Amazing Vegan Nachos
These healthy vegan nachos are so good because they feature a creamy, homemade vegan cheese sauce and tangy tofu sour cream, making them a delicious and guilt-free meal. Packed with nutritious ingredients and bold flavors, these nachos are the perfect plant-based meal for feeding a crowd.
This vegan nachos recipe is so deliciously simple and undetectably healthy! There is just something magical about all the different flavorful ingredients that come together to make this masterpiece.
It’s actually four recipes in one because it includes an easy-to-make bean taco filling, my dairy-free cheese sauce, tofu sour cream, and even our homemade oil-free tortilla chips.
Reasons you will love this recipe
- Flavorful and Satisfying: The combination of homemade vegan cheese sauce, tofu sour cream, and a variety of toppings creates a rich, delicious dish that satisfies both vegans and non-vegans alike.
- Nutrient-Dense Ingredients: Packed with healthy ingredients like beans, vegetables, and tofu, these nachos provide plenty of protein, fiber, and essential nutrients, making them a nutritious option for a large gathering.
- Easy to Customize and Scale: This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled to feed a crowd, and it allows for customization with different toppings to cater to various taste preferences and dietary needs.
Ingredients you will need
- Beans- They provide a hearty, satisfying texture while being rich in plant-based protein and fiber. Use black beans, pintos, kidney beans, or other varieties.
- Bulgur grain- Adds a hearty, chewy texture while being rich in fiber and nutrients. Its mild flavor easily absorbs spices, making it a versatile, healthy base that complements the beans and veggies in the tacos. We have a great article on this website to answer all of your bulgur questions on how to cook it and recipes.
- Tomatoes- Fire-roasted tomatoes add a rich, smoky flavor to vegan tacos, enhancing the overall depth and taste of the filling. Their slightly charred, caramelized sweetness balances the spices and other ingredients, creating a more robust and savory taco experience.
- Taco seasoning- Use prepackaged or try our homemade taco seasoning which is super simple, inexpensive, a healthier option, and it tastes so much better than store-bought!
- Salsa- Provides a burst of fresh, zesty flavor with minimal effort. It creates a tangy, juicy element that complements the other ingredients, making each bite more vibrant and delicious.
- Veggies- We love to dice up lettuce, onions, cilantro, and tomatoes for our tacos.
- Cheese sauce- Try our 5-minute vegan cashew queso if you’re in a hurry because you just blend the ingredients in your blender or food processor. It’s delicious!
Tips & Suggestions
- Freeze Cooked Bulgur- I make big batches of bulgur in my rice steamer and freeze it to be used in recipes like these vegan nachos, along with tacos, veggie lasagna, and vegan chili fries. The great thing about having bulgur already cooked is that it cuts a step out of food preparation and speeds up the process of sitting down to dinner.
- Vegan Cheese Sauce- Even if you’ve tried to make vegan cheese sauce before and have not liked it, try this one. I have a feeling that’s about to change. If you need something quick, this 5-minute cashew queso is terrific.
- Oil-Free Chips– Need a healthy chip? Homemade corn tortillas are SO easy to make. Simply use regular corn tortillas. Slice each one into 8 slices using a pizza slicer. Arrange on a baking sheet and spritz with a water bottle. Sprinkle with sea salt and garlic powder. Bake at 400°F for about 5-7 minutes until crispy and golden brown. These are the healthiest tortilla chips and are delish!
How to make vegan nachos
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
Begin by making the vegan taco meat mixture. This is another great versatile part of the recipe because you can really use any type of bean you like best.
QUICK TIP: If you’re planning to make the creamy vegan cheese sauce from the recipe below, now is a great time to start the potatoes, onion, and carrot cooking! If you’re in a hurry for a cheese sauce, try this 5-minute easy cashew queso instead.
STEP #1: For this recipe, you can either add fully cooked bulgur to the bean mixture or allow the bulgur to cook while the beans, tomatoes (with their juices), and seasonings are heating.
Bulgur cooks just like rice on the stovetop in about 12 minutes. In your microwave, it will take about 5-7 minutes.
Normally, I have my bulgur already cooked and stored in the freezer for recipes like this, but it is super easy to add uncooked bulgur if you prefer. Skip to step #2 if your bulgur is already cooked.
STEP #2: Use any type of bean you like best; I tend to make a blend of black beans and red kidney beans. Sometimes I also like to add pintos.
To make this recipe simple and quick, use canned beans. You could also always make your own fresh beans in an Instant Pot.
If using canned beans, I always recommend dumping them in a colander and rinsing them to remove some of the salt and preservatives. You definitely want to drain them for this recipe.
STEP #3: Add the beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, bulgur, and taco seasoning to a microwavable bowl or pot and heat until warmed thoroughly.
The bulgur is optional in this bean mixture, but I highly recommend giving it a try. I’ve listed some alternative grains for those that are gluten-intolerant.
If you are using uncooked bulgur, simply add it to the mixture of beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and taco seasoning. There will already be some liquid from the fire-roasted tomatoes, but you’ll need to mix in an extra 1/2 cup of water for the bulgur to cook which should take about 15 minutes on the stovetop or 7-8 minutes in the microwave.
If your bulgur is already cooked, you will simply heat this taco mixture, and it will only take about 5-7 minutes in the microwave.
STEP #4: While this is heating up or cooking, chop up the veggies you want to use in your tacos or nachos. I love to include lettuce, tomato, onions, and cilantro. Other great options include perfectly ripe avocado, cucumber, and even corn.
Once the vegan taco meat bean filling mixture is ready, simply add it to your tacos, nachos, or even potato tacos! I highly recommend trying my homemade vegan cheese sauce to drizzle over the top because it’s crazy good.
I am often asked which knives I use personally, and I have to say that it is Victorinox. They are the same company that makes Swiss Army Knives and the quality is excellent.
STEP #5: You can use your own dairy-free cheese in these nachos, but I like to make this easy cashew queso in 5-minutes or this simple Vegan Cheese Sauce made with potatoes, carrots, onions, and nutritional yeast in a blender (after veggies are boiled).
STEP #6: Layer the vegan taco filling, fresh veggies, vegan cheese sauce, salsa, and vegan sour cream over corn chips or tortilla chips and serve!
We also have a delicious cauliflower taco recipe on this website that you should try!
*Original publish date March 26, 2014
Your Questions Answered:
No, to keep nachos vegan, you’ll need to use dairy-free cheese alternatives. There are many plant-based cheese options available, such as cashew cheese or store-bought vegan cheese shreds, that melt and taste great on nachos.
I have two favorite vegan cheese alternatives you can use for nachos which are my homemade vegan cheese sauce or, if you’re in a hurry, this delicious 5-minute cashew queso is fabulous too. You can also just use nutritional yeast sprinkled over the chips and toppings.
They can be if you want them to. To make these nachos gluten-free, simply leave out the bulgur or replace it with buckwheat groats.
While nachos are best enjoyed fresh, you can prep some components ahead of time. Prepare and store the toppings separately and assemble them just before baking. This way, you can have your nachos ready quickly when you’re ready to eat.
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
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Best Vegan Nachos
Ingredients
Bean/Bulgur/Taco Mix
- 1/2 cup cooked bulgur buckwheat groats to make gluten-free
- 3 15 oz cans beans any variety, (pinto, navy, red kidney, black, etc)
- 1/4 cup dry taco seasoning (purchased or homemade)
- 1 can fire roased tomatoes
- pinch cayenne pepper optional
Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup potatoes peeled & diced
- 1/4 cup carrots diced
- 1/4 cup onions chopped
- 1 cup broth from veggies
- 1/2 cup raw cashews unsoaked, (or 1/2 cup white beans)
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch paprika
- pinch cayenne (optional)
Instructions
Bean/Bulgur/Taco Mix
- Bulgur is a whole wheat grain, much like rice and quinoa. It cooks on the stove top or in microwave. I usually cook mine on stove or in my rice steamer. Just add water and salt and allow to cook according to package directions, around 15 minutes. Because bulgur has a ground-beef texture and soaks up flavors, it can be added to many recipes. I cook 2 cups (3-4 cups cooked) at a time, place in storage bag, and keep in the freezer to be easily added to chili, No-Meat Loaf, lasagna, soups, and stews. To make this dish gluten-free, leave out bulgur or replace with buckwheat groats.
- QUICK NOTE: If you're planning to make Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce (from recipe below), now is a great time to start the potatoes, onion, and carrot cooking!
- While bulgur is cooking, drain and rinse cans of beans. I do this by dumping them in a large drainer in the sink and running lots of water over them. For this recipe I used pinto, navy, and black beans.
- Add beans to a large glass (or microwavable) bowl and add cooked bulgur, taco seasoning mix, fire roasted tomatoes with juice, and cayenne. Cook in microwave for approximately 3 minutes. Stir and cook an additional 3 minutes.
- While this is cooking, chop any veggies to be added. I like fresh spinach, tomatoes, cilantro, and onions.
- You can add your own dairy-free cheese to these nachos, but I like this simple Vegan Cheese Sauce made with potatoes, carrots, onions, and nutritional yeast in blender (after veggies are boiled). It's absolutely the BEST plant-based cheese I've ever tasted! Your favorite salsa and dairy-free sour cream can also be added. Links for my favorite salsa and tofu sour cream recipes are below.
- Layer bean/bulgur/taco mixture, chips, fresh veggies, vegan cheese sauce, salsa, and tofu sour cream.
Vegan Cheese Sauce
- In medium pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in pot and allow to cook until veggies are tender, approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.
- When veggies are tender, drain and place them in blender. NOTE: reserve 1 cup of the broth, and add to blender. Add all the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips
- Making homemade tortilla chips is very easy.
- Use regular corn tortillas. Slice each one into 8 slices using a pizza slicer.
- Arrange on a baking sheet and spritz with a water bottle. Sprinkle with sea salt and garlic powder.
- Bake at 400 degrees for about 5-7 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Very easy and delish!
Video
Notes
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- Freeze Cooked Bulgur- I make big batches of bulgur in my rice steamer and freeze it to be used in recipes like these vegan nachos, along with tacos, veggie lasagna, and vegan chili fries. The great thing about having bulgur already cooked is that it cuts a step out of food preparation and speeds up the process of sitting down to dinner.
- Vegan Cheese Sauce- Even if you’ve tried to make vegan cheese sauce before and have not liked it, try this one. I have a feeling that’s about to change. If you are in a hurry, try our 5-minute vegan queso instead to save time.
- Oil-Free Chips– Need a healthy chip? Homemade corn tortillas are SO easy to make. Simply use regular corn tortillas. Slice each one into 8 slices using a pizza slicer. Arrange on a baking sheet and spritz with a water bottle. Sprinkle with sea salt and garlic powder. Bake at 400°F for about 5-7 minutes until crispy and golden brown. These are the healthiest tortilla chips and are delish!
Nutrition
Disclaimer
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About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
These are delicious and quick and easy to make! So happy I finally tried this recipe, it’s a winner!!!
5 star recipe! So delicious & came together easily. Very flavorful & easily customized with toppings. Made it for two of us so we had leftover bulgur/bean mixture which I froze to use again. This one’s a keeper.
Beth- YAY! So glad that you liked it. Sometimes, when we have leftover bean/bulgur mixture, we’ll serve it over baked potatoes the next day. Yummy! 🙂
Awesome. Thank you so much for such ab he helpful and timely reply! Thank you for sharing with us all!
Blessings
Hi these look incredible. I have I think everything needed here except for the bulgar wheat. Anything that can replace that ok?
Hi Ryan- I think brown rice, buckwheat groats, or even quinoa would be good substitutes. Hope you enjoy them!
I made these for 3 hungry men last night. We all loved them!
Hi Barb- They are a family favorite here too. I’m so glad your crew loved them, and thanks SO MUCH for letting me know!
Made them today for lunch. They were SOOOO good I can’t believe I won’t gain weight with them. Oh my gosh! Sooo good!!! Thanks for the great recipe and easy to follow directions!! ❤️❤️
Hi Cindi- Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed the nachos. 😀
i don’t have a microwave oven, would you suggest stovetop and for how long? Thanks
Hi Linda- This just needs to be heated, so I would think 8-10 minutes on medium-high on the stovetop would be about right.
This recipe says to cook the corn chips and sprits with the water bottle. What’s in the water bottle?
It’s just water to make the seasonings stick. Lime juice would be another good option too.
Going to make these tonight! Anyone break the macros down yet ?
The cheese sauce calls for un-soaked cashews but I do not have a high speed blender and I fear this will be grainy. Is it OK to soak them?
Absolutely! If you would like to soak the cashews, that would be fine.
We made this last night and it was delicious. My husband was really surprised how good the “cheese” flavor sauce was. I’m following Dr. Greger’s Whole Foods Plant Based Diet plan and white potatoes are a “red light” food to avoid. I am wondering if this recipe could also work by substituting the potato for cauliflower?
Pam, that’s a good question. I have never made it with cauliflower but think it could work. I would love to hear how it turns out for you, if you try that. Also, Chef Del has a ‘cheese’ sauce that does not use potatoes. https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/no-cheese-sauce/
I make it with red potatoes and it’s great:)