The BEST vegan nachos with cashew queso
Vegan nachos are basically a party on a plate. Serve them as an appetizer for a crowd, or make a dinner out of them on a family fun night. They can be made gluten-free by using Trader Joe's soy chorizo, or use seitan chorizo for an option with gluten.For a dash of heat, finish with pickled jalapenos and/or hot sauce.
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 265kcal
Ingredients
For creamy cashew queso
- 1 carrot* chopped
- 1 cup water plus extra for steaming carrot
- ½ cup raw cashews**
- ½ teaspoon Better Than Bouillon no chicken base or half of a vegetable bouillon cube
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- ½ teaspoon white miso paste
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ancho chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon granulated onion
- ¼ teaspoon salt**
For vegan chorizo & black beans
- ½ teaspoon avocado oil or your preferred neutral-flavored cooking oil
- 1 cup vegan chorizo I used Trader Joe's soy chorizo
- 1 can (15 ounce) black beans drained & rinsed (1 ½ cups)
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon water
For nachos
- 8 ounces tortilla chips
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes I like to use cherry tomatoes out of season.
- 2 Tablespoons green onion sliced
- 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 batch guacamole or diced avocado
Instructions
To make creamy cashew queso
- Fill a medium-sized pot with about an inch of water. Add chopped carrot and bring to a simmer. Cook until the carrot is fork tender, about 8 minutes. Drain water and set the carrot aside.
- Using a blender, blend cooked carrot, 1 cup water, raw cashews, Better Than Bouillon or half of a bouillon cube, nutritional yeast, white miso paste, cumin, ancho chili powder, granulated onion, and salt. Blend until totally smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary.
- Transfer the cashew mixture to the empty pot you used for steaming the carrot. Bring the pot to a medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue stirring for about 10 minutes. If it begins to simmer, lower the heat. Continue stirring and cooking until the cashew mixture has reduced and thickened, making a velvety smooth queso. Remove from heat and set aside.
To make chorizo & black beans
- Bring a non-stick skillet to a medium heat with oil. Put the vegan chorizo into the skillet and brown for a few minutes.
- Add black beans to skillet with paprika, cumin, ancho chile powder, and 1 Tablespoon of water. Stir until the spices are fully combined and the beans are warm. Remove from heat and set aside. (Depending on the saltiness of your chorizo, you may want to add a pinch of salt. Add to taste, if needed.)
To make nachos
- The best nachos are made in layers. Put one layer of tortilla chips on a large platter. Top with a smattering of creamy cashew queso, chorizo & black beans, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and avocado. Add another layer of chips and all of the above. Continue layering the chips & toppings until you have a beautiful mound of vegan nachos.
- Serve right away with plenty of napkins. For an extra dash of heat, add pickled jalapeño slices and/or hot sauce.
Notes
*The carrot is just for color & extra nutrients. If you don't have any carrots on hand, you can easily omit it and continue on with the recipe as written.
**If you don't have a high speed blender, soak the raw cashews for several hours ahead of time, so that you can have a perfectly creamy queso. Or grind the dry raw cashews in a clean coffee grinder before adding them to the blender. If you have a high speed blender, soaking/grinding isn't necessary.
To make these nachos gluten-free, use Trader Joe's soy chorizo or black beans exclusively. And make sure your bouillon is gluten-free.
Nutrition
Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 340mg | Potassium: 347mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1448IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 3mg
