared fajita goodness so I charred the poblanos before adding the other ingredients and seasoned everything with some cumin and smoked paprika. The smoked paprika is really excellent here, adding the smokiness and a bit of heat. If you’re looking for even spicier filling, add tablespoon of minced jalapeno or a splash of your favorite hot sauce like Cholula or Tapatio.
These vegetarian fajita quesadillas are perfect for a fast, weeknight dinner. Each quesadilla is pretty hearty, so you’ll have enough in this recipe for 4 to 6 servings. I like to serve these fajita quesadillas with a my zucchini relish or a fresh pico de gallo!
Vegetarian Fajita Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 poblano peppers, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 zucchini, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 ear corn kernels, removed (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 12 ounces shredded pepper jack or monterey jack cheese
- 8 10- inch tortillas
- Zucchini relish, for serving
Instructions
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Heat olive oil on medium high heat. Add diced poblano peppers and a pinch of salt. Stir well then let peppers cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred.
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When peppers are cooked, add garlic, zucchini, corn, and black beans. Sprinkle in cumin and smoked paprika. Stir ingredients well until lightly cooked but still crisp.
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When vegetables are cooked, remove from heat, transfer into a large bowl, and set aside and let cool.
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Mix shredded cheese into bowl with vegetables.
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To assemble quesadillas, lay one tortilla flat on cutting board. Spoon cheese and vegetable mixture onto one half of the tortilla. Fold tortilla in half, over the mixture, and press gently to seal. Repeat with each tortilla and remaining filling.
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Heat a large, heavy bottomed pan on medium heat. If you want a crisp tortilla, add a bit of oil to the pan. Swirl the oil to evenly coat the pan and heat until shimmering.
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When pan is hot, lay one to two quesadillas into the pan so they are well spaced but not touching. Lower heat to low and let cook one to two minutes until cheese begins to melt and tortilla is crisp.
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Flip quesadillas over to crisp the other side. Cook another minute or two.
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Repeat with remaining quesadillas.
Recipe Notes
SEASONED SECRET
If tortillas are a little stiff, warm the tortillas before laying assembling the quesadilla. It will help them be more pliable to fold in half.
VEGAN
The vegetarian fajita filling is great for burritos and tacos! You can also use your favorite melting soy cheese to make these quesadillas.
GLUTEN FREE
Use corn tortillas and make mini quesadillas or serve as tacos.
OMNIVORE
You can add whatever kind of additional meat based protein you desire. I would recommend chicken or pork with these fajitas. Be sure the meat is completely cooked before mixing in with the vegetables.
CHECK THE FRIDGE
Have any other vegetables in the fridge? Chop them small and cook them with the other vegetables. Onions, mushrooms, carrots or leafy greens would be great in these vegetarian fajita quesadillas.
FROM SCRATCH
Tortillas made from scratch are a treat! A good tortilla press (<-affiliate!) is quite handy, but a rolling pin works too. If you do go with a tortilla press, be sure to get the big one so you have options on size. You can make corn tortillas or flour tortillas for these fajita quesadillas.
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