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Vegan Quesadillas with Roasted Corn and Carrot Esquites

Cook Time:
10 mins
Prep Time:
20 mins
Servings:
2 to 4
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Chef notes

These are not your mother’s quesadillas. While we love the old standby of a tortilla oozing with melted cheese, this recipe elevates them into a restaurant-worthy meal. There’s two parts to this recipe — the quesadilla, which gets filled with spiced, wilted greens, and carrot and corn esquites, which gets served on the side. This recipe is all about making the most of your ingredients. The quesadillas call for using any greens of your choice. This is a great time to clean out the bottom of your crisper and use up any greens that might be on their way out. It also utilizes carrot tops, which have an earthy flavor and are completely edible but are often relegated to the compost pile.

Start by toasting cumin seeds before adding the rest of the aromatics until golden brown. Then, add the carrot tops and greens and cook until wilted down. In a separate pan, add the tortilla and top with cheese. Once the cheese is beginning to melt, add the cooked green filling. Flip the tortilla over and continue cooking until the cheese has fully melted and the tortilla is golden brown.

For the esquites, sauté the carrots in olive oil until charred and fork-tender. For this recipe, the corn stays raw, so remove the kernels and add them to a bowl. The carrots and corn get mixed with mayonnaise, sour cream, and spices. Top with almonds and serve alongside the quesadillas. 

Get Ingredients: If you don’t have everything you need on hand, you can easily purchase all of the ingredients (just click the orange button below that says ‘Get Ingredients’). You can pick and choose exactly what ingredients you need based on what’s in your pantry and they’ll be on your doorstep before you know it. 

Technique Tip: While carrot tops are completely edible and totally delicious, the tough part of the tops closest to the carrot should be discarded. They can become woody and tough, and far from appetizing. Stick to using the tender carrot stems and leafy tops. 

Swap Option: While this recipe calls for vegan dairy, you can use regular dairy products with the same results. The esquites can be made without carrots. The final result will be something closer to elote, or street corn, which is a delicious side all on its own. 

Ingredients

For the Wilted Green Quesadillas
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 serrano chili, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 cups greens of choice (spinach, arugula or kale all work well), roughly chopped
  • 1 bunch carrot tops, thoroughly washed and dried
  • 4 large flour tortillas
  • 4 slices vegan smoked gouda
  • 1/2 cup vegan cheddar or pepper jack shreds
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (stems and all)
For the Roasted Corn and Carrot Esquites
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 medium carrots, diced small
  • 2 ears corn, roasted
  • 2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon vegan sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon black salt
  • 1/7 teaspoon kosher salt
  • toasted salted almonds, roughly chopped
  • fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Fulfilled by

Preparation

Make the quesadilla:

1.

In a large skillet, pour in light olive oil and set over medium heat. Once hot, add in the cumin seeds and allow to cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Then add in the onion, garlic, chili, a sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions begin to sweat and turn slightly golden.

2.

Add the greens and carrot tops and toss together. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Some water may appear since the vegetables contain a lot of moisture. If so, increase the temperature to medium-high to reduce the excess moisture. Taste and season, if necessary.

3.

Place the tortilla in a hot skillet over medium heat and immediately add 2 slices of gouda and half of the shreds. Cover and cook for about 1 minute until the cheese begins to melt. Open and add filling to ½ of the tortilla and 1 tablespoon of the chopped cilantro. Flip the other side over to close and press down with your spatula. Cook on each side for 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool for 1 minute. Repeat with the other tortillas. Slice into triangles.

Make the esquites:

1.

Sauté carrots in light olive oil over medium heat in a skillet until slightly charred and fork tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove and cool.

2.

Cut charred corn off of the cob and set aside.

3.

In a large bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, cumin powder, red chili powder, lime juice, black salt and kosher salt until creamy. Add the corn and toss to coat. Taste and adjust for salt, if necessary. Garnish with salted almonds and cilantro. Serve with the quesadillas.