Category: appetizers

tu b'shevat vegan pasta salad

Tu B’Shevat Easy Vegan Seven Species Pasta Salad

Chag Sameach! Happy birthday trees! Today is Tu B’Shevat, and there are tons of different ways you can mark the occasion (check out this great video for some ideas). As you could probably guess, I’m a big fan of marking occasions with FOOD. I’ve already eaten my Tu B’Shevat Barley Oatmeal  and now I have a perfect recipe that can be a full meal or a side!

This Vegan Seven Species Pasta Salad includes all seven of the produce mentioned in the Torah in relation to Tu B’Shevat: grapes, wheat, olives, pomegranates, dates, figs, and barley. It’s filling as a meal or makes a very hearty side. I’ve had it for both dinner and lunch, and I’ve eaten it warm and cold. You have lots of options with this salad!

tu b'shevat vegan pasta salad

This salad is also incredibly easy to make: it really just involves cooking your barley and pasta and tossing it with the rest of the ingredients. Now, a note about the lemon juice and white wine vinegar – you can sub for all lemon juice or all white wine vinegar, if you’d like. Another note for this recipe: I highly recommend tossing everything while the barley and pasta are warm because it causes the dates to heat up and get a little melty inside. Even if you ultimately intend to eat this salad cold, it makes for a nice texture in the dates.

One other thing to mention: this pasta salad is different than the traditional pasta salad. It’s intended to be warmer in flavor (not necessarily temperature, although you can eat it heated up). Traditional pasta salads have tons of bright flavors from the veggies to the spices used in them. This pasta salad is warmer flavored because of the dates, figs, cinnamon, and more. It does get some brightness from the pomegranates and lemon juice/white wine vinegar, but overall it is intended to be a different kind of flavor profile.

For me, many of these dried fruits are fruits I would NOT normally eat, so getting to eat them for Tu B’Shevat feels really special. Whether these make a regular appearance on your plate or you’re also trying something new, I hope you enjoy this Tu B’Shevat Vegan Pasta Salad. I would love to hear how this recipe turns out for you! Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!

tu b'shevat vegan pasta salad
Print Recipe

Tu B'Shevat Vegan Pasta Salad

Featuring all of the Seven Species - pomegranates, wheat, barley, dates, figs, and olives - this recipe is a different take on the traditional pasta salad. It can be served hot or cold, and has warmer flavors than your typical summer pasta salad - perfect for winter!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: Jewish
Keyword: jewish food, jewish holidays, jewish vegan food, jewish vegan recipes, pasta salad, tu b'shevat, tu b'shevat recipes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 servings pasta I recommend really any shape except spaghetti type noodles
  • 1 cup pearled barley
  • 3 cups water
  • dash salt
  • ½ cup quartered figs
  • ¼ cup golden raisins
  • ¼ cup California raisins
  • ⅓ cup chopped dates
  • 1-2 tbsp chopped olives
  • ¼ cup walnut pieces
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2½ tbsp olive oil
  • ½ cup pomegranate seeds
  • ½ tbsp lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Bring the barley and water to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes over medium heat. Salt the water.
  • When done, the barley will be soft but chewy, and most of the water should have simmered off. However, if there is any water left after 25 minutes, you can drain the barley in a fine mesh sieve.
  • Cook the pasta according to package directions. Salt the water.
  • Then add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix thoroughly. I recommend mixing while the pasta and barley are still warm, as this will cause the dates to warm up and soften. You can serve the pasta salad right away or cool it for a few hours in the fridge.

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easy vegan sheet pan quesadillas

Quick & Easy Vegan Sheet Pan Quesadillas

Right now, I’m really into easier ways to make recipes that I already love. I already deconstructed lasagna and turned it into a soup because who has the time to put together a lasagna? I also always really loved quesadillas – when I was a kid my family would do quesadilla night and literally put whatever random leftovers we had in the house into our quesadillas. This made for some interesting combinations for sure. 

I remember my dad standing at the stove making quesadillas for a really long time! My partner and I also made quesadillas fairly often our first year living together (it was sometimes a dinner and a frequent midnight snack). While quesadillas don’t generally take too much time to make, you do end up having to stand in front of the stove and pay attention because they can be pretty easily burned (I’ve burned – and still eaten – MANY quesadillas). 

So I wanted to create a low effort and quick way to have those ooey-gooey quesadillas I love that I can make while finishing up a project or playing with my dog. When I hear the oven timer go off, I know they’re done – I don’t have to meticulously watch them on the stove. I hope this helps you gain a little time back too!

easy vegan sheet pan quesadillas

These sheet pan quesadillas are just a few steps, and they can be dressed up or down depending on the time and energy you have to give! The basic recipe is lining up your tortillas on your sheet pan, filling with vegan cheese – I recommend Daiya cheese shreds for maximum meltiness – and any other fillings you’d like, folding the tortillas over, and baking for 15 minutes.

For maximum simplicity, just use cheese! You can add toppings like hot sauce – one of my favorites is Dave’s Gourmet Creamy Roasted Jalapeno – afterwards or dip in salsa or guacamole. If you don’t mind a bit of chopping, adding in cilantro really kicks this giant quesadilla up a notch. And if you have a bit more time, you can add softer veggies like mushrooms or tomatoes that will cook quite quickly. Any other veggies like onions, potatoes, broccoli, peppers, or others might take longer to cook than 15 minutes in the oven, so I would recommend sautéing them a bit before adding to your quesadilla. 

This giant vegan sheet pan quesadilla makes a great meal for a weeknight or it could be a great appetizer for a larger meal if cut into smaller pieces. Serve with a bunch of different dipping options for a quesadilla bar!

easy vegan sheet pan quesadillas

You can store this quesadilla in an airtight container after it’s been fully cooled for 2-3 days in the fridge. I would recommend slicing before storing. The slices can be reheated in the microwave (30 sec intervals until heated) or in a toaster oven or oven. 

The recipe is kosher and can be made gluten free by using gluten-free tortillas. Be sure to look for tortillas and vegan cheese labeled as kosher and gluten free. And, as always, feel free to comment below or message me with any questions about product recommendations.

If you’re looking for a super easy way to make a quesadilla, I would highly recommend giving this method a try. I would love the hear how this works out for you and what changes you made to make it your own. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!

easy vegan sheet pan quesadillas
Print Recipe

Easy Vegan Sheet Pan Quesadillas

One giant quesadilla - what more can you want? Ooey-gooey vegan cheese melted with cilantro and your favorite hot sauce. This simple recipe could be kicked up a notch with your favorite veggies or other add-ins too.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Keyword: easy vegan dinner, easy vegan meals, easy vegan recipe, easy vegan recipes, meals in under 30 minutes, vegan cheese, vegan quesadilla
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 large tortillas
  • 2 14-oz packages of vegan cheese shreds
  • 1 tbsp cilantro chopped
  • your favorite hot sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F.
  • On a baking sheet, lay your tortillas down so the they slightly overlap one another and cover the sheet pan. You want to make sure there are no gaps that any cheese could fall through.
  • Sprinkle the cheese and cilantro in the center of the tortillas, leaving about half of each of the tortillas with nothing on them so you can fold them over.
  • Drizzle your favorite hot sauce over the cheese and cilantro.
  • Fold the tortillas over to cover up the cheese. At the ends, you'll tuck the tortilla in underneath to seal the cheese in. The giant quesadilla should look sort of like a big rectangle.
  • Keep the quesadilla on the baking sheet and place it in the oven for about 15 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board to slice with a pizza cutter or serrated knife.

Notes

  • If you are going to use any vegetables in your quesadilla, I would recommend pre-cooking them by sautéing on the stove first. Then just add them into the quesadilla with the cheese and cilantro.
  • Be careful about how much hot sauce you add. Depending on how spicy your hot sauce is and how spicy you want your quesadilla, you should add more or less.
  • These quesadillas can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave, toaster oven, or oven.  

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