This simple, flavorful vegetarian quesadilla has only a handful of ingredients and comes together in less than 30 minutes making it a great option for busy back to school dinners!

Busy fall evenings when school is back in session call for easy and healthy dinners! This vegetarian black bean quesadilla fits the description perfectly! This recipe combines a handful of ingredients, most of which you likely have on hand, for a healthy dinner that can easily be repurposed for lunch the next day!

This particular version of quesadillas is inspired by a recipe I first saw in one of Julee Rosso's cookbooks, Fresh Start. It's full of great recipes and easy to follow menu plans. It's definitely a good one to add to your cookbook collection.

One thing I always think about for weeknight meals is how to in advance and make them easy to pull together in 30 minutes or less. For these quesadillas, the first step is to use store bought pico de gallo. I use one from Whole Foods, but most grocery stores carry a fresh version these days. Not having to do all that chopping really cuts down on your prep time! If you do regular Sunday meal prep, you can also make the bean mixture in advance and store it in the refrigerator for a few days. If you do that, warm it up to room temperature or maybe even pop in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds before you assemble your quesadillas.

Over the years quesadillas have become one of my go-to options for dinner on busy weeknights. If you keep flour tortillas and cheese on hand you can always have them ready to throw together in a pinch. In this case, I added some black beans for extra protein and flavor, making these an easy vegetarian version.

And what's not to love about a crispy tortilla filled with beans, sautéd onions, creamy goat cheese and cilantro?! Serve with your favorite salsa, avocado and some greek yogurt for extra flavor and enjoy!

If you are looking for other easy options for weeknight dinners check out these recipes for Greek Lamb Meatball Bowls and Baked Spaghetti!

Recipe

Vegetarian Black Bean & Goat Cheese Quesadillas

These vegetarian quesadillas are a great easy dinner for busy back to school nights.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Total Time 18

Course Main Course, Main dishes

Cuisine American

Servings quesadillas

Calories 961 kcal

Ingredients

½ tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
¼ cup diced red onion
1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
⅓ cup pico de gallo
½ cup crumbled goat cheese
¼ cup cilantro leaves chopped
4 8 " flour tortillas
plain greek yogurt diced avocado and pico de gallo for topping (optional)

Instructions

Heat oil in a 10" non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauteé for 1 minute. Add garlic and sauteé for an additional 30 seconds. Add beans, cumin and lime zest. Cook for an additional minute.
Remove pan from heat and mash beans with a potato ricer or masher. Stir in pico, goat cheese and cilantro.
Heat a 2nd non-stick pan (or clean original pan) over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan and spread half of the black bean mixture on the tortilla. Top with a second tortilla. Cook for 1 ½ to two minutes, until the tortilla is golden brown. Carefully flip and cook for an additional minute until both sides are golden brown.
Repeat the process with the remaining tortilla and black bean mixture. As the pan heats up you'll need less cooking time, so plan to flip the second quesadilla after about 1 minute.
Serve immediately with pico de gallo, greek yogurt and avocado (if desired)

Notes

The ideal way to reheat quesadillas is to put them back in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat for a few minutes so they crisp up again.

Nutrition

Calories: 961kcalCarbohydrates: 138gProtein: 39gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 2583mgPotassium: 1003mgFiber: 20gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 899IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 350mgIron: 12mg

Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.