Ultimate Vegan Nachos

Vegan Nachos in a Skillet with Napkin in the Background

5 from 7 votes

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!

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 611kcal

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

Place the cashews and potato into a small saucepan and cover them with a few inches of water.
Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil.
Lower the heat and allow it to boil for about 15 minutes, until the potato is very soft.
Remove the pot from the heat, drain the water, and allow the potato and cashews to cool for a few minutes.
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.
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.
Taste-test and adjust any seasonings to your liking.

To Make the Beans

Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with oil and place it over medium heat.
When the oil is hot, add the onion. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
Stir in the beans, cumin, oregano, and ½ cup water. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a simmer.
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.
Mash the beans with a fork or potato masher. Add water as needed to reach the desired consistency.
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the salt and hot sauce to taste.

To Make the Guacamole

Place the avocados into a small bowl and mash them well with a fork.
Stir in the tomato, cilantro, onion, lime juice, jalapeño, and garlic.
Season with salt to taste.

To Assemble the Nachos

Arrange the chips on a large plate or skillet.
Top with refried beans, guacamole, nacho cheese sauce, olives, cilantro, scallions, tomato, and jalapeño.
Serve.

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