Buffalo Chickpea Quesadillas
Spicy Buffalo Chickpea Quesadillas with melty plant-based queso perfect for playoff and Super Bowl game-day snacking!
Servings: 4
Equipment
- High Speed Blender
- Small Pot or Micorwave Safe Bowl
- Mixing Bowl
- Large Skillet
- Cooking Press or Weight Optional
Ingredients
Plant-Based Queso*
- ¾ cup Raw Cashews
- 10 oz Silken Tofu
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1 tsp Cumin
- ½ cup Salsa Of choice
- ½ tsp Chili Powder
- ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
Buffalo Chickpea Filling
- ¼ cup Plant-Based Butter
- ¼ cup Frank's Hot Sauce Or hot sauce of choice
- 1 clove Garlic Minced
- ¼ tsp Sea Salt
- 2 tsp Cane Sugar
- 2 tsp Avocado Oil
- ½ White Onion Diced
- 4 cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 15 oz can Chickpeas Drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1 bunch Green Onions Sliced thin
- 1 cup Cilantro Finley chopped
Assembling Quesadillas
- 8 Large Flour Tortillias Gluten-Free if needed
Instructions
Plant-Based Queso*
- Pour boiling water over the raw cashews and soak for an hour. Then drain and set aside.
- Place all ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down as needed. Stop and taste to adjust the seasoning and consistency. This is going on quesadillas, so you want it to be a little thick.
Buffalo Chickpea Filling
- Melt the plant-based butter in a heatproof bowl in the microwave (or in a saucepan on the stove). To the melted butter, add the hot sauce, garlic, salt, and sugar. Whisk until the hot sauce and butter are completely incorporated, and the salt and sugar a dissolved.
- Pour the drained and rinsed chickpeas into a medium bowl and roughly mash them with a fork or a potato masher, leaving some beans intact.
- Heat the 2 tsp of avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and once the oil is shimmering, add the diced onion. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until softened and they have a little color, then add the garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute or until fragrant.
- To the onions, add the buffalo-butter sauce and the mashed chickpeas, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the nutritional yeast and scallions and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and add the cilantro, and mix to combine. Place your buffalo chickpea mixture in a mixing bowl and set aside. Wipe out the skillet so you can reuse it for making the quesadillas.
Assembling the Quesadillas
- Spread an even layer of the plant-based queso, about ¼ to a ⅓ cup, onto one of the eight tortillas. Next, add about ½ cup of the Buffalo Chickpea Filling on top of the queso. Place another tortilla on top to cover.
- Lightly grease the large skillet with a bit of oil and place it over medium heat. Once hot, add the prepared quesadilla to the skillet. Place a slightly smaller skillet or press on top of the quesadilla so that it presses down on the quesadilla, resulting in a nice crispy exterior.
- Cook the quesadillas for 3 minutes, then flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, or until both sides are crispy and nicely browned. Repeat with the remaining sauce, filling, and tortillas.
- Let the tortillas sit for 1 to 2 minutes before slicing to help the filling cool and stay put.
- Storage Instructions: Store leftover quesadillas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze in a single layer with parchment paper between layers for up to 2 months. Thaw before reheating.
- Reheating Instructions: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat until golden and the queso is melted. From frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a skillet or air fryer until warm and crispy.
Notes
*Full blog post on my plant-based queso