Easy Lentil Quesadillas

Shake up your lentil routine with these delicious, easy lentil quesadillas. Packed with aromatics and vegan cheddar, these quesadillas offer a super simple and flavorful meal for an easy lunch or satisfying dinner.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Whether for dinner, a quick lunch, or even a late-night snack, these quesadillas fit perfectly into any meal plan.
• Great for meal prep.
• Lentils are rich in fiber, protein, and essential nutrients, making these quesadillas a nutritional powerhouse that keeps you full and fueled.
• With their creamy texture and flavorful spice, these quesadillas are a hit with kids and adults, so they're great for a weeknight meal. Round out this meal with another family-friendly dish, Vegan Fideo Soup.

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this fantastic quesadilla with lentils. See the recipe card for quantities.

• Taco Seasoning: I use my own Homemade Taco Seasoning blend, but grabbing one off the shelf works too. Just keep an eye on added salt - some of those store blends contain a lot of salt, so you may not need to add too much additional salt to your lentils.
• Vegan Cheese: I use whatever my local grocery store has available to make this dish, but for the best-flavored cheese, try the cheddar from Moochoo. I use about 2 cups of cheese but sometimes I just throw in the whole bag.
• Tortillas: I’m not picky about the type of tortillas for this dish - corn tortillas, flour, low-carb, or whole wheat, they all work wonderfully. For this recipe post, I'm going with 10 eight-inch flour tortillas.

How To Make Easy Lentil Quesadillas

Here's the process in pictures. See the recipe card for details.

Step 1 - Cook the Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and shallots; sauté for 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute until fragrant.

Step 2 - Season: Stir in taco seasoning and salt. Mix well.

Step 3 - Add Tomatoes: Pour in crushed tomatoes. Simmer, stirring occasionally.

Step 4 - Cook Lentils: Add water and brown lentils. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low, covered, for 30-35 minutes.

Step 5 - Add Grated Cheese: Stir in cheese until melted and the lentil mixture thickens. I recommend chilling for a great thicker consistency.

Step 6 - Assemble & Cook: In a dry, large skillet over medium, fill half a tortilla with the lentil mix, fold the tortilla, and cook for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Do the same with the remaining tortillas.

Recipe Tips

• After cooking, give those lentils a timeout in the fridge to thicken up - it's a must for clingy filling that won't bail on your tortilla at the first flip! If they're too runny, it will become a quesadilla disaster, with the filling sliding out super easily.
• If your lentils aren't tender when the cooking time is up, check if the water has evaporated/absorbed. If the pot’s dry, pour in another cup of water, give it a stir, and let them simmer away covered until they soften up. Check on them periodically.
• If they’re tender but swimming in water, lift off the lid and let the water evaporate. It's a delicate game we play with lentils, particularly brown or green lentils. There are so many things that affect their cooking times, like temperature, age, altitude, etc. I've had to cook them about 50-60 minutes sometimes to get the consistency I want.
• Prep the lentil filling and store it in the fridge - it's even better that way - so you can quickly assemble and cook your delicious lentil quesadillas whenever the craving strikes.

Serving Suggestions

Pairing lentil quesadillas with the right sides and toppings is a must! Here are some tasty serving suggestions:

• Offer a variety of vegan dips like Easy Guacamole, Vegan Jalapeno Sauce, salsa verde, Cucumber Pico De Gallo, or a creamy vegan sour cream to add freshness and zing to the quesadillas.
• Serve with a side of crispy lettuce, sliced radishes, or fresh cucumber for a refreshing crunch.
• A simple salad with a tangy dressing like a Classic French Salad Dressing can balance the richness of the quesadillas.
• Pair with crunchy corn chips on the side to catch any rogue lentils, making a break for it from the quesadillas.

Storage and Reheating

• Pop any leftover quesadillas into an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Ensure they cool to room temperature before storing—though be prepared, they will get a tad soggy anyway but still taste great.
• For reheating lentil quesadillas, warm them in an oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes with foil coverage (remove foil for crispiness), microwave for 30-60 seconds for quick heating, or crisp them up in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes on each side.
• For longer storage, wrap each quesadilla individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then place them in a zip-lock freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 2 months. This method helps preserve their texture and flavor.

Lentil Quesadilla FAQS