Nachos have been a weakness of mine for my entire life, so going plant-based worried me that I’d never get to enjoy them like I used to. But if you want to know how to make plant-based nachos look no further! These are a meaty and cheesy comfort food at it’s absolute finest!
This cheese base is the same as my plant-based cheese sauce, but I’ve got the receipt below as well here to keep you from having to go back and forth. You’re welcome! Lots of plant-based cheese recipes use nuts, but I wanted something for everyone so the base for this is potatoes and cheese with some nutritional yeast and tahini to give it that cheesy goodness.
In substitution for ground beef here we’ve got some beautiful Mexican lentils. I’ve added a fair amount of spice that my kids enjoy, but feel free to push it further if you really like the heat.
Just like any other nachos you can really make these your own. Put whatever plant-based toppings you like on top and go to it. Throw together some guacamole, salsa, whatever tickles your fancy.
Now that you know how to make plant-based nachos you’ll always have a go-to meal that the whole family will love. No matter who I serve these for, plant-based or not, everyone seems to love them. Smash them into your mouth today!
Eating healthy doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Learn how to make a plant-based nacho mountain and share it with the family!
If you’ve got an instant pot I recommend using that, but stovetop will work. Mix together all of the lentils for this part of the recipe. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
If you’re using a stove top add an extra half a cup of broth, bring to a boil and then simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are creamy.
Set aside.
Water sauté the onion and carrots until the onions are nicely translucent., about three minutes or so. Add in the potatoes and stir for another minute or so.
Add in the broth, tamari and garlic and put on the lid and bring to a simmer for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Transfer the mixture into a high speed blender and add the rest of the ingredients except for the tapioca starch. Crank the blender on high and leave it until smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed.
Once smooth now you can add your tapioca starch and blend again until all combined.
Pour the mixture back onto the pot (use the same one as before) and simmer for 6-10 minutes, until the mixture thickens up. Should be just a bit thicker than gravy, but not as thick as glue.
Preheat the oven to 350 F
Line two baking sheets with silicon or parchment. Sprinkle the tortilla chips over the two baking sheets so that it’s a nice even layer.
Now take your lentil mixture and spread it in chunks overtop the tortilla chips. Sprinkle any other toppings on at this point - we use peppers and olives.
Pour half of the “cheese” sauce over the nachos and store the rest in the fridge. If you want it SUPER cheesy then add it all (the nutritional info below only accounts for half the amount) It will thicken as it cools, it’s perfect the next day for a spread (try making grilled cheese with it!!!) it’s also freezable and then you can grate it onto things.
Place the two sheets loaded with nachos into the oven and cook for about 10-12 minutes until the “cheese” is slightly browned on top.
Pop them out, get some guac and salsa ready and smash these into your face!
Servings 4
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
If you don’t have tapioca starch then corn starch will work in a pinch, it just might not thicken up as much.
Feel free to customize this however you want - serve it with salsa and guacamole. Add jalapeños!
