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    Home » Recipes » Mexican Inspired

    Spinach and Refried Bean Quesadilla

    Willow Moon in front of bushes.
    Updated: Dec 1, 2022 · by Willow Moon · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
    Jump to Recipe Pin

    This Spinach and Refried Bean Quesadilla is loaded with flavor, comes together in less than 15 minutes, and can be the main dish or appetizer.

    Spinach and Refried Bean Quesadilla close up.

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    This Spinach and Refried Bean Quesadilla could not be any easier. It is a quick and easy weeknight meal.

    Serve this vegan quesadilla as an after school vegan snack, appetizer, or main dish. Eat it as is or customize it to your liking!

    Sometimes I make a refried bean quesadilla as is without any veggies or vegan cheese. It is such an easy to meal to get on the table fast.

    I like to use spicy refried beans because they have all the spices you need and make cooking a quesadilla even faster. You could add roasted veggies or spinach and onions, like I did here.

    I like the combination of spinach and onions because they cook quickly and go well with refried beans and vegan cheddar cheese.

    Other recipes to try are my Vegan Ricotta and Spinach Lasagna recipe, Vegan Spinach Calzones, Easy Tofu Scramble with Spinach, and Tofu Spinach Dip recipe.

    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why You'll Love It
    • 🧾 Ingredients
    • 📖 Variations / Additions
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🍽 Serving
    • Other Vegan Quesadillas
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ❤️ Why You'll Love It

    • It's an easy meal. It's perfect for a weeknight or an appetizer for a party.
    • You can customize it to your liking. Add your favorite roasted veggies.

    🧾 Ingredients

    Spinach and Refried Bean Quesadilla ingredients on a cutting board with labels.
    • Onions: Add a sweet flavor.
    • Olive oil: To cook the quesadilla. If you have a non-stick pan, you may not want to use olive oil.
    • Garlic: Adds a pungent flavor.
    • Spinach: I like spinach for its mild flavor. You could also use kale or your favorite greens or leave it off.
    • Refried beans: I used spicy refried beans but you could regular refried beans. You could also use refried black beans.
    • Tortillas: I used some local gluten-free tortillas. Use your favorite.
    • Vegan cheddar: Adds a sharp cheesy flavor. It also tastes good in Vegan Taquitos. Use your favorite non-dairy cheese. Vegan cream cheese also tastes good, which I used in my Vegan Black Bean Quesadilla.
    • Salt and pepper: Enhances flavors and adds flavor. I like to use sea salt.

    To see the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    📖 Variations / Additions

    • Avocado
    • Hummus
    • Roasted peppers
    • Mushrooms
    • Other vegan cheese: nacho, pepper jack
    • Kale or other greens
    • Cilantro
    • Black beans
    • Vegan Black Bean Dip
    • Pinto beans
    • Chopped tomato
    • Spices (if you don't have refried beans with spices): taco seasoning or chili powder or chipotle powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, paprika, and Mexican oregano
    • Jalapeños or other green chiles
    • Chipotle pepper
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    🔪 Instructions

    Onions in pan left photo and spinach added to pan right photo.

    Step 1: Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add chopped onions. Cook until translucent. Add minced garlic. Cook for 30 seconds.

    Step 2: Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add salt and pepper.

    Refried beans on tortilla left photo, spinach and onion mixture on top of beans right photo.

    Step 3: On a tortilla, spread refried beans to the edges.

    Step 4: Layer spinach and onion mixture on top of refried beans.

    Vegan cheddar on top of beans, spinach, and onions left photo, and in pan right photo.

    Step 5: Sprinkle shredded vegan cheddar cheese on top of the spinach mixture. Top with the other tortilla.

    Step 6: Place filled tortillas in a skillet and cook on medium heat until starting to brown. Flip the quesadilla and cook the other side.

    Remove the quesadilla from the skillet and slice. Serve with salsa or your favorite condiment.

    Spinach and Refried Bean Quesadilla with salsa.

    🍽 Serving

    • Guacamole
    • Salsa Fresca or Restaurant Style Salsa
    • Tofu Sour Cream
    • Sliced avocado
    • Hot sauce
    Spinach and Refried Bean Quesadilla on cutting board.

    Other Vegan Quesadillas

    • Hummus Quesadilla with Caramelized Onions
      Hummus Quesadilla with Caramelized Onions
    • Vegan S'mores Quesadilla
      Vegan S'mores Quesadilla
    • Black Bean and Corn Vegan Quesadilla
      Black Bean and Corn Vegan Quesadilla
    • Black Bean and Corn Hummus Quesadilla stacked on a cutting board.
      Black Bean and Corn Hummus Quesadilla

    If you tried this Spinach and Refried Bean Quesadilla Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and let me know how you like it in the 💬 comments below. I love hearing from you!

    This refried bean quesadilla is an easy appetizer or weeknight meal.

    *I originally posted this recipe on November 23, 2014. I changed the recipe slightly and added new photos and text when I republished it.

    📋 Recipe

    Spinach and Refried Bean Quesadilla
    Pin Print
    5 from 2 votes

    Spinach and Refried Bean Quesadilla

    This Spinach and Refried Bean Quesadilla is loaded with flavor, comes together in less than 15 minutes and can be the main dish or appetizer.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mexican inspired
    Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 12 minutes minutes
    Total Time 17 minutes minutes
    Servings 2
    Calories 245kcal
    Author Willow Moon
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    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil + more for quesadilla if it's not non-stick (or Coconut oil / other spray)
    • ½ cup chopped onions
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • 6 cups spinach
    • Salt and pepper
    • 2  tortillas (gluten free if necessary)
    • 6  tablespoons spicy refried beans
    • ½ cup grated vegan cheddar
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
    • Add garlic. Cook 30 seconds longer.
    • Add spinach. Cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
    • Spread refried beans on one of the tortillas.
    • Layer the onion spinach mixture on top of the refried beans.
    • Sprinkle grated vegan cheddar on top of onion spinach mixture.
    • Top with the other tortilla.
    • Heat a pan on medium heat. If you are not using a non-stick pan, add coconut oil spray or oil. Place quesadilla in pan and fry until golden brown.
    • Carefully flip with a large spatula and cook the other side until golden brown.
    • Slice and serve.

    Notes

    *This recipe has been changed slightly since republishing it. I cooked the spinach and added cooked onions and garlic. I also changed the vegan cheese because the original one is no longer available.
    The individual components of the refried bean quesadillas will last about 5 days in airtight containers in the fridge.
    I recommend eating it once assembled. If you want to make it ahead of time or make more than one, I would eat them within a day or two.
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 714mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 840IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 172mg | Iron: 4.2mg

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    *Note: Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only. Different nutrition calculators give you different results.

    More Mexican Inspired

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      Bean and Mexican Cauliflower Rice Burritos
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    • Mango Habanero Salsa on a plate with tortilla chips.
      Mango Habanero Salsa

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