I don’t have it very often, but I love queso. Really, I love any kind of cheese! When I ate a plant-based diet, I looked for ways to continue enjoying cheese in non-dairy forms. Even though I eat some diary now, my tummy is happies with I stick mostly with the non-dairy forms. Thank goodness I have some delicious recipes to choose from!
It’s surprisingly easy to whip up a good non-dairy cheese sauce or queso at home and it’s fun to experiment with different versions. My creations typically start with cashews, which you can pre-soak for the best texture. I rarely take the time to pre-soak and the results are still pretty delicious.
The inspiration for this Queso Veggie Quesadilla creation is my Nacho Cheeze, which I originally created in November 2012. I made a few small tweaks to the original recipe to make the queso for this time. The result is a little less cheddar flavor and more like a white queso. I think either version would be great on a veggie quesadilla!
- 1/4 cup cashews
- 2 -3 tablespoon almond milk
- 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
- 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoon Daiya Pepperjack Shreds
- 3/4 teaspoon Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (or Tabasco)
- 8 flour tortillas
- 16 mushrooms
- 4 cup spinach
- 1 cup refried beans
- Process cashews in food processor until finely chopped. Add jalapeno through hot sauce and process until combined. Slowly add almond milk until desired consistency.
- To make all 4 at one time, create an assembly line with a cutting board (for chopping veggies), saute pan (for cooking veggies), and a large pan (for cooking the assembled quesadillas).
- Slice 4 mushrooms and add to saute pan with 1 cup of spinach. Cook mushrooms and spinach for 2-3 minutes, or until tender & wilted. While cooking, spread 1/4 cup refried beans on a flour tortilla. Transfer to pre-heated pan coated with cooking spray. Top with cooked veggies and 2-3 tablespoons of queso. Top with a second tortilla. Cook for 2 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer to plate and repeat process for remaining 3 quesadillas.
- After all quesadillas cooked, slice each into 4 or 6 wedges and serve hot and fresh! Optiona: top with salsa, non-dairy sour cream, green onions, and additional cheese.
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Questions for you:
- When was the last time you enjoyed a quesadilla?
- What veggies would you add to this creation?
