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    Refried bean quesadilla: Easy vegan lunch

    Published: Aug 12, 2019 · Modified: Jun 27, 2022 by Cadry Nelson
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my Privacy Policy for more details.

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    Text: Refried bean vegan quesadilla. Overhead platter of quesadilla wedges with avocado and tomatoes.

    Refried bean quesadilla with non-dairy cheese makes lunch a breeze.

    A simple spread of refried beans + a sprinkling of vegan cheese on toasted tortillas = a fast & filling lunch the whole family will love. 

    Refried bean quesadilla wedge with avocado, tomatoes, and jalapeno pepper slices.

    Refried bean quesadillas are one of my favorites whenever I’m trying to think of an easy lunch, dinner, or even breakfast.

    They’re so simple to make, really fast, and always tasty.

    Plus, I’m a fan of any food that lends itself to dipping, splashing on hot sauce, or piling on avocado and jalapeño pepper slices.

    The three most important ingredients in a refried bean quesadilla are tortillas, vegan refried beans, and non-dairy cheese.

    And while a quesadilla is supposed to have “queso” in it, that’s one part I sometimes skip.

    In truth, once you’ve loaded a tortilla with flavorful refried beans, toasted it between tortillas, and then covered it in toppings, you can hardly tell if there’s any non-dairy cheese underneath all of that.

    So I leave that to you.

    If you’re feeling like having some non-dairy cheese in your quesadilla, by all means, go for it.

    But if you want to skip a step, my bet is you’ll hardly notice the difference.

    Step by step instructions

    Refried beans on tortilla with shreds of non-dairy cheese on skillet.

    Start by slathering a tortilla with refried beans.

    Pinto or refried black beans work well here. I prefer to use homemade.

    And by the way, refried beans freeze well. So I recommend making a double batch. Then freeze half for quick lunches like this one.

    But if you have a canned or pre-made refried beans brand that you like, use that instead.

    Add a sprinkling of shredded non-dairy cheddar cheese on top, if using.

    Then top the quesadilla with a second tortilla.

    Toast in a dry skillet on medium heat until it’s nice and brown on one side.

    Flip it, and brown the other side.

    Remove the tortilla from the skillet.

    Then cut the quesadilla into triangles with a knife or kitchen shears.

    Overhead vegan bean quesadilla with avocado and tomatoes.

    Serve with your choice of guacamole, avocado, salsa, jalapeño pepper slices, and/or hot sauce.

    Make it your own

    It’s easy to make a refried bean quesadilla your own by swapping out the type of beans you’re using as the filling.

    Simply replace the refried pinto beans with any of the following:

    • Refried black beans
    • Easy hummus recipe with no cheese
    • Buffalo hummus with non-dairy blue cheese
    • Sun-dried tomato hummus with non-dairy mozzarella or no cheese
    • Kalamata olive hummus with non-dairy feta or no cheese (I’m a fan of Violife vegan feta)

    In addition, you can add other things to your bean quesadilla, depending on the filling you choose.

    Add any of the following fillings:

    • Add avocado, salsa, and/or cilantro to refried pinto or black bean quesadillas
    • Add grilled artichoke hearts to easy hummus or kalamata olive hummus quesadillas & serve dolmas on the side
    • Add sliced green onions to buffalo hummus quesadillas
    • Add thin slices of mushrooms or vegan pepperoni to sun-dried tomato hummus quesadillas

    More vegan quesadilla recipes

    Here are even more vegan quesadilla recipes you’re sure to love.

    • Pierogi-style vegan quesadilla with ranch
    • Vegan breakfast quesadilla
    • Veggie quesadilla with apples & caramelized onions

    Wedges of a vegan quesadilla on plate with avocado, tomatoes, and jalapeno pepper slices.

    Refried bean quesadilla cut into triangles on plate.

    Refried bean quesadilla (vegan)

    This fast, filling, and easy lunch comes together in minutes. Serve with guacamole, salsa, hot sauce, and/or quick pickled jalapenos.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Lunch
    Cuisine: Mexican, Vegan
    Keyword: easy lunch, kid friendly, non-dairy quesadilla
    Prep Time: 3 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 8 minutes
    Servings: 1 quesadilla
    Calories: 268kcal
    Author: Cadry Nelson

    Ingredients

    • 2 tortillas
    • ¼ cup vegan refried beans
    • 1 Tablespoon grated non-dairy cheddar cheese

    Instructions

    • Bring skillet to a medium heat. Slather tortilla with vegan refried beans. Top with a sprinkling of non-dairy cheddar cheese. Top with the remaining tortilla, and place into warm skillet.
    • Cook quesadilla on one side, until it is nice and toasty brown. This will take about 3 minutes. Then flip it and cook about two minutes more, until toasty brown on the other side.
    • Remove from skillet and cut into triangles. Serve on its own, or with your choice of guacamole, avocado, salsa, hot sauce, and/or jalapeno pepper slices.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 904mg | Potassium: 92mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag @cadryskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #cadryskitchen!

     

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    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, photographer, and recipe creator behind Cadry’s Kitchen, a vegan food & lifestyle blog started in 2009. Through approachable recipes, vegan travel guides, and down-to-earth discussions on the social aspects of being vegan, Cadry shows that living a vegan lifestyle is deliciously uncomplicated. Cadry has been featured on NBC News, Mashable, Today, Reader's Digest, Yahoo, Delish, Shape, and Huffington Post.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shell

      August 13, 2019 at 3:07 pm

      5 stars
      Yum! I need to make a batch of your vegan refried beans and give this recipe a try! Only recently did I discover my love for refried beans. I missed out for way too long!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        August 23, 2019 at 8:15 am

        I’m glad you’re making up for lost time. I hope you enjoy the quesadillas!

        Reply

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    I’m a longtime vegan. (15 years!) But I grew up eating a Standard American Diet. I know that all of us crave foods that are familiar, comforting, and delicious.

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