Spiralized Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quesadillas
Quesadillas filled with sweet potatoes, black beans and cheese, served with creamy avocado dip! These are a great appetizer or busy weeknight dinner.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 2, 2024
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I really love this job of mine, but if I had to pick a few things I don’t love about it, washing the dishes and photographing quesadillas would be pretty high on the list. Honestly, you should see my first attempt at photographing these triangular nuggets. The sweet potato noodles inside didn’t help, and the photos were not cute. Not cute at all.
So, I owe props to my friend Ali of Inspiralized, who always manages to make veggie noodles so enticing. She has a blog full of recipes, a best-selling cookbook and her own proprietary contraption that turns vegetables into noodle shapes (the Inspiralizer). She’s basically taking over the world, one veggie noodle at a time, and I’m really proud of her. Veggie power!
Last week, she invited a few bloggers (myself included) to Chicago to eat lunch at Houlihan’s, which is running a special “Inspiralized” menu through June. Ali provided direction and helped develop the menu, and I was so impressed by Houlihan’s execution. Did you know that they make everything from scratch?
Plates of creative veggie noodle dishes kept showing up, and I found myself wondering why on earth I haven’t published more veggie noodle recipes. They’re really fun, and I’ll give two thumbs’ up to anything that entices people to eat more veggies.
These quesadillas were roughly inspired by the sweet potato and corn “Mexicali” flatbread we sampled last week. They’re stuffed full of spicy sweet potatoes, which were easier to prepare and cook in noodle form—no chopping required—plus black beans and just enough cheddar cheese to hold them all together. If you’ve enjoyed my Southwestern kale salad or sweet potato burrito bowls, you’re going to love these.
Given that Ali’s book is still on Amazon’s top 100 list (one year later!), I’m guessing that more than a few of you are familiar with veggie noodles and might have your own spiralizer already. If you don’t, don’t worry—I included directions for how to cook little sweet potato cubes in the recipe below.
If you don’t have a spiralizer but want one, the Inspiralizer is now available on Inspiralized.com, Amazon and Williams-Sonoma.
Spiralized Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quesadillas
These hearty quesadillas are filled with spicy sweet potatoes, black beans and melted cheese. Serve them with creamy avocado dip to really take them over the top, so don’t skip it! These are a great appetizer or busy weeknight dinner. Recipe yields 4 quesadillas (each made from 1 tortilla folded in half, for a visual).
Ingredients
Avocado Salsa Verde
- 1 cup mild salsa verde, either homemade or store-bought
- 1 large ripe avocado, pitted and sliced into a few big pieces
- Big handful of fresh cilantro (some stems are ok)
- ½ lime, juiced (about 1 tablespoon lime juice)
Quesadillas
- 1 medium-to-large sweet potato (about 12 ounces), peeled
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt
- 4 whole grain tortillas (about 8” in diameter)
- 3 cups (about 6 to 8 ounces) freshly grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup cooked black beans (from one 15-ounce can), rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons refined avocado oil or other quality high-heat vegetable oil, for brushing
Instructions
- Make the avocado salsa verde: In a food processor or blender, combine the salsa verde, avocado, cilantro and about 1 tablespoon lime juice. Blend until the salsa until it is super creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Scoop it into a bowl for dipping.
- If you have a spiralizer: Slice off the pointy ends of the sweet potatoes, then spiralize the sweet potatoes using blade A (the skinniest noodle option). Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until shimmering, then add the spiralized sweet potato, chili powder, cumin and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the noodles are tender and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes (I added another tablespoon oil to my cast iron skillet to prevent the noodles from sticking; non-stick skillets may not need any extra).
- If you don’t have a spiralizer: Slice your sweet potatoes into ¼″ cubes. In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped sweet potatoes and toss to coat, then add the chili powder, cumin and a pinch salt. Stir to combine. Once the pan is sizzling, add a scant ¼ cup water, then cover the pan and reduce heat to low to avoid burning the contents. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is tender and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Make the quesadillas, one or two at a time: Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Warm one tortilla for about 30 seconds, flipping halfway. Flip once more, and sprinkle one-half of the tortilla with about ⅓ cup shredded cheese. Cover the cheese with ¼th of the cooked sweet potatoes and ¼ cup beans. Sprinkle about ⅓ cup cheese over the fillings and fold over the empty side of the tortilla to enclose the fillings.
- Quickly brush the topside of the quesadilla with a light coating of oil, then flip it with a spatula. Let the underside of the quesadilla cook until golden and crispy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Brush the topside with a light coating of olive oil, then carefully flip it and cook until the underside is golden and crispy. Transfer it to a cutting board. Repeat with remaining quesadillas.
- Slice each quesadilla into three even wedges using a sharp pizza cutter or chef’s knife. Serve immediately, with avocado salsa verde on the side.
Notes
Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free 8″ quesadillas.
Make it dairy free/vegan: I haven’t tried this, but I think you could substitute refried black beans for the whole black beans, and they might/should hold the quesadillas together.
Storage suggestions: Store leftover avocado salsa verde in the fridge with plastic wrap pressed against the top surface to prevent oxidation. Leftover quesadillas will keep well, refrigerated, for a few days—just reheat in the microwave or, better yet, the oven before serving.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This was so delicious! I used vegan cheese and it turned out great! Definitely a staple from now on. :)
Fantastic! Love the sweet potatoes – like hash browns – inside. Will definitely make again. Totally inspired by your website – new vegetarian (almost vegan) since New Yea’rs :) Recipes like this make it easy!
I’ve been staring hungrily at these quesadillas for a while and ta-da! I just received my brand new spiralizer :) Can’t stop spiralizing, and those quesadillas were AMAZING! Thanks for inspiring me Kate, your blog is fantastic! :) Helene
I finally found an inexpensive spiralizer that actually works, so I made this tonight. I forgot to buy an avocado, so I just ate the quesadillas with regular salsa and they were still delicious. The only change I made was to cook the black beans for a few minutes with some cumin. I thought they might be too bland otherwise. I made a few extra and I think they will be good reheated the next day. Thanks for the recipe. Another winner from your blog.
That’s exciting! I’m so glad you enjoyed the quesadillas.
Made this last night and it was delicious!! Even better today at lunch. Thanks for the recipe.
These were AWESOME! I think black beans and sweet potatoes may be my new favorite food combination! And that avocado salsa verde is the BOMB! It may become my new favorite salsa to just have around. I took this to a neighborhood gathering and everyone wanted the recipe.
Received this recipe in my inbox yesterday, made it tonight for dinner. It was a hit with my 1/2 vegetarian 1/2 vegan family! I don’t have a spiralizer so cut up the sweet potato really small and it was perfect. Also much more filling than I expected! This is going into our regular rotation, thank you!!!!
Yum! Made this recipe earlier this week and I’m back to save it as it was a hit with my kids and hubby. I didn’t have a spiral tool so I just roasted the yams and fried using method two.
I didn’t have salsa on hand but I did have the fresh ingredients to make it so I just tossed fresh tomatoes, onion, red pepper and garlic in with an avocado and cilantro and the fresh flavours were beautiful! Such an awesome dip to accompany the quesadilla or plain chips.
Made this for my teenage brother who apon seeing the ingredients asked me if there was pizza in the fridge… And ended up eating the whole thing! Great recipe !
Made these for dinner. Used spinach quesadillas and added a bit of garlic powder and cinnamon to the spices. Everyone loved the unique taste and texture of the fried sweet potatoes.
It was awesome!! Made it for my family last night! I recently have been cutting sugar from my diet so this recipe was perfect and delicious.
Ahh, so glad you enjoyed it, Kim! And congratulations on transitioning away from sugar – it can be a tough change at first, but absolutely worth it. I’m happy to be of help :)
I’ve made this twice this week. This is a dynamite recipe! It seems so simple but it is so delicious. I’m new to your blog and enjoying it so much
Happy to have you here, Hope!
Kate- I just want to thank you for these amazing quesadillas. They taste so good, and comforting which is sometimes hard with vegetarian food. I will definitely add these to the rotation.
Always happy to hear that it’ll be a repeat recipe. Thanks, Maggie!
I am looking forward to trying this for my daughter and I. Hubby is still learning to like “vegetables”, haha.
Just a quick question, I have a whole bag of black beans and would like to learn how I can cook it from raw to “cooked” for this recipe.
Thank you :)
Hey, Shafeela – Here’s an easy-to-follow recipe for simple cooked beans at The Kitchn. You’d want to follow that recipe without the aromatics, and then simply add the right amount in to the recipe when you’re ready. Be careful – dried beans can yield double their amount when cooked, so read the instructions on the bag carefully. Let me know how it works out!
What is a good whole grain tortilla?
Hi Lisa, my favorite is Stacy’s brand, which I find at Whole Foods, Natural Grocer’s and other health food stores. That brand doesn’t have any preservatives. I store them in my fridge, or in my freezer when I know I won’t use them all soon enough.
The avocado salsa verde is life changing! This recipe was such a hit-thanks!
You’re welcome, Michelle!
what are the calories ?
Hi, Danielle,
Unfortunately, I don’t have nutritional info available for my recipes just yet. I’m looking for a solution, and will update about it once I find one. Thanks!
I made this recipe last night and it was delicious. The avocado salsa verde is perfection. I used a ‘hot’ store-bought salsa verde and it was just the right amount of spicey-ness on top of the quesadilla. One thing I like to do is to put the avocado pit in the bowl/container of guacamole (or this salsa verde), it keeps everything nice and green!
Thank you for the great recipes, I’ve been making different ones every weekend for a couple months now :)
Great tip with the avocado pit, Emily! Thanks for the kind note.
Kate, I’ve been making your salads for lunches this summer, and I love them! I have been wondering I’ll make in the “colder” months (though it is Texas, so it’s never that cold), and these look perfect for make-ahead lunches. Maybe even with spiralized butternut squash? I’m very excited!
YES I think these would be amazing with butternut! I’ll have to try that!
This recipe alone is worth buying a spiralizer. Since spiralized sweet potatoes keep very well in the fridge, I usually prepare a batch for a couple of lunches, which makes making these quesadillas a breeze. I like to add spinach or kale to the mix, and often swap the salsa for a dollop of Mexican sour cream mixed with canned chipotle peppers. Definitely one of my favorite recipes!
Yum! Sounds delicious, Barbara. I love my spiralizer–it’s such a good investment!
LOVE this recipe! The tastes, texture and colors are amongst my favorites and this recipe makes me want to cook more often. The avocado salsa by itself is awesome and easy as well.
Yum yum yum!!!! I don’t have a spiralizer so I just cubed my sweet potatoes and they ended up taking a super long time to cook! Other than that, the quesadillas turned out so yummy. I’ll have to use a spiralizer next time for a change in texture and probably reduction of time!
I’m glad you still tried it, Amber! Thank you for sharing and for your review.
I love this recipe – so delicious and super easy. The avocado salsa verde just makes it extra yummy. I will make these quesadillas again and again!
Happy you think so! Thank you, Susan for the review.
We make this recipe all the time at our house!!
So good
Great to hear, Leon!
This was a hit with my husband and I. Easy to make and good to eat. Thank you for sharing your recipe
You’re welcome, Kathy!
Delicious and easy to make!
These are amazing! I had never made quesadillas before and it was so much fun. I have to admit that I added caramelized onions and fresh corn. I know these are not part of the recipe but they were on their way out so I figured I’d toss ’em in and I’m so glad I did. They were delicious! And since I am not a fan of cilantro, I served them with homemade guacamole and sour cream instead. I was still full the next day!
Pretty good! I found spiralizing the potatoes to be more trouble than it was worth (the potatoes are so hard, it’s really hard to cut them – time consuming and just plain difficult), so next time, I might just try the dice option. I think I’d also add some kale sauteed with smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon and chipotle for a bit of additional interest. I found that I needed more oil than indicated (potatoes just suck up oil!), but no biggie :-) If I’m feeling really healthy-ish, I may also see what these are like with homemade lentil toritillas. All in all a great starting point. Thanks for the recipe!
This is great! I’ve made them a few times. I really love subbing in vegan cheese. Usually I’m not a fan of vegan cheese but there’s something about how it melts in with the sweet potatoes and beans that makes it delicious. would recommend!
Thank you for sharing, Brooke!
These are AMAZING! and truuuuuust me on this: I am not vegan and I usually do not like the way vegan cheese tastes BUT! there is something about the taste of vegan cheddar cheese that works PERFECTLY with this recipe. I’ve made it with regular cheese (cheddar, pepper jack) and it’s just nowhere near as good! Also, I like to mash up the sweet potato with an electric mixer once it’s done and throw the black beans in a pan (in their juices) with garlic and onion. The absolute best quesadillas!
These were fantastic! I made quesadillas with the spiralized sweet potatoes, black beans and cheese. I did not make the salsa verde. Definitely will be making these again!
Great to hear you enjoyed these, Blair!
I didn’t have salsa so I made these without and they were ridiculously under seasoned. I had to add about a tablespoon of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, extra cumin, salt and chili powder to make them palatable.
Hi Kathy, I’m sorry you didn’t love this recipe.
These were so simple and delicious. I made extra sweet potato and black beans and ate them in the morning as a breakfast taco with a scrambled egg and citrus avocado salsa. GREAT way to start the mornings.
I’m glad you enjoyed them, Courtney! I appreciate your review.
I make
This recipe every month or so and always enjoy it. The only thing I do differently is heat the black beans with cumin and canned diced green chilis.
I love to hear that, Tina! Thank you for sharing.
My family really liked these! Thank you Kate!
You’re welcome, Angela! I appreciate your review.
I don’t have a spiralizer but I’ve been wanting to recreate something similar that used grated sweet potato, and this looks like it will really work well!
We love these! Fun movie night weekend meal… I don’t do extra kitchen gadgets either, so I dice up the sweet potatoes and roast them. Works great and they can be done the day before or cook while I’m mixing up the verde sauce and shredding cheese! Thanks for helping my family move toward more vegetarian meals!
You’re welcome, Rachel! I’m glad you loved it.
I took the refried bean route and added a bit of onion, garlic, cumin and water to a pan with the beans until the it mashed a bit. I also used a lot less cheese, and they still held together quite well. Folding the tortillas in half rather than stacking really helps with that as well (even if you have street taco sized tortillas). Taking inspiration from Kate’s enchilada sauce recipe, I added a dash of cinnamon to the sweet potatoes and was glad I did! Really excellent, well -rounded meal (totally agree on it not being photogenic though!)