Description
Shake up your lentil routine with these delicious easy lentil quesadillas. Packed with aromatics and vegan cheddar, these quesadillas offer a simple and flavorful meal for an easy lunch or satisfying dinner.
Ingredients
For the Quesadillas
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 small onion or 1/2 a large onion
- 2 shallots, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups of brown lentils
- 3 1/2 cups of water
- 2 cups of vegan shredded cheese (Mexican blend or cheddar)
- 10 8-inch flour tortillas
Toppings
- pico de Gallo
- yellow rice
- guacamole
- vegan sour cream
- sliced avocado
- extra salsa
- chopped green onions
Instructions
- Saute Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and shallots and sauté for 5 minutes. Then add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Season: Stir in taco seasoning and salt. Saute for about a minute until everything is coated well and the spices are toasted.
- Add Tomatoes: Pour in crushed tomatoes. Simmer, stirring occasionally for about 7-8 minutes.
- Cook: Add water and brown lentils. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low, covered, for 30-35 minutes.
- Incorporate Vegan Cheese: Stir in cheese until melted and the lentil mixture thickens. Chill the mixture for about 2 hours for a thicker consistency. This makes it easier to spread on the tortillas.
- Assemble: Place a tortilla in the pan in a dry, large skillet over medium heat. Fill half a tortilla with the lentil mix, fold the tortilla, and cook for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Serve: Cut into wedges and serve with pico de gallo, yellow rice, guacamole, avocado, salsa, green onions, or a large dollop of vegan sour cream.
Notes
Total time includes the chilling time.
This makes 10 halves/servings with 8-inch tortillas.
Try the vegan cheddar from Moochoo if you're in search of cheese.
If using store-bought taco seasoning, you may need to adjust the salt if they have a lot of added salt.
After cooking, chill the lentils in the fridge to thicken them up. This keeps the filling from escaping the tortilla!
If lentils are undercooked, add water and simmer covered until soft. If they’re tender but watery, uncover and let the water evaporate. Cooking times vary due to factors like temperature and altitude, sometimes taking 50-60 minutes.
The number of servings varies based on the size of the quesadillas used.
Nutritional information for this recipe is only an estimate and does not include toppings.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: appetizer, main course
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 quesadilla
- Calories: 241
- Sugar: 3.3 g
- Sodium: 509.1 mg
- Fat: 6.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Protein: 12.6 g
- Cholesterol: 5.8 mg