Vegan Nachos With Homemade Melt-y Cheese & Veggie Chips

This vegan nachos recipe was originally published on October 17, 2014.

Even though I write about food all the time, I don’t always get to eat really elaborate or even regular meals. (Think an apple here, a banana there, a Lara bar way over there). When I have a lot of work, I sometimes don’t get to eat until late afternoon/early evening–so basically, dinner time. Combine this with very gray, humid, and wet weather we’ve been having recently, and I needed proper nourishment to brighten up my mood, a little gesture of appreciation to myself. Like Mary mentioned a while back, I also can’t really remember when was the last time I ate with some pleasure and sense of calm (what is it with Peaceful Dumpling editors?).

I decided to make vegan nachos with melt-y, homemade vegan nacho cheese sauce, crispy seasoned beet and carrot chips, layers of black beans, corn, red peppers, and guacamole. These vegan nachos are as delicious as they are vibrant and beautiful–with all the flavor notes of nachos, but so much more fresh. Also, this vegan nachos plate is full of nutrients like mood-boosting B vitamins (avocado, nutritional yeast), zinc (cashews), stress-repairing vitamin C (avocado, red bell pepper, beet), vitamin A (carrots), magnesium (black bean, cashews), energy-giving iron (black bean, beet), and tons of vegan protein. It was just what I needed. Eat, enjoy and be nourished!

Vegan Nachos

Serves 2-3

2-3 small to medium beets, peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, thinly sliced diagonally

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp cumin

dash cayenne pepper

coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

Cheese sauce

1 1/2 cup pre-soaked cashews (soaked at least 8 hours)

1.5 tsp red or white miso

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

dash turmeric

3 tbsp tapioca flour

1 cup water

Toppings

1 avocado

about 1 tbsp fresh lemon/lime juice

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1 ear fresh corn

1 cup cooked black beans

3/4 cup salsa

handful fresh chopped cilantro

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

2. Use a mandolin to slice beets into chips. Alternatively, use a very sharp knife and go slowly! The thinner they are, the crispier they will be.

3. In a large bowl, toss the beet and carrot chips with oil, salt, and seasonings.

4. Spread the chips out in an even, single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes, checking to see doneness after 20 minutes. They’re done when the edges are browned and curling up, and crispy just like chips. Tip: resist the urge to overlap the chips!

5. Meanwhile, process the cashews with miso, nutritional yeast, vinegar, turmeric, and salt until thick and pasty. Heat 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat. When it is boiling lightly, add tapioca flour and reduce heat to medium low. Stir for a minute or so until it becomes clear and stretchy. Add cashews, lower heat to simmer, and combine until evenly mixed throughout. Salt to taste, cover and remove from heat.

6. Make quick guacamole with avocado, lemon juice, dash of cumin, and coarse sea salt and fresh black pepper. To assemble, layer the plate with the chips, then add corn, red pepper, black beans, salsa, guacamole, cheese sauce, and top with freshly chopped cilantro. Voila, vegan nachos!