One of the lunches/dinners Aaron and I have been turning to recently is vegan sweet potato quesadillas. He grew up eating a lot of quesadillas, and when we first moved in together after college and most of our income was going toward rent and student loans, we frequently made veggie quesadillas as an inexpensive and easy meal. Needless to say, quesadillas hold a good amount of nostalgia for us.
But while some things haven’t changed, we’re certainly better and more health-conscious cooks today than we were immediately post-college, and we definitely have nicer cookware. We’ve traded flimsy (and most likely toxic-coated) pans for long-lasting cast iron.
The filling in these quesadillas includes a layer of roasted and seasoned sweet potato rounds, some quick, pickled red onions, diced green chilis, and non-dairy cheddar cheese, all topped with fresh cilantro and scallions, plus a little vegan sour cream. The cast-iron pan makes the tortillas golden and crispy, and the cheese gets melty.
These sweet potato quesadillas make for awesome weekday lunches and dinners. They are also great as an appetizer for your next summer get-together or 4th of July party. Instead of making them on the stovetop, simply move your cooking outdoors to the grill!
Vegan Sweet Potato Quesadillas
2
servings15
minutes25
minutes506
kcal40
minutesEasy vegan quesadillas with roasted sweet potato filling, melty non-dairy cheese, and quick pickled red onions. This is the perfect meal (or appetizer!) when you’re craving healthier comfort food!
Ingredients
- For the sweet potatoes:
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 tablespoon chili powder
sea salt & pepper
- For the pickled red onions:
1 small red onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon organic cane sugar
juice from 1 lime
1/4 cup water
sea salt & pepper
- For the quesadillas:
2 large flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese
1/4 cup diced green chiles
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
small handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 scallion, sliced thin
vegan sour cream (optional)
Directions
- Prepare the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the sweet potato rounds on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with chili powder and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer and roast for 15 minutes or until fork-tender.
- Meanwhile, prepare the pickled red onions: In a small saucepan, combine the red onion, sugar, lime juice, water, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring every so often, for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt/pepper if needed.
- Make the quesadillas: Layer half of each tortilla with 2 tablespoons of vegan cheese, a layer of sweet potato rounds, a few pickled red onions, 1 tablespoon of green chiles (or however spicy you’d prefer), and another 2 tablespoons of vegan cheese. Fold each tortilla in half over the filling. Heat a large cast-iron pan over medium heat, then add a light drizzle of olive oil to coat the pan. Add the quesadillas and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are browned and crispy. Serve with chopped fresh cilantro, sliced scallion, and vegan sour cream (if you like).
Notes
- Nutritional information is only an approximate guideline. Calculations will vary according to the ingredients you use and your cooking methods.
