This is like, “the week of quesadillas” at my house. LOL. When the concept for these super easy creamy quesadillas first came into my head I couldn’t decide whether to make them with chicken or do a vegetarian version, so I just made both! While I love both versions of this quesadilla, the incredible ease and low cost of these Creamy White Bean and Spinach Quesadillas might make them the winner. They literally only take about 20 minutes and are so freaking good.
If you want the chicken version, head over to the post for Creamy Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas.
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What to Serve with Spinach and White Bean Quesadillas
Because the filling for these quesadillas is so rich and creamy, they really benefit from being served with a nice tangy salsa or pico de gallo. The salsa I used is a smoky chipotle red salsa, which paired so well with the flavors of the quesadillas. Normally quesadillas would be served with some sour cream or guacamole dolloped on top, but there is so much creaminess already that I think that would be overkill.
What type of white beans should I use?
I definitely suggest using cannellini beans for this recipe because of their large size, firm texture, and ability to hold their shape. Other white beans, like navy beans, tend to break down and are better suited for use in soups, stews, or recipes where they’ll be mashed. If you want to read more about the common types of white beans and how they’re best used, check out this helpful guide from Camellia Beans.
Creamy White Bean and Spinach Quesadillas
Servings 4 quesadillasIngredients
- 1 15oz. can cannellini beans ($0.69)
- 3/4 tsp chili powder ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin ($0.03)
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 2 cups fresh spinach ($0.87)
- 4 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded ($1.00)
- 1/2 cup sour cream ($0.35)
- 4 8-inch flour tortillas ($0.96)
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the cannellini beans well. Once well drained, transfer them to a bowl and add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt. Stir to combine the beans with the spices.
- Roughly chop the spinach into smaller pieces. Add the spinach, cheese, and sour cream to the bowl with the beans, then stir to combine.
- Divide the spinach and bean mixture between the four tortillas, then fold them in half to close.
- Cook the quesadillas, one or two at a time, in a skillet* over medium heat until the tortillas are brown and crispy and the filling is melted and gooey (3-5 minutes each side).
- Cut the quesadillas in half, then serve.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Spinach and White Bean Quesadillas – Step by Step Photos
Begin by rinsing and draining a 15oz. can of cannellini beans. Make sure they’re drained well, then place them in a bowl with 3/4 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, and 1/8 tsp salt. Stir to coat the beans in the spices.
Roughly chop about 2 cups of spinach into smaller pieces.
Combine the seasoned beans and chopped spinach in a bowl with 4 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese and 1/2 cup sour cream. Stir to combine these ingredients.
Divide the spinach and bean mixture between the four tortillas, covering half of the tortilla, then fold them in half to close.
Cook the quesadillas, one or two at a time, in a skillet over medium heat until the tortillas are brown and crispy, and the filling is melted. I don’t add oil to my skillet, but you can if you prefer a more fried-like texture to the tortillas. (The residue you see in the skillet is splatter from juices coming out of the quesadilla.)
Slice the cooked quesadillas in half and serve!
As mentioned above, I LOVE these Creamy White Bean and Spinach Quesadillas served with a nice tangy salsa!
Made this tonight since I had everything in the fridge already…so easy, simple and delicious! Took no time to put together and cook, love that, and tasted fabulous!! I absolutely love all of Beth’s recipes-she is my go to girl for recipe ideas!!
Thank you Sandra!
My friend made this for dinner last night and it was a hit. My 10 year old son loved it. I will be making this soon.
Hooray for a win with your son! Thanks for sharing.
My wife enjoyed this so much she asked for it again 2 nights later.
First time I had no sour cream so drizzled olive oil for moisture and part-smashed many of the beans. Came out tasty but a touch bland. Tonight, I added sour cream, pumped up the spice with a bit of dried ancho powder and increased the kosher salt a bit. I pressed the bean cheese spice mix in half the tortilla, sprinkled diced sweet onion (really small pieces) and tossEd the chopped spinach onto the open tortilla before folding it in half. Toasted on a dry pan, the tortilla came out beautifully..
For those wondering, a can of beans makes 3 good-sized quesadillas (8” burrito tortillas).
That’s fantastic! Thanks for sharing.
I think it would be fantastic!
I can’t remember if I’ve commented on this before but I decided I can’t say enough good things about this recipe so it doesn’t matter! Love this! So easy and quick and tasty! Perfect for Meatless Monday. I like to roughly mash the beans before stirring in the rest of the ingredients. My husband who hates all things green doesn’t even mind the spinach!
Ha thank you Elizabeth!!
My friend recommended your site and this was my first try at a recipe! I loved it! I made it vegan with vegan cheese and an almond milk based spiced sour cream from a local producer. White beans definitely made it creamy, and I loved the simplicity of the recipe. Can’t wait to try out more!
So happy to hear it Grace! We’re happy you’re here!
Very tasty! The only problem is that mine didn’t stick together, and it ended up being a huge mess to eat. Any suggestions for next time?
Hi Christina! Sorry to hear that. Did the cheese melt okay? Maybe they weren’t quite cooked through?
Hi this recipe looks great and I’ve enjoyed a bunch of your recipes in the past. I was curious what the salsa was that you used and whether it was homemade or store bought?
Thanks!
I was trying to keep it super easy that day, so I used a store bought salsa. It’s Kroger’s Private Selection brand. :)
I was nervous about this recipe…I’ve never had a “creamy” quesadilla before, and certainly not one with beans as a main ingredient. I’m so glad I ventured out and tried this! It was so flavorful and delicious. Kept me full all evening (which is a rarity).
Happy you gave it a try Danielle!
Thanks to this recipe, a true miracle happened in my home today: my husband ate spinach and loved it!! I could tell by his face he didn’t even want to try the meal at first (bc spinach) but after one quesadilla he went up for seconds and thirds, telling me how good it was, and then asked me to make this meal again!!! The white beans blend so well w the cheese, I couldn’t believe how creamy they tasted.
I made the recipe w frozen spinach and doubled the spices, as others suggested. Perfection!
Best review ever!
This was so delicious and so easy! I didn’t have any sour cream, so I used greek yogurt instead, and it still turned out great. Thanks for sharing an awesome work night recipe!
Greek yogurt is my go to sub for sour cream too. No one can tell!
Beth- I love this recipe (like many, many others that you have). Like someone else had mentioned wanting to add more veggies to it. So I added them, but cooked them down with the rest of the mix and added the cream and cheese at the end. It kept them from getting watery, but kept the recipe yummy and full of more veggies.
Wow! Delicious!!! And so easy. Thanks for a great recipe. Did you make the salsa shown in the pics? It also looks yummy. Can you share the recipe? :)
This looks great and I’m eager to try them! I’d like to up the amount of veggies in there – any recommendations of what will go well? I was thinking maybe some red onion and bell pepper will cut through the creaminess a bit? And then might I need to up the cheese to keep them from falling apart?
Red onion would definitely go well. Just be careful with adding more veggies because it might get kind of watery. 😅
Got it! Thanks! :-)
I really loved how easy this recipe was! I used whole wheat tortillas for mine. I calculated the calories, which were pretty low, which I know isn’t the most important thing, but it is still nice. This recipe made me feel full. I feel as though you can use the mixture with many different proteins. Thanks for the recipe Beth! Keep up the good work.