Looking for an easy to make, inexpensive, high-protein vegan meal? These delicious vegan quesadillas are filled with creamy oil-free roasted red pepper hummus and you can easily customize it by adding any vegetables you like!
Are you looking for a delicious meal that is extremely inexpensive, simple to make, and it will fill you up for a few hours? If you answered yes, then this vegan hummus quesadilla recipe is exactly what you've been looking for! Vegan quesadillas are my go-to meal to make for lunch or dinner when I'm in a hurry and I need food NOW or if I just don't feel like cooking but I still need to make a healthy and filling meal (that's not black beans and rice or spaghetti) for my husband.
Hummus is the best replacement for cheese in quesadillas because it's naturally high in protein, it's vegan, and it has a slightly sticky and thick consistency so it acts as the binder (just like cheese) between the two layers of tortillas and holds everything together.
The best part about using hummus to make a quick cheeseless quesadilla is that you can use store-bought or you can make it homemade! If you choose to use pre-made, you can have a satisfying meal on the table in about five minutes which is great for busy nights.
Another big plus is that it's so customizable! If you only want to put hummus in your quesadilla without any extra veggies, that's totally fine (I do this all the time!) and it will still be delicious. Or you can load it up with fresh greens and veggies.
How To Make Vegan Quesadillas
If you don't want to make roasted red pepper hummus from scratch, this flavor is usually pretty easy to find at the grocery store. If you can't find it at the store right now, it's ok, you can use any flavor of hummus that is available. If you want to watch how much salt is added or if you want to make it oil-free, you can follow the next steps to make it homemade.
First, drain a can of chickpeas, reserve the liquid (the liquid is called aquafaba), and add the chickpeas to a food processor. Add garlic powder, one large roasted red pepper, cumin, salt, lemon juice, hot sauce, and aquafaba (instead of oil) to the food processor. Blend on high it's until smooth and creamy.
Next, grab a pan that's a little bit bigger than your 8-inch tortillas. Warm the pan over medium heat for a few minutes to heat it up and then add one of the tortillas.
Add 2-3 generous spoonfuls of the hummus to the center of the tortilla and spread it around evenly. If you want to add any vegetables or fresh greens, add them now. Place the second tortilla on top and lightly press it down.
Let the quesadilla sit for a few minutes until the bottom has lightly browned. Use a large pancake spatula (it makes it so easy to flip!) to carefully flip the quesadilla and let it sit for a few more minutes on the other side. When both sides are lightly browned, remove the quesadilla from the heat and transfer it to a plate.
Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the vegan quesadilla into 4-6 slices. Serve with salsa, vegan sour cream, or guacamole for dipping!
Are All Tortillas Vegan?
No, not all tortillas are vegan because some contain lard or honey. Make sure that you check the ingredients before consuming it. Stacey's organic vegan tortillas are my favorite to use for quesadillas, you can check here to see if they're available at a store near you.
What Can You Put in Quesadillas?
If you want to take your vegan quesadilla to the next level, you can add raw or cooked vegetables, fresh greens, fresh herbs, or even cooked potatoes or sweet potatoes would be tasty. If you want to make a fully loaded veggie quesadilla, I think that the best veggies to add are:
- Roasted Mushrooms (sliced)
- Fresh Spinach
- Kale (thinly sliced)
- Artichoke Hearts (roughly chopped)
- Bell Peppers (diced)
- Caramelized Onions
- Zucchini (sliced)
- Broccoli Florets
Serving Suggestions
You can eat these hummus quesadillas plain without a dipping sauce buttt doesn't a dipping sauce always make everything taste 10x better? I think so! I like to enjoy these vegan hummus quesadillas with:
- Cilantro Lime Salsa
- Vegan Sour Cream (I use Kite Hill unsweetened greek yogurt as a sub for sour cream)
- Mashed Avocado or Guacamole
- Avocado Chipotle Sauce
- Hot Sauce
If you like a spicy kick, you could sprinkle a few slices of sliced jalapenos on top of the vegan quesadillas too!
Can I Freeze Leftover Hummus?
I often double or triple the hummus recipe and then I portion it out and freeze it for future hummus quesadilla meals. Hummus freezes perfectly and you can freeze it for 3-4 months. When you're ready to eat it, take the container out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to defrost for 24 hours. Give it a good stir and enjoy!
Can I Freeze Whole Quesadillas?
You can prep vegan quesadillas ahead of time by assembling them but don't heat them up yet. Wrap the quesadillas in parchment paper (this is my favorite parchment paper because it's unbleached and compostable) with an extra piece between each quesadilla and store them in a reusable silicone bag in the freezer for 2-3 months.
When you're ready to eat the quesadillas, you can put it in the microwave and reheat it for 2-3 minutes to warm the center and then follow the recipe instructions to crisp up both sides of the quesadilla.
Notes & Substitutions
- Gluten-free: To make this recipe gluten-free, make sure that you use gluten-free tortillas.
- Oil-free: Most store-bought hummus contains oil, so to make this vegan quesadilla recipe without any oil you should make the hummus from scratch and use aquafaba or water in place of the oil. Also, buy tortillas that don't contain any oil.
- Hummus Options: You can use store-bought or homemade hummus to make this recipe. Also, you don't have to use roasted red pepper hummus, any flavor you like will work for these vegan quesadillas.
- Chickpea Substitute: You can substitute great northern or cannellini beans for chickpeas.
- Hot Sauce: The hot sauce is 100% optional, you can omit it and it won't impact the hummus at all. I like to add a little bit for a tiny kick of heat and even more flavor!
- What if I Don't Have a Food Processor? I prefer to use a food processor because I like hummus to be really thick and creamy, and my blender just doesn't blend that well when I make hummus. You can use a blender (if you don't have a food processor) but you may need to add more liquid to help it along.
Success Tips
- Make sure you check the ingredients list as many tortillas contain lard or honey, so they aren't always vegan.
- You can roast a red pepper yourself, but it's much easier to just buy a jar of roasted red peppers (packed in water, not oil) to use to make the red pepper hummus.
- Use medium-sized (about 8-inches) taco tortillas for the vegan quesadillas. I've used burrito tortillas (10-inches) before when I didn't have anything else on hand but it makes a huge quesadilla.
- When you put the hummus on the tortilla, it's easiest to add it to the center and then spread it out evenly to the edges. Leave a ¼ inch border between the hummus and the edge of the tortilla so it doesn't squish out when you put the second tortilla on top.
- Store leftover hummus in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for 2-3 months for a future meal.
Want More Vegan Hummus Recipes?
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Dessert Hummus
Dark Chocolate Truffle Easter Eggs
Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Quesadillas
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Large Pan
Ingredients
- (1) 15 oz can chickpeas (drained & liquid reserved)
- 1 roasted red pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder (or use 1 small minced raw garlic clove)
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp salt (add more to taste)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 tsp hot sauce (optional)
- 2-3 tbsp reserved aquafaba (or use water)
- 4 tortillas
Instructions
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
- Drain a 15 oz can of chickpeas and reserve the liquid (aquafaba). Add the chickpeas to a food processor along with ½ tsp garlic powder, one large roasted red pepper, ½ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp salt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp hot sauce (more to taste), and 2 tbsp aquafaba (instead of oil) to the food processor.
- Blend on high for a few minutes until the hummus is smooth and creamy. If you need more liquid, add 1 more tbsp of aquafaba until you reach your desired consistency.
Vegan Quesadillas
- Next, grab a pan that’s a little bit bigger than your 8-inch tortillas. Warm the pan over medium heat for a few minutes and then add one of the tortillas.Â
- Add 2-3 generous spoonfuls of the hummus to the center of the tortilla and spread it around evenly. Leave a ¼ inch border between the hummus and the edge of the tortilla. If you want to add any vegetables or fresh greens, add them now. Place the second tortilla on top of the hummus and lightly press it down.
- Let the quesadilla sit for a few minutes until the bottom has lightly browned. Use a large pancake spatula (it makes it so easy to flip!) to carefully flip the quesadilla and let it sit for a few more minutes on the other side. When both sides are lightly browned, remove the quesadilla from the heat and transfer it to a large plate.
- Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the quesadilla into 4-6 slices. Serve with salsa, vegan sour cream, or guacamole for dipping!
Notes
- You can roast a red pepper yourself, but it's much easier to just buy a jar of roasted red peppers (packed in water, not oil) to use to make the hummus.Â
- Use medium-sized (about 8-inches) taco tortillas for the quesadillas. I've used burrito tortillas (10-inches) before when I didn't have anything else on hand but it makes a huge quesadilla.Â
- When you put the hummus on the tortilla, it's easiest to add it to the center and then spread it out evenly to the edges. Leave a ¼ inch border between the hummus and the edge of the tortilla so it doesn't squish out when you put the second tortilla on top.
- Store leftover hummus in the fridge for 4-5 days or freeze it for 2-3 months for a future meal.Â
This recipe looks amazing Stacey! Can't wait to try it.
Thank you, Jeannie! Enjoy!