Vegetarian Quesadilla with Chipotle Aubergine

For this easy vegetarian quesadilla grilled aubergine is folded into a soft tortilla with a sprinkling of cheese and a flavour packed chipotle paste. It's perfect for a quick lunch or light dinner!

Quesadilla + sour cream + hot sauce = 😍

Happy Sunday team!

Let's talk about this aubergine quesadilla.

Amazing veggie quesadillas

I have always been a big quesadilla fan. They're such a simple idea and yet there's a crazy amount of flavour going on. Plus they're usually quick to make and work so well as a quick lunch or dinner. See also: if you're looking for a meaty option try these chicken quesadillas!

Hearty vegetarian Mexican food like these amazing veggie quesadillas always makes for an amazing family dinner. Similar to my vegetarian enchiladas, they’re full of good stuff and have just enough heat to give that classic Mexican flavour!

For this quesadilla I wanted the aubergine to be the star of the show. My love of aubergine is reflected in all the aubergine recipes on this blog and this quesadilla is an excellent addition to that list.

To make the filling for these quesadillas you need to slice the aubergine super thin so that it can cook quickly on the griddle before adding to the tortilla.

Once they're griddled you simply spread them on half of the tortilla, spread the other half with a mixture of chipotle paste, garlic and spices and sprinkle over some grated cheddar. 

Then fold and griddle until you get those gorgeous char marks on both side. Then simply serve with a big helping of sour cream and some lime wedges.

Why we love this vegetarian quesadilla:

• They're great for lunch or dinner, if you want to have them for dinner I'd recommend doubling the recipe or serving them with a side of rice
• They're light and pretty healthy but with a good helping of cheese to balance things out because what is life without a moderate amount of cheese
• They're suitable for vegetarians. If you want to make them gluten free then get some gluten free tortillas

Vegetarian Chipotle Quesadilla Ingredients:

• Spice Paste: This is a mixture of smoked paprika, oregano, crushed garlic cloves, chipotle paste, cumin and brown sugar. Use up leftover chipotle paste in this chipotle chicken salad
• Aubergine (Eggplant): You need to make sure it's thinly sliced (I use a mandoline for this) then sprinkled with a little salt and pepper
• Cheddar Cheese: Grated over the aubergine and then cooked until it gets all melty and delicious. Use up any extra in these veggie burgers
• Tortillas: I used white flour tortillas but you could use corn or any other type you like
• Coriander (Cilantro), Lime Wedges & Sour Cream: To serve 

How to make vegetarian quesadillas:

1. Make the spice paste: Mix all the spices with the chipotle paste in a bowl and set aside until ready to use.
2. Cook the aubergine: Thinly slice the aubergine, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook on a griddle pan until softened and charred.
3. Make the quesadillas: Place some aubergine slices, cheese and coriander leaves on half a tortilla, spread chipotle paste on the other side then fold and cook on a griddle until the cheese is melted and there's char marks on both side.

Keep scrolling to the bottom of this post to get the full printable recipe...

Eggplant Quesadilla Variations

• Try adding more vegetables to make this easy quesadilla recipe even healthier. Red onions or a leafy green like spinach would work really well
• Add black beans to them before folding to get an extra protein and fibre hit

Are veggie quesadillas healthy?

This simple quesadilla recipe is quite healthy thanks to aubergines being the main ingredient. I only use a small amount of cheese in my quesadillas and you could use wholewheat tortillas as well if you prefer.

How to cook vegetarian quesadillas?

The easiest way to cook these quick quesadillas is in a hot frying pan or griddle. I like using a griddle pan because you get those lovely char marks which just makes everything look even tastier but a frying pan will work just as well. Once you’ve got your frying pan or griddle hot then pop your quesadilla in and press down with a spatula if needed. After a couple of minutes flip and cook the other side.

What to serve with veg quesadillas?

I like to go with Mexican classics to accompany this recipe. Try salsa, sour cream and fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves or if you’re extra hungry then you could try it with some rice or tortilla chips.

Want more? Try these other aubergine recipes!

• Miso Aubergine and Herby Rice
• Aubergine Parmigiana with Panko
• Slow Cooker Dahl with Charred Aubergines
• Baked Aubergine in Tomato Sauce
• Sweet and Sour Crispy Aubergine
• Pressure Cooker Aubergine with Potato & Aubergine

Recipe

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