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.
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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!
So yummy and healthy! Was browsing and realized I have all the ingredients, so why not? My whole family gobbled them up and requested we make them again!
This was soooo good! Added a bit more salt and also grilled up some onions beforehand. Other than that, followed the recipe verbatim. Absolutely delicious.
This just didn’t do it for me. Turned out very bland. Maybe some onions, peppers and additional spices would help.
thank you! great easy meal prep vegetarian recipe! adding it to my meal rotation :)
One of my favorite quesadilla recipes!! Nice and veggie but super creamy. Pairs amazingly with aji verde. Love these for lunch (the next day) as well.
Very easy and delicious! A big hit this week with me and my partner. Will be making again.
I’ve made these time and time again! They are so delicious. Quick, easy vegetarian meal that packs flavor. The mixture is even good leftover the next day.
Absolutely delicious! Ate one of these with some fresh salsa and it just satisfied everything. =) Thanks so much for another awesome one, Beth!!
I made these as appetizers using 1.5 packs of Trader Joe mini flour tortillas. I heated them in pan as directed and then warmed up on cookie sheet. This recipe is terrific. It’s the third quesadilla recipe of yours I have made.
These are awesome. I didn’t have enough sour cream so added some cream cheese which is a great addition. Also sprinkled a little extra jack cheese on the inside before cooking.
Delicious. Needs a little salt and pepper but other than that I was surprised at how good this is.
I am late to the game but these are DELICIOUS and so so easy– I already am looking forward to making them again.
I have made these quesadillas more times than I can count the past three years. They are delicious and have become a camping staple for us. I pre-make the filling before we go camping and freeze before placing in our cooler. It is usually soft enough for me to divide into tortillas by the time I am ready to use it. All I have to do is toast them in a skillet! So so good!
Quick, easy, delicious and taste really different than « classic » quesadillas.
My boyfriend and I love it and we cook it regularly.
When spinach is on sale we jump on it to cook these.
I tried a vegan version of this recipe tonight and I was very satisfied. Not only did I make my white beans in my Instantpot ahead of time but I also made homemade tortillas on the spot. There’s no shame in my game. ;)
I used the frozen spinach I had in the freezer, spices, some vegan cream cheese (that’s all I had), some nutritional yeast, soy sauce, lemon juice, and some tahini. (these are pretty much pantry staples I always have on hand (sans the spinach and vegan cream cheese).
I made a white sauce with the tahini, nooch, soy sauce and a little bit of olive oil and water to add more flavor. I made a red sauce with about a tablespoon of tomato paste from my pantry (I freeze tomato paste in ice cube trays), with a few spices (chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika) and lemon juice. Nothing too fancy but it got the job done!
It’s getting cold outside where I live so I shop once a month and buy what I think will last me a while. Learning how to store food for max freshness is key. I think when I make this again I’ll use Daiya cheddar or Violife shreds with a little jalapeño and onion.