Chef Chloe Coscarelli’s Vegan Cheeze Quesadilla Has a Gut-Boosting Secret Ingredient

“Kimchi” and “quesadilla” aren’t generally used in the same sentence—unless you’re famed vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli, who melted the two together in the best way. Some people may find the Mexican and Korean combo strange, but trust me: The two cuisines pair perfectly together and offer an entirely new spin on traditional flavors.

Let’s get one thing straight: Kimchi is so underrated. The fermented staple is packed with probiotics that help boost the amount of good bacteria in your gut, preventing an imbalance that could lead to weight gain, digestive issues, skin problems, and chronic health conditions, says the Mayo Clinic. It’s best benefit, though? Kimchi pairs well with just about anything, making this the cheezy gut-boosting dish of your dreams.

Coscarelli shared her kimchi quesadilla recipe on Instagram, and it’s easy to make. After preparing your ingredients, assembling everything together takes little to no time at all. Just spread the homemade cashew-based cheese on half the tortilla, pile on as much kimchi, spicy tofu, and sautéed spinach as you desire, and finish up with a nice layer of avocado. Then fold your tortilla and get to toasting. A couple minutes later, you’ll be left with a super-healthy meal that combines two great cuisines into one.

To make Chloe’s mouth-watering kimchi quesadillas, follow the recipe below.

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✨Recipe Alert!✨ #vegan CHEEZY KIMCHI QUESADILLAS!!! ????sooo easy & flavorful & loaded w/ veggies!!! Made with @nasoya kimchi (so good for gut health!)⁣ ⁣ Cheezy Kimchi Quesadillas⁣ Serves 6 to 8⁣ ⁣ INGREDIENTS⁣ ⁣ CASHEW CHEEZE⁣ 1 cup raw cashews*⁣ 1 cup raw shredded carrots⁣ 2 cups water⁣ ¼ cup tapioca starch⁣ 1 teaspoon onion powder⁣ 2 teaspoons sea salt⁣ ⁣ SPICY TOFU⁣ 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil, plus extra for brushing tortillas⁣ 1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled⁣ 3 tablespoons agave⁣ 3 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce⁣ ½ teaspoon sea salt⁣ ⁣ ⁣ 8 large flour tortillas⁣ ⁣ TOPPINGS: NASOYA Spicy Kimchi, baby spinach (lightly sautéed before adding to quesadilla), and sliced avocado⁣ ⁣ OPTIONAL ADD-INS: shredded carrots, shredded red cabbage, chopped scallions, black sesame seeds, and sliced chili pepper⁣ ⁣ ⁣ PROCEDURE⁣ *If you are not using a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix, soak cashews overnight or boil cashews for 10 minutes and drain. This will soften the cashews and ensure a silky smooth cream.⁣ ⁣ To make the cashew cheeze: Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small saucepan and whisk constantly over medium heat until thickened.⁣ ⁣ To make the spicy tofu: In a medium saucepan, heat oil and add crumbled tofu. Cook until tofu begins to brown, then add remaining ingredients.⁣ ⁣ To assemble the quesadillas: Spread a layer of cashew cheese on half of a tortilla. Arrange spicy tofu, kimchi, sautéed spinach, and avocado on top of the cheeze. Fold the plain side of the tortilla over the side with the toppings to create a half-moon shape. Brush both sides of the quesadilla generously with oil.⁣ ⁣ Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook the quesadilla about 2 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Remove from pan and slice into 4 triangles to serve. Repeat assembly and cooking with remaining ingredients.⁣ ⁣ To make this gluten free: use gluten-free tortillas! #ad

A post shared by Chloe Coscarelli (@chefchloe) on May 17, 2019 at 2:59pm PDT