Try something a little different with these kimchi quesadillas! The funky flavor of kimchi makes these crispy filled tortillas a unique delight.
Omg, it’s a new recipe! I’ve mostly been enjoying old favorites from the site and trying to support local restaurants, and haven’t been cooking up many new things, but maybe this is the first day of the rest of my life!
I discovered kimchi quesadillas in one of my Purple Carrot meal kits a couple of months ago. The Purple Carrot version instructed me to put an entire raw sliced jalapeno inside the quesadillas. I followed their instructions so that I could blame the messenger, and it was practically unpalatable. However, I could see the potential in the recipe and came up with my own version, which in my opinion is a lot tastier!
Kimchi in quesadillas, you say? Yep, it may sound a little weird, but that funky, spicy flavor really meshes well with this dish. While traditional kimchi isn’t vegan (it’s made with fish sauce), a lot of the kimchi sold in grocery stores tends to be.
(If you’re local to Baltimore, my friend Booch Leggers makes fabulous vegan kimchi and is doing curbside pickup and deliveries!)
The other elements rounding out these plant-based Asian fusion quesadillas are refried beans and some seasoned sauteed peppers and onions. Feel free to garnish with scallions and sesame seeds if you want to emphasize the kimchi;s flavor further.
As you may know from reading my classic vegan quesadillas recipe, I don’t think commercial vegan cheese belongs anywhere near food, but it’s good for plant-based quesadillas to have some kind of rich or creamy element to replace the cheese.
So, I decided to dip these kimchi quesadillas in chipotle mayo. I just used Vegenaise this time around, but you can also make your own cashew mayonnaise and add chipotle to it if you like.
That being said, maybe you’re a fan of vegan cheese, or not a vegan. If you want to add any of that stuff to these kimchi quesadillas, I’ll just look the other way :).
Hopefully you enjoy these vegan kimchi quesadillas! If you give them a try, let me know in the comments below!
Kimchi Quesadillas
Ingredients
For the sauteed vegetables:
- 1 bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 poblano pepper thinly sliced (or use a second bell pepper)
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
For the kimchi quesadillas:
- 1 cup refried black beans (about half of a can)
- 4 oz kimchi (about 3/4 cup) (check label for fish sauce)
- 2 flour tortillas
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- scallions and sesame seeds optional, for serving
- vegan chipotle mayonnaise optional, for serving
Instructions
For the sauteed vegetables:
- Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the sliced peppers and onion and stir. Continue to cook, stirring only occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly browned and softened a bit, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the cumin, paprika, black pepper, and salt to taste, and stir well to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the onion is soft, about 2-4 minutes more.
For the vegan kimchi quesadillas:
- Drain any excess liquid from the kimchi and finely chop it.
- Lay a tortilla flat and spread about 1/2 cup of refried beans onto it, leaving a little bit of space around the edges. Spread about half of the chopped kimchi onto the refried beans, and finally, top with about half of the cooked vegetables. Fold the tortilla in half and press down on it gently to seal. Repeat with the remaining tortilla and ingredients.
- Wipe out the skillet and return it to medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil. Once hot, add one of the folded quesadillas to the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Repeat with the second quesadilla.
- Serve hot, garnished with chopped scallions and sesame seeds if desired, and condiment of choice (I recommend something mayo-based).
Notes
Nutrition
Inspired by Purple Carrot.
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Jonathan says
I so like the sound when eat this Kimchi Quesadilla. Also the outside layer and bell pepper are crunch. It’s a little spicy and hot. And so amazing when dipping into the cashew mayonnaise.
Erin says
This was AMAZING! We’re big fans of Mexican & Korean flavor profile combinations, and this was a perfect blend. The only changes to the recipe we made was to add seasoning (cumin, chili powder, dry garlic, & hot sauce) to the beans. Otherwise we made as is. This is getting added to our regular rotation.
Lauren says
Eating this right now and it’s awesome! Easy meal prep too! Thanks, Shannon!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hey, I’m stoked to hear that! Thank you for making it so quickly and reporting back 😀