Yesterday was not my day. I made a very dumb, very expensive mistake, and I need you to tell me you have made a very dumb and expensive mistake before, too. I hit the side of my car against… a pole. A stationary pole.

To be fair, the turn requires a sharp right past the pole, and there is no curb to protect cars from hitting the pole. Yet, I have driven by this pole 100 times without hitting it before. It happened in broad daylight outside my favorite local health food store, as I was on my way to buy these tortillas.

I called my mom, drove home and put these expensive tortillas to good use. I made quesadillas, with hummus instead of cheese! Did you know that’s an option? I stumbled upon this idea after successfully testing a variation of quesadillas with vegan sour cream instead of shredded cheese for .

As a dairy eater, believe me when I say that that vegan sour cream recipe (available in the book) is absolutely delicious. I often prefer it to the usual dairy options because it’s lighter and plant-based, and it has inspired me to find more non-dairy solutions. I wondered later, “Could I make quesadillas with hummus, too?” Yep!

Quesadillas have been my default quick meal since college. Now that my fridge is no longer overflowing with cookbook leftovers, I’ve been whipping them up again. The key is to make each quesadilla with one tortilla, folded down the middle, rather than trying to sandwich everything between two tortillas. The two-tortilla sandwich situation is difficult to flip and liable to lose all of its fillings when sliced. Trust me. You can make two folded tortillas in one skillet, if necessary (see photo, above).

Hummus is made with chickpeas and tahini, so it’s a protein-rich, vegan/dairy-free option. For minimally processed hummus quesadillas, or buy a store-bought option that is free of preservatives. ALDI and Trader Joe’s offer some tasty organic options. Tortillas often contain excess ingredients, too. My favorite brand is . I store them in the freezer when I know I won’t be able to use them up within a week or less.

Feel free to go wild with your flavor of hummus and fillings. For the photos here, I used roasted garlic hummus and picked some Mediterranean flavors to go with it—sun-dried tomatoes, olives and sautéed spinach. Let me know how you stuff yours!

Hummus Quesadillas!

Author: Cookie and Kate Prep Time: 7 mins Cook Time: 8 mins Total Time: 15 minutes Yield: 1 1x Category: Entree Cuisine: Mediterranean

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

4.9 from 31 reviews

These quesadillas are made with hummus instead of cheese, and they are absolutely delicious! Hummus quesadillas are a healthy dairy-free and vegan meal. Recipe below makes one folded/half-moon quesadilla; multiply as necessary.

Ingredients

Per quesadilla

One 8-inch whole grain tortilla (or gluten-free tortilla for gluten-free quesadillas) ¼ to ⅓ cup hummus of choice ( is my favorite)Fillings of your choice (I used a handful of sautéed spinach in olive oil, rinsed oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, and some thinly sliced Kalamata olives)Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushingOptional, for serving: additional hummus, hot sauce, pesto, etc.

Instructions

Spread hummus generously over your tortilla. Lightly cover one-half of the tortilla with fillings of your choice. Fold the blank half over to create a half-moon shape. Repeat if you’d like to make more than one quesadilla; you can cook up to two at a time in the same skillet.Warm a medium skillet over medium heat. Place the folded quesadilla(s) in the pan. Let the bottom sides warm up for a minute or two, then carefully flip. Brush the warm sides lightly with olive oil and let them cook in the pan for another minute or two. Carefully flip once again, brush the new top side lightly with olive oil, and cook until the bottom is lightly golden and crisp. Carefully flip and cook until that side is lightly golden and crisp.Transfer the quesadilla(s) to a cutting board and let them rest for a couple of minutes. Then, use a sharp chef’s knife or pizza cutter to slice each quesadilla into three wedges. Serve immediately. I enjoyed mine as-is, but you might like some additional hummus on the side, or perhaps some hot sauce or a dab of pesto.

Notes

Serving suggestions: This quesadilla would go great with a or almost any of my other .
Storage suggestions: These quesadillas are at their crisp best right after making, but they will keep well for about three days in the refrigerator, covered. Gently reheat before serving, if desired.
If you love this recipe: Check out and .

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our