Extra Crispy Mushroom Quesadilla
Crispy things are the best, right? I mean you can’t beat a great Belgian fry or perfectly cooked tempura. There’s something so beguiling about crunch and crisp, just ask Snap, Crackle and Pop. Dig into these extra crispy quesadillas and enjoy!
I wouldn’t suggest you eat fried foods daily, but it’s the weekend, so banish plans for that kale salad and feed your crunch craving. These tacos, stuffed with fried enoki, vegan cheese, avo and Sriracha, walk the fine line between an oh so indulgent cheat meal and virtuous veg fest.
Ready in under 30 minutes, approved by your favorite chef (me!) and vegan, winning!
This mushroom quesadilla pairs wonderfully with our Smokey Tomato Salsa, some nacho chips, and a glass of our Paloma Rose Sunrise.
If you try this recipe, let us know how it goes! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag your photo #theculinarycartel on Instagram so we can see what you come up with. Happy cooking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use other types of mushrooms?
Of course! Cut button mushrooms into bite sized pieces and follow the recipe instructions.
Extra Crispy Mushroom Quesadilla
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 Servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Crispy things are the best, right? I mean you can’t beat a great Belgian fry or perfectly cooked tempura. There’s something so beguiling about crunch and crisp, just ask Snap, Crackle and Pop. Dig into these extra crispy quesadillas and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 300g enoki or oyster mushrooms broken into bite-sized chunks
- corn (allow 4p.p) or flour tortillas (allow 2p.p)
- 1 jar of red onion pickle or make your own
- 200g melting vegan cheese (or feel free to sub with mozzarella if not strictly plant-based)
- 1 large ripe avocado, sliced
- 200g tempura flour
- 250ml iced water
- 1L canola oil for frying (You usually will need less, but that depends on the size of your pot)
- Sriracha mayo to serve
- limes to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 150C or pop your warming draw on.
- Prepare your mushrooms. Brush off any dirt with a cloth or pastry brush. As you are frying do not be tempted to wash your mushrooms- they soak up water like little sponges!
- Place a deep, medium sized pot on a high heat. Now add your canola oil until it is 10cm deep and heat it to 180C. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the oil with a cube of bread or a drop of tempura. It should brown in 30-40 seconds when the oil is at a moderate heat.
- Never fill the pan more than two-thirds full with oil as it may bubble up when food is added, and could spill over.
- While the oil heats make the tempura batter. Add the flour to the bowl, and add the ice cold water. Stir quickly until all the flour is just mixed with the water. Do not over mix. There should be small lumps in the batter.
- Line a baking sheet with paper towel and get ready to fry. Toss the mushrooms in a little additional tempura flour, until coated. Add a few mushrooms to the tempura batter, then trasfer them quickly into the oil.
- Repeat with the remaining mushrooms. B careful not to add too many mushrooms at once as this will cool the oil and make the mushrooms greasy. Once all the mushrooms are fried, arrange them in an even layer on the baking tray, sprinkle with salt and place them in the oven to keep warm. The mushrooms will go soggy if too crowded on the tray so be sure to leave space between them.
- To finish the tacos place 2 pans on a medium heat. Add one tortilla to each pan, cover the tortilla in vegan cheese and place a lid over the pan to help the cheese melt quickly. The cheese should be gooey and melting after about 2 minutes. On top of the melting cheese, add some avo slices, pickled onions, a couple of crispy mushrooms and a generous drizzle of Sriracha mayo.
- Cover the whole lot with another tortilla to create a sort of Mexican-esque toasted cheese sandwich. Press down on the top tortilla with a spatula to squash it all together, then flip the whole thing over to cook it on the other side, for 1 minute. Slide the quesadillas out onto a serving plate and cut into wedges. Repeat the process using the 2 pans for any remaining tortillas.
- Eat immediately, with a squeeze of lime, served with cold beers, and a side salad.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Method: Fry
- Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 5345.95kcal
- Sugar: 7.87g
- Sodium: 2646.06mg
- Fat: 508.97g
- Saturated Fat: 35.53g
- Unsaturated Fat: 427.5g
- Trans Fat: 1.79g
- Carbohydrates: 173.47g
- Fiber: 15.07g
- Protein: 47.52g
- Cholesterol: 8.43mg
