Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower Nachos
Loaded nachos that are actually healthy!? You heard me right. These cheesy vegan cauliflower nachos are the secretly healthy comfort food of my dreams! Tortilla chips are substituted with roasted cauliflower florets that are then drizzled with a stretchy melty homemade vegan nacho cheese sauce, and loaded with a ton of toppings. YUM!
My Notes:
Servings:
Ingredients
For the cauliflower:
- 1 head(s) cauliflower cut into florets
- 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
- 2 tablespoon(s) nutritional yeast
- ยฝ teaspoon(s) chili powder
- ยฝ teaspoon(s) garlic powder
- ยฝ teaspoon(s) salt
For the vegan nacho cheese (or sub store-bought vegan cheese):
- ยฝ cup(s) raw cashews softened if needed (see notes)
- 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cup(s) water
- 2 tablespoon(s) tapioca starch also called tapioca flour
- 3 tablespoon(s) nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoon(s) apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon(s) salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon(s) turmeric
For the toppings (optional, choose however many toppings you like):
- 1 cup(s) vegan meat crumbles or vegan bacon bits homemade or store-bought *see notes for recipe options
- 1 cup(s) black beans (I used canned drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup(s) frozen corn kernels thawed
- 1 tomato diced
- 1/4 red onion finely chopped
- 1 jalapeรฑo thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup(s) fresh cilantro chopped
- 1/4 cup(s) vegan sour cream or plain vegan yogurt
Instructions
For the cauliflower:
- Preheat your oven to 450F (230C). Set aside two large baking sheets.
- Add the cauliflower with all of the seasonings to a large bowl and toss well to combine and evenly coat the cauliflower.
- Spread the cauliflower evenly over the two large baking sheets spreading out the florets so they have lots of room around them so they can brown nicely. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, flipping once halfway through until the cauliflower is when it is browned and tender. While the cauliflower is roasting you can make the nacho cheese.
For the vegan nacho cheese:
- Softening the cashews (optional): Softening the cashews first helps them blend. If you have a high-powered blender you can skip this step, but if not, this step is important to get a smooth and creamy cheese sauce. To soften the cashews add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender. Drain and rinse cashews before using.
- To make the nacho vegan nacho cheese: Add the cashews, water, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and turmeric to a blender. Blend until completely smooth. It will be a watery milk consistency but will thicken when cooked.
- Pour the vegan nacho cheese mixture into a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, while stirring. As you stir it will start forming clumps, and then all of a sudden it will become a cheesy gooey mass of yumminess. This takes about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Assemble the cheesy vegan cauliflower nachos:
- Once the cauliflower is roasted, pile up all of the roasted cauliflower onto just one baking sheet. Drizzle the nacho cheese sauce over top of the cauliflower, and sprinkle over the vegan chorizo or vegan bacon bits, black beans, and corn kernels (or any toppings you would like to be warmed). Return to the oven for another 5 - 8 minutes to heat through. Remove from the oven and top with the tomato, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and drizzle the vegan sour cream or vegan yogurt on top (or any toppings you choose). Serve right away.
Notes
*Vegan meat crumbles recipes to top your nachos with (optional):
Chorizo Tofu Crumbles
Easy TVP Taco Filling (prepare just the filling)
Jackfruit Taco Filling (prepare just the jackfruit)
Chipotle Black Bean Salad (prepare just the black beans)
Tofu Taco Crumbles
Tofu Bacon Bits
BBQ Shredded Tofu Nut-free option: sub out the nacho cheese for my nut-free sunflower cheese sauce recipe. Oil-free: to make this recipe oil-free, omit the olive oil and swap it for vegetable broth. If using a vegan meat topping, try my recipe for vegan tofu bacon bits (which is oil-free).
Chorizo Tofu Crumbles
Easy TVP Taco Filling (prepare just the filling)
Jackfruit Taco Filling (prepare just the jackfruit)
Chipotle Black Bean Salad (prepare just the black beans)
Tofu Taco Crumbles
Tofu Bacon Bits
BBQ Shredded Tofu Nut-free option: sub out the nacho cheese for my nut-free sunflower cheese sauce recipe. Oil-free: to make this recipe oil-free, omit the olive oil and swap it for vegetable broth. If using a vegan meat topping, try my recipe for vegan tofu bacon bits (which is oil-free).
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (recipe makes 4 servings) | Calories: 479kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 1424mg | Potassium: 1235mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 990IU | Vitamin C: 79mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 8mg
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