In the past few years, I’ve been working to expand my vegan repertoire. Every few weeks, I check out new cookbooks from the library and include at least one vegan cookbook. While our family doesn’t plan to become vegetarian or vegan full-time, we have cut down our meat consumption considerably. Like any new type of cuisine, it takes practice to learn how to use new ingredients and techniques that then allow you to experiment and play around with recipes to find your ideal taste and style.
One of my library discoveries was the book Vegan, At Times by Jessica Seinfeld. She spoke my language about vegan cooking suggesting easy and delicious ways to eat vegan while not being vigilant about it. One of the first recipes I tried was her raw broccoli and cashew queso quesadillas. I was suspicious about the use of raw broccoli inside the quesadilla, which made it all the more rewarding when the whole family loved them.
Over the years, I’ve continued to make versions of these quesadillas, experimenting with different ingredients and levels of spice. The most recent batch was our favorite thanks to some extra flavor from nutritional yeast and cumin added into the queso. I finally wrote down the recipe and decided to stop experimenting.
We eat these vegan quesadillas about once a month and every time my kids express excitement that they are on the dinner menu, I feel like I’ve won something! Loads of raw broccoli with some cashews for protein – healthy and everyone is happy.
Now and then, we top these vegan quesadillas with sour cream, which obviously means the meal is no longer vegan. We also love avocado and salsa verde on top. This recipe is flexible – top them with whatever toppings you find tasty.
Even if you aren’t vegan, give this one a try. I hope you’ll be as pleasantly surprised as we were.
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Broccoli Cashew Queso Quesadillas (Vegan)
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Chopped raw broccoli adds a nice bite while smooth cashew queso holds it together with creamy flavor. Chiles in adobo sauce are the secret kick.
Ingredients
For the queso:
1 cup raw cashews
2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (reduce to 1 if you are sensitive to spice)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
For the quesadillas:
2 1/2 cups fine chopped raw broccoli
4 scallions, white and light green parts, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 8-inch flour tortillas
Avocado and salsa verde for serving
Instructions
1. Put raw cashews in a small saucepan and cover with water. Turn heat on medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain cashews.
2. Put the cashews, chipotle peppers, nutritional yeast, cumin, salt, and water into a blender and blend until smooth. Add water a tablespoon at a time if needed to get a thick dip-like consistency.
3. In a mixing bowl, stir together the queso, broccoli, scallions, cilantro, and salt. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
4. Heat a large skillet or griddle with olive oil over medium heat.
5. Spoon 1/4 of the mixture onto half of an 8-inch tortilla and then fold in half to make the quesadilla. Repeat with the other three tortillas.
6. Cook the quesadillas for about 3 minutes per side, or until the quesadillas are golden and crisp on each side.
7. Cut the quesadillas into triangles and serve with the toppings of your choice.
Looking for other vegan recipes to try? This lentil loaf is yummy for dinner. Try vegan pumpkin muffins for a sweet treat.