Smoky Pepper and White Bean Quesadillas with Tomato Salsa

Serves 2 for a main meal or 4-6 as a starter

Takes 40 minutes

These are lovely, the creamy beany filling is tasty and appetising, while the salsa is zingy and fruity and complements the cheese and the tortillas beautifully. Serve with some chipotle and a salad on the side. The beautiful plates the quesadillas are served on above, by the way, were courtesy of Lucy & Jorge Orta, fantastic artist friends of ours who gave them to us at an amazingly good party celebrating Lucy's birthday in Boissy-le-Châtel, just outside Paris, in June 2016


3 spring onions, finely sliced

olive or avocado oil

½ teasp smoked paprika

150g tinned white beans eg cannellini beans

150g red peppers (marmaris ones work well)

1 lemon, zested, and half of it juiced

salt and pepper (smoked salt works well)

3 tbsp chopped parsley

90g Manchego or hard goat’s cheese, grated

4 corn and wheat tortillas

15 cherry tomatoes chopped

Salad leaves to serve

Chipotles En Adobo


  • Set your oven 220C. Fry the onions in a little oil along with the paprika, and cook for a couple of minutes until starting to brown. Set aside.

  • When the oven is up to temperature, put the pepper on a baking tray, and roast until soft - about 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and then peel off the skin and remove the seeds

  • Put the beans in a bowl. Add half of the peppers, half of the parsley, the spring onions, the lemon zest and cheese. Blitz to a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper

  • To make the salsa. Chop the remaining pepper finely and place in a small serving bowl with the chopped tomatoes, half of the lemon juice and the remaining parsley. Mix well

  • Put a shallow frying pan over a medium heat. Place the first tortilla in the pan, quickly spread half of the bean mixture on top – leaving 1 cm free near the edge. Place a second tortilla on top and press gently so that the filling just reaches the edge. Dry fry for a couple of minutes, until it starts to colour. Using a fish slice, flip the quesadilla over (it now has some structural integrity so is easier than you think) and toast the other side. You can add a little oil to the pan if you like your quesadillas crispy. Slide the quesadilla off onto a plate, and cut into quarters.

  • Repeat with the second half of the filling. Allow to cool for 5 minutes as the filling gets very hot. Serve with the salsa, some salad leaves, and chipotle