Let’s be honest, vegan nachos are really just a vehicle for delicious toppings like cauliflower queso, and these spicy lentil nachos deliver.
I haven’t actually had very many vegan nachos in my life because I never order them at restaurants due to my oft-mentioned not-a-fan-of Daiya thing. I’m always living in fear that it will show up on something I order. Always.
Aside from obviating the anxiety about encountering an unsavory cheeze product, the other nice thing about making homemade vegan nachos with a DIY vegan nacho cheese is that they’re generally faster to make, which makes the restaurant option less tempting anyway. The sauce is already “melted” in consistency so you don’t need to wait things out in the oven if you don’t want to – just drizzle it on and dig in.
We had a housewarming party this spring and I set up an all-vegan nacho bar where folks could make a bowl of scoop-shaped chips and top it with refried beans, homemade soyrizo, salsa, guacamole, and cauliflower queso to their liking. So if you were wondering why I haven’t been posting as frequently, it is indeed because I was busy making nachos fixins for 50 people and got behind on my recipe schedule.
Tip! If you don’t like your dairy-free nachos with a cheese sub, or just don’t have time to make the cashew cheese, make a no cheese version by thinning out guacamole with some lime juice and non-dairy milk to turn it into an avocado crema, and drizzle that on top instead.
Use the taco spiced lentils below, or the soyrizo linked above, and the rest of your favorite dairy-free nacho toppings to make your own vegan nachos supreme, and enjoy!
Spicy Lentil Vegan Nachos Supreme
Ingredients
For the taco-spiced lentils:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 white or yellow onion diced or thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning (see notes)
- 1 cup dried black lentils
- 2 and 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
Serving suggestions for the vegan nachos:
- 5 cups tortilla chips
- 1 cup vegan queso
- taco-spiced lentils (above)
- salsa of choice
- guacamole or avocado
- thinly-sliced jalapenos
- chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
For the taco-spiced lentils:
- In a large pan (cast iron is recommended if you have it), heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is both softened and nicely browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 60 seconds more. Stir in the taco seasoning and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the lentils and vegetable broth, bring to a boil, and then cover and reduce to a steady simmer.
- Cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, adding more liquid if needed. Stir in the tomato paste. Season to taste with more salt, pepper, and taco seasoning.
For assembling and serving the vegan nachos:
- (Optional) If you like your nachos HOT, you can heat the tortilla chips in the oven for a few minutes beforehand.
- Add a bunch of tortilla chips to your dish or plate. Dollop with warm taco-spiced lentils and salsa. Drizzle warm vegan queso over the top. Finish by topping with guacamole, jalapenos, fresh cilantro, red onion and/or any other nacho toppings that you like.
Notes
Nutrition
Other things that are yummy on these vegan nachos:
Blackened chickpeas (smash the chickpeas gently before adding them to your nachos so they don’t roll around as much)
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
banana says
I used this recipe along with the cauliflower queso recipe for the “convenience store” challenge in r/52weeksofcooking on reddit. I’ve never thought of using lentils for nachos before but it was just supremely awesome. Will make again.
Kristin says
i swear, i can never have too many nacho recipes. i think is the first one i’ve saved that uses lentils! they look delish!
Diana Lopes says
Wow, these seem to be incredible! Can’t wait to try making them!
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
I don’t think I’ve ever made lentil nachos – thank you for the idea, it makes perfect sense now I think about it! Yum.
Thanks too for your lovely comment on my last post. Very much appreciated, and I have loved following your posts too (and will continue to do so).
Lisa Viger is Planted365 says
Wow, this looks so yum! Total comfort food! After an initial getting used to it phase, I can now eat my weight in Daiya cheddar slices. This is not necessarily a good thing.