White Bean Quesadillas with Caramelized Onions, Kale, and Butternut Squash
Corn tortillas are gently wrapped around a protein-rich stuffing of creamy white beans and earthy kale, nestled in a bed of sweet and salty butternut squash purée, and topped with perfectly caramelized onions, for an out of this world meal, delivering irresistible flavor.
Servings 8 quesadillas
Calories 409kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 Corn Tortillas
For the Onions:
- 2 large Yellow Onions
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
For the squash:
- 2 ½ cups Butternut Squash cubes
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Ground Pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon White Miso Paste (any variety will do)
- ¼ cup Water (more or less)
For the Bean Filling:
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 can No Added Salt White Beans (like Great Northern or Cannellini Beans)
- 2 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 2 tablespoon Water
- 2 cups Kale chopped with thick stems removed
To Serve:
- Salsa, avocado/guacamole, or sour cream (use plain, unsweetened dairy or non dairy yogurt for a heart healthier option)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
Make the caramelized onions
- Peel, halve, and thinly slice the onions.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sprinkle with salt.
- Turn the heat to low, and sauté for about 45-60 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Note: you don’t want the onions to brown too fast and get crispy. You want them to caramelize low and slow, and this takes time.
Make the butternut squash purée
- Meanwhile, prepare the squash. Peel, halve, and remove the seeds.
- Chop the squash into pieces, approximately 1 inch square.
- Toss with oil and sprinkle with some ground pepper, on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the squash is soft and starting to brown around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool a few minutes before dumping them into a food processor.
- Add the miso paste to the squash and process on high. Pour in water a few tablespoons at a time until you achieve a smooth consistency. Scrape down the sides a few times - you don’t want the consistency to become runny. I usually need around ¼ cup of water total, but it depends on how much water is in the squash to begin with.
Make the bean filling
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, beans, and spices, and sauté a few minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Now add the chopped kale and 2 tablespoons of water. Put the lid on the pan and let the kale wilt down until it is vibrant green.
- Stir the mixture to combine, and turn off the heat.
Make the quesadillas
- Preheat a griddle or large pan over medium heat. Do not oil the pan - we will dry cook these. A cast iron or other non stick pan will work best for this, but use what you have.
- Take a tortilla and smear a spoonful of the squash puree on half of it. Add a few spoonfuls of the bean filling, and a scoop of caramelized onions.
- Place the tortilla on the preheat griddle, and heat for about 10 seconds before trying to fold it in half.
- Cook on one side for about 5 minutes, until the tortilla is toasty and browned, then carefully flip and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
- Repeat with the remaining tortillas, working in batches if needed.
- Serve hot with recommended toppings, or your own favorites!
Notes
Time saving options!
For the squash:
Instead of a whole butternut squash, use frozen squash. No need to thaw - toss with oil and pepper and follow the recipe from there. Your baking time may be less, so keep an eye on it.
Alternatively, use already pureed squash or pumpkin. You’ll need about 1 or 1 ½ cups of it, then simply mix with the miso paste. You may want to mix the miso with a little warm water first to make it easier to incorporate into the squash. For the onions:
Properly caramelized onions just take time. But if you want you can simply sauté them to your liking and use them that way. You can also make caramelized onions in the slow cooker!
Instead of a whole butternut squash, use frozen squash. No need to thaw - toss with oil and pepper and follow the recipe from there. Your baking time may be less, so keep an eye on it.
Alternatively, use already pureed squash or pumpkin. You’ll need about 1 or 1 ½ cups of it, then simply mix with the miso paste. You may want to mix the miso with a little warm water first to make it easier to incorporate into the squash. For the onions:
Properly caramelized onions just take time. But if you want you can simply sauté them to your liking and use them that way. You can also make caramelized onions in the slow cooker!
Nutrition
Serving: 2quesadillas | Calories: 409kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10.2g | Sodium: 322mg | Potassium: 972mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2464IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Vitamin K: 53µg | Calcium: 195mg | Iron: 4.5mg | Magnesium: 123mg
