Vegan Squash & White Bean Quesadillas with Broccoli Rabe, Caramelized Onions & Chickpeas
These nutrient-packed vegan “quesadillas” are filled with a creamy, warming squash and white bean dip, sautéed broccoli rabe, sweet caramelized onions, and spiced chickpeas to create a delicious, comforting, and super nutritious fall/winter meal!
Who doesn’t love a quesadilla?! 😍 If you grew up in the USA, I’m guessing quesadillas were a regular staple in your diet. After all, there are few dishes as easy as stuffing a few ingredients in a tortilla. And look, before you @ me, I’m (of course) obviously referring to a vegan quesadilla. 😉 By now, with all the amazing vegan cheese options on the market (which are continuing to become increasingly better with time!), chances are that you’ve probably figured out you can easily vegan-ize quesadillas. And if you’re on the lookout for ways to make comforting meals more nutritious, maybe you’ve even stumbled on the concept of hummus quesadillas.
I’m personally a huge fan of hummus quesadillas - they’re creamy, versatile, and they can be made pretty much exclusively with nutritious whole food ingredients. But, as with most things, I’m always looking for ways to add variety beyond the standard version of a dish. Of course, the easiest way to do that is to switch up the fillings. So, what if you swapped out the base hummus with a flavored hummus? OR, to take it another step further, a creamy squash and white bean-based dip? 🤯
Perhaps I’m being a bit coy, but I’m just trying to get out the fact that to switch things up for you, I’ve turned my warming koginut squash white bean dip into a quesadilla! Starting with that creamy dip base (which is quite similar to hummus), I’ve layered on broccoli rabe and caramelized onions to complement the warming squash flavors, and added in chickpeas for some extra protein. The result is a delicious, comforting, and ultra nourishing vegan “quesadilla” that’s familiar yet different from the classic hummus and veg quesadillas you might already be familiar with. Let’s get into these!
Why You’ll Love these Veg-Filled Quesadillas
Delicious flavors. The Koginut squash white bean dip infuses warming, smoky, fall squash flavors that pair beautifully with the bitter yet nutty broccoli rabe and sweet caramelized onions! Finally, some sautéed chickpeas layer in more spices and, together, the components create a well-balanced, filling, and super tasty nutritious quesadilla that’s full of depth, textures, and flavors!
Comforting, yet extremely nutritious. While these quesadillas will give you major comfort food vibes, they also pack in the nutrients because they’re made with a lot of nutritious ingredients! Not only is the dip made entirely of whole foods like white beans, Koginut squash, and tahini, we’re layering on extra veg (broccoli rabe!) and protein (chickpeas!), along with caramelized onions to help the quesadillas taste more indulgent. They’re guaranteed to leave you feeling both comforted and well-nourished!
Plant diversity. There are a lot of different whole plant foods packed into these! The dip has 3 major ones (squash, cannellini beans, and tahini), the fillings add 3 more (broccoli rabe, onions, and chickpeas), and the tortillas (assuming you opt for whole wheat ones) add another one. That’s 7 (!!) unique and nutritious whole plants - and that’s without counting any flavoring add-ins like a chipotle in adobo or garlic - packed into a single meal! This is important because diversity of plants in our diet is the greatest predictor of a healthy gut microbiome, and medical experts recommend that we aim to eat 30-40+ unique plant foods weekly. So these quesadillas give you a nice head start!
Ingredient Overview
Tortillas. Any flour tortillas work great here. To make the quesadillas extra nutritious, I recommend using whole wheat tortillas if you have access to them (I like the 365 Organic ones from Whole Foods!) as they contain more fiber and nutrients found in the whole grain flour.
Koginut squash and white bean dip. This acts as our creamy “hummus”-like layer in these quesadillas! Though I realize making this dip is an additional step, I promise it’s worth it. I really don’t recommend using plain hummus here as the quesadillas will turn out rather underwhelming, and this specific dip is really key to infusing those warming, smoky, fall squash flavors that pair beautifully with the broccoli rabe and caramelized onions! Plus it’s made with nutritious cannellini beans, tahini, and Koginut squash - so what’s not to love?
Broccoli rabe. Quickly sautéed to add in some veg! I’m a HUGE fan of broccoli rabe: I find its bitter yet nutty flavor so interesting, unique, and delicious! But I recognize it can also be a bit intense if it’s new to you, which is why it’s paired with the squash dip and caramelized onions (they really help tone down the bitterness). Broccoli rabe is also incredibly nutrient-dense - it’s a great source of fiber, protein (yes, you read that right!), vitamins like C, A, and folate, along with antioxidants and glucosinolates, which have cancer-fighting properties!
Caramelized onions. As just mentioned, these add sweetness (which is essential to tone down the broccoli rabe’s bitterness) and a bit of richness into these super nutrient-packed quesadillas. To caramelize them, simply sauté them on super low heat for about 20 minutes, adding a pinch of salt and sugar for flavor balance. And though onions can seem like an ubiquitous recipe ingredient, it turns out that they also contain vitamins along with other beneficial plant compounds.
Sautéed chickpeas. To bulk up the filling while also adding some extra plant protein! To keep it pretty simple, but also level up the flavor, we transform plain chickpeas by quickly sautéing them with some spices.
Once you’ve got all the parts made, everything just gets layered into the tortillas. Give them a quick toast in a pan on the stovetop on each side and they’re ready to serve!
Squash & White Bean Quesadillas with Broccoli Rabe, Caramelized Onions & Chickpeas
Vegan
Makes 4 quesadillas
Ingredients
~3 tablespoons olive oil for cooking, divided
2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
½ teaspoon light brown sugar
Salt & pepper, to taste
1½ cups cooked chickpeas OR one 15½-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 bunch broccoli rabe, ends/thick stems trimmed off and discarded (they are too bitter/woodsy to eat!) and remaining pieces torn or roughly chopped into smaller pieces
4 medium flour tortillas (I prefer whole wheat ones!)
~1⅓ - 1½ cups homemade Koginut squash white bean dip*
Directions
For the caramelized onions: In a medium-sized skillet, heat ~1 tablespoon oil (or enough to coat the bottom of the pan) over medium heat. Add in the yellow onions and sauté for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 5 more minutes. Add in the brown sugar and 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon any other salt) and stir the onions to coat. Continue cooking, stirring every couple minutes, until the onions are nicely browned and very soft, about 10-20 more minutes (the exact timing will depend on how high your heat is). Turn off the heat and set aside until ready to use.
For the chickpeas: In a medium-sized skillet, heat ~1 tablespoon oil (or enough to coat the bottom of the pan) over medium heat. Add in the chickpeas and let them cook, untouched, for 3-4 minutes to allow them to brown slightly on one side. Add in the spices (cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and chili powder) along with 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon any other salt (or to taste) and some freshly ground black pepper. Stir the spices in and continue cooking for about 3-4 minutes, stirring every minute, until golden. Turn off the heat and set aside until ready to use.
For the broccoli rabe: In a large skillet, heat 2-3 teaspoons of oil (or enough to lightly coat the pan) over medium heat. Once hot, add in the broccoli rabe and sprinkle with a bit of salt and some freshly ground black pepper to taste. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until bright green with the leaves wilted and the stems tender, about 2-3 minutes.
Assemble the quesadillas: Spread a generous amount of the Koginut squash white bean dip over each quesadilla. Top one half of the quesadilla with the caramelized onions and the other half with the sautéed broccoli rabe, then add the chickpeas onto the half with the broccoli rabe. Fold the half with the caramelized onions over the other half to seal.
Cook the quesadillas. Heat a medium griddle pan or other skillet over medium heat. Spray a bit of olive oil, then place two quesadillas into the pan. Let one side cook for about 2-3 minutes, then flip and continue cooking until lightly golden, about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and repeat with the remaining 2 quesadillas.
Cut each quesadilla into thirds and serve immediately with any desired toppings. Best when fresh, though leftovers will keep in a refrigerated container for up to 3 days.
Notes:
*I don’t recommend swapping out this dip for another dip like plain hummus as these quesadillas really need the Koginut squash white bean dip’s warming flavors in order to shine! Without this dip, they’ll taste rather bland.
If you found these nutritious quesadillas to be as delicious as I hope, please leave a review in the comments below and share the recipe with a friend - I truly appreciate your support in helping to make my recipes more visible!