Vegan Nachos:
Being that Cinco de Mayo is coming up I wanted to create some vegan nachos to celebrate. These nachos are locked and loaded with nothing but homemade goodness. From a vegan queso and a plant based ground “meat” mixture. And even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy these nachos.
What you will need for nachos:
Ingredients you will need for queso:
- Butternut squash
- Carrots
- Cashews
- Spicy Brown mustard
- Unsweetened ketchup
- Water
- Taco seasoning: garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper
- Optional: Diced green chilies
How to make the queso:
I first steamed my butternut squash and carrots and let them cool. And then I transferred everything to my food processor and processed until I reached my desired consistency. And the nice thing about this queso is that you can tailor the thickness of your queso. With the two cups of water, it leaves the queso pretty thick, but you can keep adding water until you reach your desired consistency.
What you will need for the plant based ground “meat”:
- Walnuts
- Mushrooms
- Zucchini
- Taco seasoning: garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper
- Cilantro
- Avocado oil
How to make the “meat”:
I add the walnuts, mushrooms, zucchini, cilantro, and seasoning to my food processor and pulse a couple times. You want the consistency to resemble a “meat” like texture. But please be sure to pulse versus process when using the food processor. Because if you process you will end up with a mush versus a “meat” type consistency. And then I heat a pan with the avocado oil and sauté the mixture for a few minutes.
Assembling the nachos:
Then the fun part, assembling the nachos. I start by adding a layer of chips to a baking sheet, top with ground taco “meat,” vegan queso, black beans, chopped red onions, chopped cilantro, chopped red bell pepper, avocado, and jalapeño. I stick in the oven at 350 F for 5-10 minutes keeping an eye out on them.
Here is another way to use the taco “meat”:
Vegan Queso
Ingredients
- 1 cup butternut squash steamed
- 1 cup carrots steamed
- 1/3 cup soaked cashews
- 1 heaping Tbsp spicy brown mustard
- 2-3 Tbsp unsweetened ketchup
- 2 cups water add more of you want thinner consistency
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Optional: 4oz can diced green chilies
Instructions
- Add everything to a food processor and process until you reach desired consistency
- If too thick just keep adding more water until you reach desired consistency
- Store leftovers in an airtight container
Meatless Taco "Meat”
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup mushrooms
- 1/2 small zucchini
- 1 tsp Primal Palate taco seasoning substitute: 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp coriander, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp avocado oil
- handful of cilantro
Instructions
- Pulse the walnuts, zucchini, and mushrooms in food processor (or chop). Heat pan with avocado oil, add ground "meat" mixture, cilantro, seasoning, and cook for a few minutes.