Black Bean Quesadillas with Roasted Red Pepper
Quesadillas are always terrific on their own, but toss in hearty black beans, roasted red pepper, and a quick seasoning blend for a runaway hit. Easy & economical, too!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow or red onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- kosher salt
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup roasted red peppers drained and coarsely chopped, see note
- 1 cup shredded cheese Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or any Mexican blend
- 8 flour or corn tortillas
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, until beginning to soften, then add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, and a big pinch of salt. Cook for another 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Stir in the beans, followed right away by the broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium and cook until the beans are slightly tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed—about 4 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, then stir in the red peppers and set aside.
- To assemble the quesadillas, place a clean skillet over medium-high heat and place a tortilla directly on the surface. Sprinkle a thin layer of cheese evenly over the surface of the tortilla, followed by a thin layer of the bean mixture. Finish with an additional thin layer of cheese, then top with another tortilla.
- Using a spatula, gently press down on the top tortilla, and cook until the cheese is melted. Gently flip the quesadilla and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Remove to a cutting board and continue with additional tortillas as desired.
- Slice into quarters and serve with salsa, sour cream, cilantro, guacamole, or lime wedges as desired.
- Quesadillas can be kept warm on a baking sheet in the oven at 300 degrees F.
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Notes
- Roasted Red Peppers: are usually sold in a jar near jarred olives and condiments. For this recipe I typically use just about or slightly less than half of a jar from Trader Joe’s that has a net weight of 16.4 ounces and a drained weight of 12.35 ounces. Anything in that zone will work — you just want to have roughly 3/4 cup of pepper once they are drained and chopped. The extra will keep a long time in the fridge and can be used to make a pasta sauce, sauce for chicken, or pesto. They’re also great added to sandwiches. You can also make your own roasted red peppers, or just use chopped red bell peppers in a pinch.
- Taco Seasoning: makes a fun and easy shortcut for flavoring the beans as well. Use about 1 Tablespoon of your favorite. We also keep homemade taco seasoning on hand for just such occasions!
- Nutrition Information is an estimate per one quesadilla, assuming you use the filling to make four in total. It does not include salsa or other sides you may add.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 304 kcal, Carbohydrates: 34 g, Protein: 12 g, Fat: 13 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 23 mg, Sodium: 1091 mg, Potassium: 185 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 4 g, Vitamin A: 404 IU, Vitamin C: 14 mg, Calcium: 251 mg, Iron: 3 mg