The Ultimate Vegan Nachos
I’m hopelessly addicted to Tex-Mex.
Not even joking, I eat something with salsa and avocado or guacamole pretty much everyday, and I routinely claim chips and salsa as my favorite food (is that even a normal favorite to have??). I don’t know what it is, but I can’t get enough of the flavors.
Soooo, you guys know I gave up meat and dairy, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still have fully loaded nachos. Truly, you likely wouldn’t even notice these were vegan given the flavor—even Mikey agreed they were totally delicious.
Believe it or not, vegan cheeses have a come a super long way. They taste effing amazing! The kind I used for these nachos is even aged! It tastes great straight from the bag, and it melts! Anyway, the brand I used is Parmela Creamery. I think I found it at Whole Foods, but there are lots of options if you can’t find this one.
The sour cream-like drizzle you see on top is actually a garlicky cashew cream that is so crazy flavorful that I’ve been squirting it on everything. I put it in a little squeeze bottle and I have been drizzling it in and on taquitos, quesadillas, soup, chips….you name it. It’ll keep in your fridge for at least a week, so make a batch and generously drizzle on everything, ever.
For the “meat” component, I sautéed some onion and added in some crumbled tempeh and chili powder. It was so tasty that I kept sneaking spoonfuls before they made their way to the chips. Tempeh is made of soy beans, so this part kind of doubled as not only a meat component, but a bean component!
To round out the toppings, I added some chopped avocado, pickled jalapeños, some dollops of salsa, and fresh cilantro. I probably would have added black olives, too, if I had them. You can, of course, customize your toppings anyway you see fit. You could swap the prepared salsa out for some fresh tomatoes or a chunky pico de gallo.
This was one of those meals that was just crazy satisfying. And then I had it again for lunch the next day and it was just as satisfying, LOL.
PrintThe Ultimate Vegan Nachos
Yield: 3-4 servings
Ingredients:
for the garlicky cashew cream:
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked for 3 hours or overnight
- 1/2 cup almond milk (I actually use an almond-cashew blend)
- juice of half a lemon
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
for the tempeh:
- 5 to 6 ounces tempeh
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- salt
- 3 tsp chili powder (homemade recipe here)
for the nachos:
- tortilla chips
- 7 oz. sharp cheddar aged nut cheese (I like this brand)
- diced avocado
- salsa
- pickled jalapeños
- fresh cilantro
- lime wedges
Directions:
for the garlicky cashew cream:
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth. Taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary.
for the tempeh:
- Put the tempeh in a microwave safe container with a splash of water. Microwave for two to three minutes until tender. Allow to cool and then crumble into pieces.
- In a medium saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and a pinch of salt, and sauté for 8 minutes. Add in the chili powder and stir for one minute. Add in the tempeh and cook for about 5 minutes until warmed through.
for the nachos:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9"x13" baking sheet with tinfoil.
- Spread a layer of chips over the foil, and top with the tempeh mixture. Follow with the cheese, and coo for 10-12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and everything is warm.
- Serve with dollops of salsa, pickled jalapeños, avocado, fresh cilantro, a big drizzle of the garlicky cashew cream, and lime wedges.
*cashew cream recipe from here
