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5 from 7 votes
Vegan Nachos in a Skillet with Napkin in the Background
Ultimate Vegan Nachos
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

You don't need dairy to make a killer plate of nachos! Piled high with refried beans, creamy guac, and diary-free queso, these vegan nachos will be a hit with vegans, vegetarians and omnivores alike. Watch out, because they're addictive!

Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Servings: 6
Calories: 611 kcal
Author: Alissa Saenz
Ingredients
For the Nacho Cheese Sauce
  • 1 cup diced potato (½ inch)
  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk, divided, plus more as needed
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
  • 3 tablespoons vinegar-based hot sauce (like Cholula)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
For the Refried Beans
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 (14 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Salt to taste
  • Hot sauce to taste (optional)
For the Guacamole
  • 2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
  • 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
  • ¼ cup chopped red onion
  • ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • Salt to taste
For the Nachos
  • 1 (7 ½ ounce) bag tortilla chips
  • ½ cup sliced black olives
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup chopped scallions
  • 1 small tomato, diced and seeded
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
Instructions
To Make the Nacho Cheese
  1. Place the cashews and potato into a small saucepan and cover them with a few inches of water.

  2. Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil.

  3. Lower the heat and allow it to boil for about 15 minutes, until the potato is very soft.

  4. Remove the pot from the heat, drain the water, and allow the potato and cashews to cool for a few minutes.

  5. Transfer the potatoes and cashews to a food processor fitted with an s-blade. Add ½ cup of milk and blend to form a smooth paste, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

  6. Add the remaining milk, along with the nutritional yeast, hot sauce, salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Blend until smooth. Thin with additional milk if needed.

  7. Taste-test and adjust any seasonings to your liking.

To Make the Beans
  1. Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with oil and place it over medium heat.

  2. When the oil is hot, add the onion. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent.

  3. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.

  4. Stir in the beans, cumin, oregano, and ½ cup water. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a simmer.

  5. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes, until the beans soften up a bit. Add water during cooking if the skillet becomes too dry.

  6. Mash the beans with a fork or potato masher. Add water as needed to reach the desired consistency.

  7. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the salt and hot sauce to taste.

To Make the Guacamole
  1. Place the avocados into a small bowl and mash them well with a fork.

  2. Stir in the tomato, cilantro, onion, lime juice, jalapeño, and garlic.

  3. Season with salt to taste.

To Assemble the Nachos
  1. Arrange the chips on a large plate or skillet. 

  2. Top with refried beans, guacamole, nacho cheese sauce, olives, cilantro, scallions, tomato, and jalapeño.

  3. Serve.

Nutrition Facts
Ultimate Vegan Nachos
Amount Per Serving (7 chips + toppings (⅙ of recipe))
Calories 611 Calories from Fat 336
% Daily Value*
Fat 37.3g57%
Saturated Fat 6.3g32%
Sodium 1201mg50%
Potassium 1125mg32%
Carbohydrates 60.2g20%
Fiber 14.6g58%
Sugar 5.3g6%
Protein 16.6g33%
Calcium 180mg18%
Iron 5.6mg31%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.