Vegetarian Quesadillas with Crumbled Tempeh

The best vegetarian quesadillas you'll ever try. This vegetarian quesadilla recipe is so simple yet versatile with tempeh crumbles as the main ingredient. They are packed with protein and also go great with Easy Avocado Cilantro Dressing or Green Chile Queso Sauce as a sauce for the quesadillas.

Tempeh recipes are a great way to add protein to your meals if you're plant-based or incorporating less meat into your diet. Tempeh is a great replacement for ground meat when you're going vegan or if it's meatless Monday in your household. It has a nutty flavor and a firm texture. Tempeh marinates really well too so you can flavor your veggie quesadilla filling with your favorite seasonings.

Jump to:

• 📋 Ingredients for Vegetarian Quesadillas
• 📖 Instructions
• 🍴 More Easy Vegetarian Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• ⭐ Reviews

📋 Ingredients for Vegetarian Quesadillas

• Tempeh: I use the Lightlife brand Tempeh. I use a grater to shred my tempeh then cook it with the veggie mix to make my crumbles. Vegetarian tempeh recipes are so versatile. I have used it with Mexican-inspired flavors as well as in a salad with Miso Sauce.
• Veggies: I used bell pepper, onions, corn, mushrooms, and spinach.
• Cheddar Cheese: I use freshly shredded Tillamook cheddar cheese or Kirkland's Mexican blend cheese. 
• Tortillas: I use flour tortillas. My favorite is H-E-B's fresh flour tortillas. Corn tortillas work well with these.
• Tomato paste and taco seasoning: for all the flavors. I get these from Thrive Market or look for a no sodium added option.
• Cheese. I love using Tillamook shredded cheese or Costco's Kirkland cheese. These are great non-animal rennet options. If you want to make this tempeh and veggie quesadilla as a vegan quesadilla, you can either omit the cheese or use vegan cheese.

📖 Instructions

• Make the tempeh recipe. I used a shredder for this but you can also crumble by hand.
• Cooking tempeh and veggie mix. Briefly sauté the vegetables, add the crumbled tempeh, cook it until it gets slightly browned on the edges, add the tomato paste, taco seasoning, then salt to taste.
• Assembling the quesadillas. Take a tortilla, add cheese on half the tortilla, add the tempeh filling, top it with some more cheese, and fold it over. cook the quesadillas until slightly brown and crispy! 
• Serve warm! 
• If you're running low on time, you can also make these into a tempeh taco and they turn out amazing. Simply take your tortilla, assemble the tempeh crumble filling, add cheese, and a sauce like the avocado cilantro sauce, and enjoy!

This vegetarian quesadilla recipe would work great as a make-ahead snack or an appetizer for a party as well! You can also make the tempeh filling ahead and use it for the tempeh tacos bar and allow guests to assemble their own tempeh tacos! Serve with avocado, salsa, sour cream, or any hot sauce of your choice. Serve warm and enjoy!

🍴 More Easy Vegetarian Recipes

• Crispy Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos
• Vegetarian Mexican Casserole
• Vegan Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad)
• Black Bean and Mango Salad with Lime Dressing

For more tempeh recipes, check out this Tempeh Salad with Miso Ginger Sauce or use tempeh in place of tofu for these Vegan Tofu Tacos.

If you loved these Vegetarian Quesadillas, please let me know in the comments below! I’d love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest! Subscribe for my weekly emails at the bottom so you never miss a new recipe!

📖 Recipe