These easy, cheesy vegan quesadillas are stuffed with a zippy homemade cashew cheese, hearty pinto beans, and a spicy mixture of poblano peppers and red onions.
- 1 cup unflavored soy or almond milk
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 tablespoons Cholula hot sauce (or a similar vinegar-based hot sauce)
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and cut into strips
- ½ medium red onion, cut into strips
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup cooked or canned pinto beans, drained
- 1 tablespoon Cholula hot sauce (or a similar vinegar-based hot sauce)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas
- Oil or cooking spray, for grilling
- Toppings of choice (avocado, salsa, cilantro)
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Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
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Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Heat the mixture while whisking constantly, until it becomes thick and stretchy and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 4-5 minutes.
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Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
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Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil and place it over medium-high heat. Add the poblano pepper and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until the veggies begin to soften and darken in spots, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute more, until very fragrant. Stir in the beans, hot sauce and cumin. Cook just until heated throughout, about 1 minute more. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Slather half of a tortilla with about a quarter of the cheese, then top with a quarter of the bean mixture. Fold in half, and repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and bean mixture.
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Lightly oil a large grill pan or skillet (you can use the same one that you cooked the bean mixture in - just wipe it out). Place the pan over medium heat, and once the skillet is hot, arrange as many of the quesadillas inside as will fit without overlapping. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and crispy. Repeat until all of the quesadillas are cooked.
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Serve with toppings of choice.
Leftover cashew cheese will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.