One time, years and years ago, when cheese was a big part of my life, I got into an argument with a friend who tried to order quesadillas at a restaurant…without the cheese. Everybody knows that cheese is essential to a quesadilla right? I thought I knew everything back then. It took a food blog for me to realize that no, cheese is not, in fact, essential to a delicious quesadilla. Today, I’m sharing what might be my all-time favorite vegan quesadilla recipe, stuffed with warm seasoned veggies and creamy avocado. In fact, you probably see a trend with avocados being my favorite stand-in for all kinds of things I avoid these days. Panini sandwich filling, smoothie base, crema topping, slaw dressing…you get the picture. This particular dish is something like a hybrid of fajitas and quesadillas. The veggies are seasoned up and pan seared, so you get that savory flavor and tender-crisp fajita texture, but once you sink your teeth into the grilled up tortilla, you’ll find that these are unmistakably quesadillas, thanks to the rich and creamy consistency of the avocados. Avocados are always in season, but I came up with these quesadillas with summer in mind. They’re the perfect food for grabbing and snacking on, so they’re great for entertaining. You can even prep everything in advance up to the step of stuffing your quesadillas, and then throw a few on the stove at a time, so you’ve got a nice crispy stack at all times. You could even, I’m sure, throw them on the grill. I didn’t grill mine, but I’m hoping somebody will, and if you do, let me know how delicious it was. I’ll be jealous!
Pro Tips
Much of the prep work for these quesadillas can be done in advance. For short term advance prep (1-2 hours): Do everything through step 3 of the recipe in advance. Then, right before you’re ready to serve them, proceed with steps 4 and 5. For long term advance prep (1-2 days): Do everything through step 2 in advance. On the day of serving, proceed with steps 3-4. Why can’t step 3 be done in advance? Because the avocados will likely start to brown after they’re mashed. Want to make this recipe gluten-free? Use your favorite gluten-free tortillas. Feel free to switch up the veggies with your favorites. Just keep in mind that harder veggies might take a little longer to cook, while softer ones will cook up quicker.
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