Quesadillas made with vegan cheese are a great choice for an easy dinner. Black beans and corn make a hearty, satisfying filling, and you can make these on the stovetop or in the oven depending on how many you're feeding and how much time you have.

Photos by Hannah Kaminsky.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

Black beans and corn. A hearty, classic filling combination — fresh or thawed frozen corn both work well, and canned black beans (drained and rinsed) save time over cooking from dry.
Jalapeño or green chiles. Adjust the amount to control the heat — canned chiles work well if fresh jalapeños aren't available, and are milder overall.
Nondairy cheddar-style cheese. Helps hold the filling together and melts nicely — shred it yourself from a block for the best melt, since pre-shredded often has anti-caking additives that melt less smoothly.
Flour tortillas. Choose a size that suits your pan; large tortillas make bigger quesadillas but can be trickier to flip.
Salsa and vegan sour cream. Homemade or store-bought both work well as toppings that add moisture and freshness to balance the rich filling.

Variations

Add greens. A handful of chopped spinach or kale stirred into the filling adds extra nutrition without changing the flavor much.
Swap the beans. Pinto beans work well in place of black beans, or use a mix of both.
Make it extra cheesy. Add a little more cheese for a gooier quesadilla, especially if you're cooking on the stovetop where the cheese needs to hold everything together.
Add sauteed onions and peppers. A quick sauté of bell pepper and onion bulks up the filling into more of a fajita-style quesadilla.
Add a squeeze of lime. Stirred into the filling or squeezed over the finished quesadilla, it brightens everything considerably.

Tips for the Best Quesadillas

Don't overfill. Leaving a border around the edge makes folding and flipping much easier, and keeps filling from spilling out into the pan.
Cook until golden. Whether on the griddle or in the oven, look for a light golden brown color on both sides before removing.
Flip carefully. If cooking on a griddle, use a wide spatula to flip without spilling the filling, and don't rush it — a properly set tortilla flips much more cleanly.
Cut into wedges with a pizza cutter. This makes them easier to serve and eat than trying to cut through with a knife.
Keep finished quesadillas warm in a low oven. This is especially helpful if you're cooking a big batch on the stovetop in sequence.

Make Ahead & Storage

The bean and corn filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, which makes assembly quick on a busy weeknight. Once cooked, leftover quesadillas keep for a couple of days in the fridge and reheat well in a dry skillet or the oven — a microwave will work in a pinch, but the tortilla won't stay as crisp.

How to Serve

Top with salsa and a dollop of vegan sour cream, and serve with a big salad and a simple grain or potatoes — better yet, sweet potatoes.

Recipe

Vegan Black Bean & Corn Quesadillas

4.75 from 4 votes

Quesadillas made with vegan cheese, black beans, and corn — a great choice for an easy dinner, made on the stovetop or in the oven.

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings: 8 quesadillas

Ingredients

Filling

1 15- to 16-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
1 medium red bell pepper very thinly sliced
2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 scallions thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 or 2 fresh jalapeño peppers seeded and minced, or 4-ounce can mild or hot chopped green chiles

To Finish

8 soft taco-size (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup grated cheddar-style nondairy cheese or as desired
salsa homemade or prepared, as desired
vegan sour cream or cashew cream optional

Instructions

Heat a large non-stick griddle, or preheat the oven to 400°F.
Combine the filling ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir together. Arrange the filling on one half of each tortilla, leaving about a ½-inch border near the edges. Sprinkle each with a little of the cheese. Fold each tortilla over to make a half-circle.
If heating on a griddle, cook the quesadillas on both sides until nicely golden brown (flip them carefully!). If using the oven, bake for 15 minutes at 400°F, or until the quesadillas are hot and beginning to turn light golden brown.
Arrange one quesadilla on each serving plate and cut in half with a sharp knife to make two wedges. Top each with a bit of the salsa and, if desired, a small dollop of sour cream.