Quick Quesadilla

Quick Quesadilla

Quesadillas are one of those things we find ourselves making on repeat, and honestly we're not even sorry about it. This one's got roasted red peppers, melty dairy-free cheese, caramelised red onion and creamy avocado all tucked inside a crispy golden tortilla. Every bite has that brilliant combination of crunch on the outside and gooey, flavour-packed filling on the inside. If you want something quick, satisfying and genuinely delicious on the table tonight, this is the one.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • 2x frying pans
  • Grater
  • Colander
  • Spatula

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • olive oil for frying
  • 1 red onion
  • 2 large roasted peppers - from a jar
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 100g plant-based cheese
  • 1 large avocado
  • 30g fresh coriander
  • 1 lime
  • 1 x 400g can of black beans - or kidney beans
  • 1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes
  • 100g tinned sweetcorn
  • 4 large flour tortillas
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Method

1

First get all your ingredients ready 

  • Peel and thinly slice the red onion
  • Peel and grate the garlic
  • Cut the roasted red peppers into strips
  • Grate the dairy-free cheese
  • Halve and carefully stone the avocado by tapping the stone firmly with the heel of a knife so that it lodges in the stone, then twist and remove
  • Scoop out the flesh and cut into small chunks
  • Pick the leaves from the coriander and chop finely
  • Cut the lime half
  • Drain and rinse the beans
2

Place a frying pan on a medium heat 

  • Add 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Add the onion to the hot pan with a pinch of salt and sweat for 7–8 minutes, until softened
  • Add the garlic and stir for 1–2 minutes
  • Add the roasted red pepper strips, black beans, tomatoes and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and cook for 5 minutes
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the sweetcorn
  • Taste and season with salt and pepper
  • Add more cayenne if you want more heat
  • Squeeze over the lime juice
3

Put the second pan on a medium heat 

  • Add 1 teaspoon oil
  • Lay a tortilla in the pan and sprinkle over a generous handful of grated cheese
  • Spoon a quarter of the filling on to the tortilla and spread it over one half
  • Sprinkle avocado and coriander on top of the filling
4

Once the cheese has melted, check the underside of the tortilla 

  • If golden cooking spots are appearing, the quesadilla is ready
  • Use a spatula to fold it in half, sandwiching the filling
  • Remove from the pan, slice into wedges and serve immediately
  • Repeat to make all the quesadillas

Tips & Variations

  • Get the cheese right: Grate it fresh if you can rather than buying pre-grated. It melts better and you get that proper gooey pull when you cut into it. Trust us on this one.
  • Spice it up: Henry always adds a pinch of smoked paprika or a few slices of pickled jalapeños to the filling for an extra kick. Totally worth it.
  • Serve it straight away: Quesadillas are at their absolute best the moment they come out of the pan. Don't let them sit around or you'll lose that crunch. Get everyone to the table first, then cook.

Why This Works

The trick is getting the pan properly hot before the tortilla goes in, that's what gives you that properly crispy shell rather than a sad soggy wrap. We also find that grating the dairy-free cheese rather than slicing it means it melts way more evenly and holds everything together when you fold it. The roasted red peppers bring a sweetness that balances the whole thing brilliantly.