Vegan Chipotle Butternut Squash & Black Bean Quesadillas
So much flavor packed into these simple quesadillas! Creamy butternut squash roasted with chipotle peppers, black beans, a good hit of lime and fried up golden-crisp - so good. Don't forget the Avocado Crema sauce on the side!
Yield: 4people
Ingredients
Roasted Chipotle Butternut Squash
3cupscubed butternut squashabout 1/2 of a small butternut squash; roughly 3/4-inch cubes
2tablespoonschipotle peppers in adobo sauce, mincedfrom a 7-ounce can of chipotle peppers in adobo; save the rest for another use
1tablespoonolive oil
1/4teaspoonkosher salt
1/8teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
Quesadillas
8flour tortillas
1batchroasted chipotle butternut squash
1 1/2cupsblack beans
1eachlimehalved, for squeezing over the filling before cooking
4tablespoonsolive, vegetable, or canola oil
avocado crema or your favorite salsa for serving
Instructions
Make the Roasted Chipotle Butternut Squash
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place cubed butternut squash in a medium bowl and add minced chipotles in adobo, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss until chipotle is well-distributed. Pour squash onto a large rimmed baking sheet and spread into a single layer. Place in oven.Bake, stirring once or twice, 25-30 minutes until fork-tender and golden in places. Pull from oven and set aside.
Assemble and Cook the Quesadillas
Place a large saute pan over medium heat to warm up while you assemble your first quesadilla.
To assemble the quesadillas, lay out one flour tortilla. Add 1/4 of the squash. Using a fork, mash the squash. Add 1/4 of the beans. Squeeze some lime juice over the beans and squash and cover with the second tortilla, pressing down to help the quesadilla hold together. Repeat with remaining three quesadillas.
Cook, one at a time. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the hot pan. Use a spatula/turner to distribute the oil around the entire surface of the pan. When the oil is hot, carefully transfer the quesadilla to the pan and cook until the tortilla is puffed and golden, then flip, cooking the other side until puffed and golden.
Use the spatula to transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board and, using a chef's knife, cut into wedges. Transfer to a plate and serve with avocado crema or salsa.