Every Helping
Sign in

Dinner recipe · from the recipe book

Spiced Lentil Mushroom Quesadillas with Avocado Sauce

Crisp corn tortillas hold earthy cumin-spiced lentils, browned mushrooms and melty queso fresco, finished with a cool, tangy avocado-lime sauce.

Spiced Lentil Mushroom Quesadillas with Avocado Sauce

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup160 gBrown or green lentils, dryrinsed
  • 2½ cups600 gWater
  • 3¼ cups sliced225 gWhite mushroomsfinely chopped
  • 1 medium110 gYellow onionfinely diced
  • 3 cloves9 gGarlicminced
  • 2 tsp4 gGround cumin
  • 1½ tsp4 gChili powder
  • 1 tsp1 gDried oregano
  • 1½ tbsp20 gCanola oil
  • 3 cups loosely packed90 gBaby spinach
  • 16 tortillas384 gCorn tortillas
  • ¾ cup crumbled100 gQueso frescocrumbled
  • 2 oz60 gPart-skim mozzarellashredded
  • 1 cup diced150 gAvocadopitted and scooped
  • 3 oz80 gPlain Greek yogurt, nonfat
  • 2 tbsp30 gLime juice
  • ⅔ cup chopped10 gFresh cilantrochopped
  • 1 whole14 gJalapeñoseeded and minced
  • ½ tsp3 gSalt

Steps

  1. Simmer the lentils in the water in a saucepan, partly covered, for 20 to 25 minutes until tender but holding shape; drain any leftover water.
  2. While the lentils cook, make the avocado sauce: blend or mash the avocado with the Greek yogurt, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeño and one third of the salt until smooth. Chill until serving.
  3. Heat half of the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook 7 to 8 minutes until browned and dry.
  4. Stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder and oregano and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
  5. Add the drained lentils, the spinach and the remaining two thirds of the salt; cook 2 minutes until the spinach wilts, lightly mashing some lentils so the filling holds together. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out the skillet.
  6. Lay out 8 of the 16 corn tortillas. Top each with an equal share of the lentil filling, the queso fresco and the mozzarella, then cover with the remaining 8 tortillas.
  7. Brush the skillet with some of the remaining canola oil over medium heat. Cook the quesadillas two at a time, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until crisp and the cheese melts, using the rest of the oil across the batches.
  8. Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve 2 per person with the avocado sauce.

Contains: Milk.

Cook mode Log it in Today

Made it

Made it? Share how yours turned out.

Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

Want one that fits your numbers?

Pick the meal, the pan and your targets, and the Every Helping recipe generator writes a recipe with every number worked out. Free on the web.

Make a recipeMore from the recipe book