Fold-Up Rice and Black Bean Quesadillas

Change up your wrap routine with these fun folded rice-and-bean quesadillas. Each quadrant of a whole wheat tortilla is slathered in scrumptious Tex-Mex ingredients and stacked on top of each other to create a perfectly balanced, hand-held snack. Creamy black beans get a spicy kick from chili powder, brown rice soaks up the tangy flavors of pico de gallo, homemade guacamole gets lightened up with mashed peas, and fresh spinach adds leafy green goodness to each bite. This is a great meal when you’re in a rush or need something cute and quick to pack into your kid’s lunchbox. Serve with extra pico de gallo or hot sauce, and chow down!

For more vegan quesadilla recipes, check out these tasty ideas:

By Shelli McConnell,

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup frozen green peas, steamed until very tender
  • ½ of a medium ripe avocado, seeded, peeled, and quartered
  • 1 cup no-salt-added black beans or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 4 7- to 8-inch whole wheat flour tortillas
  • 4 teaspoons nutritional yeast
  • ¾ cup cooked brown rice
  • ½ cup purchased pico de gallo (fresh salsa)
  • 1 cup shredded fresh spinach
  • 3 tablespoons sliced black olives

Instructions

  • Put peas and avocado in a small bowl; mash them with a fork until mostly smooth. Put beans, milk, and chili powder in another small bowl; mash them until mostly smooth.
  • Lay a tortilla on a work surface. Make a cut in tortilla from the center to the edge closest to you. Imagine the tortilla divided into four equal sections. On the bottom left section, spread one-fourth of the avocado mixture and sprinkle it with 1 teaspoon of the nutritional yeast. On the top left section, spread 3 tablespoons of the rice and top it with 1 tablespoon of the pico de gallo. On the top right section, spread ¼ cup of the spinach and top it with one-fourth of the olives. Finally, on the bottom right section, spread one-fourth of the mashed beans.
  • Fold the avocado section over the rice. Fold that portion over the spinach. Finally, fold the three sections over the beans. Repeat to make three more folded tortillas.
  • To cook, put a large nonstick skillet on a burner. Turn the burner  to medium. When the skillet is hot, carefully place two quesadillas in the skillet. Cook about 2 minutes or until quesadillas are golden brown on the bottom. Use a pancake turner to carefully flip quesadillas over. Cook 2 minutes more or until the other side is golden brown. Remove from skillet. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas. Serve quesadillas with the remaining ¼ cup pico de gallo or salsa. 

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About the Author

Headshot of Shelli McConnell

About the Author

Shelli McConnell

Shelli McConnell graduated with a bachelor of science in consumer food science and a minor in journalism from Iowa State University. She began her career as a home economist in the Better Homes & Gardens test kitchen before moving into an editorial position within DotDash Meredith. She has since freelanced for 25 years and has served as an editorial project manager for many books and magazines, including three editions of the Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book. She has also developed thousands of recipes for publications including Forks Over Knives magazine; Eat This, Not That!; Diabetic Living; Better Homes & Gardens; The Magnolia Journal; and more. McConnell loves to entertain and inspire, so when she’s not in her office, she’s usually in her kitchen. Find her on LinkedIn.
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