Vegan Nachos
Indulge in these better-for-you Vegan Nachos piled high with savory toppings, ready in just 20 minutes! Perfect for game days, movie nights, or a twist on family taco night.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Lentil Walnut Taco Meat
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup walnuts finely chopped
- 2 cups cooked black lentils or cooked green lentils. Do not use red lentils
- 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1/2-1 canned chipotle pepper minced
- 2 tsp adobo sauce from the can of chipotle peppers
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
Vegan Nachos
- 1 12 - 16 oz bag of tortilla chips
- 1 15 oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed; or 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans
- 1-2 ripe avocados pitted and diced
- 1/2 cup salsa plus more to taste
- 1/4 cup vegan sour cream such as Simple Truth vegan sour cream; plus more to taste
- 1 jalapeño pepper sliced; remove the seeds for less spice
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 lime halved
- salt to taste
Instructions
Lentil Walnut Taco Meat
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add the chopped walnuts and stir well. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring periodically, or until fragrant.
- Add the lentils, tomatoes, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, oregano, cumin, and salt. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, or until thickened and fragrant. Season to taste with salt if desired.
Vegan Nachos
- Spread the tortilla chips in a baking dish or on a serving platter. Top the chips with the lentil walnut taco meat, kidney beans, avocado, salsa, sour cream, jalapeño, and cilantro.
- Squeeze half of the lime over the nachos and season with salt to taste. Garnish the nachos with slices of the other half of the lime and serve hot.
Notes
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Allow leftover toppings to cool completely before transferring to individual airtight containers and storing them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. It is best to store toppings separately from the chips so they don’t become soggy, and reassemble the nachos when ready to serve.
- Reheating: Assemble all toppings except the avocado, salsa, and sour cream on the chips on a prepared baking sheet and heat in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes. Then add the fresh toppings and enjoy!
- Recipe Variation: Use Plant-Based Ground Beef. If desired, use plant-based ground beef instead of the lentil walnut taco meat. Here's how to make the most flavorful vegan ground beef: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 of a chopped onion to the hot oil and sauté for 3 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds to the onion mixture and cook for 1 more minute. Add the plant-based ground meat to the skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently to crumble the meat. Season the ground beef with 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally or until it is darker in color and firm. Remove from the heat and assemble your nachos!
- Adjust spice level. For a spicier flavor, leave the jalapeño seeds intact; and remove the seeds for a milder flavor. You can also choose your preferred spice level of salsa.
- Serve immediately. This vegetarian nachos recipe is best served right away so the chips do not become soggy. Dig in while they’re warm!
- Add more toppings. Don’t be afraid to experiment with additional toppings to suit your taste preferences like sliced black olives, diced bell peppers, shredded lettuce, corn kernels, or vegan cheese sauce.