Stay Healthy Vegan

Vegan Nachos (Fully Loaded, 20 Minutes)

Nachos live or die by the cheese sauce. This cashew-based nacho cheese sauce is genuinely good — creamy, savory, and tangy with the characteristic orange-yellow color. The rest of the nachos are straightforwardly vegan: tortilla chips, black beans, jalapeños, salsa, and avocado. The whole thing comes together in 20 minutes and makes enough for a group.

Ingredients

Cashew nacho cheese sauce:

  • ¾ cup (105 g) raw cashews, soaked 4–6 hours or 30 min in boiling water
  • ½ cup (120 ml) water
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric (for color)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1–2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño brine (from the jar — adds heat and tang)

Nachos:

  • 8–10 oz (225–280 g) sturdy corn tortilla chips
  • 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup (80 g) pickled jalapeños
  • 1 cup (170 g) cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • ½ red onion, finely diced
  • 2 ripe avocados, diced or mashed
  • ½ cup (120 ml) salsa or pico de gallo
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Vegan sour cream (optional)
  • Lime wedges

Method

  1. Make the cheese sauce. Drain soaked cashews. Add to a high-speed blender with water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, salt, and jalapeño brine. Blend for 2–3 minutes until completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Heat in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until warmed through. Add more water if it’s too thick — it should be pourable.
  2. Warm the beans. Drain and rinse black beans. Season with a pinch of cumin and salt. Heat in the microwave for 1–2 minutes or in a small saucepan.
  3. Build the nachos. Arrange chips on a large oven-safe platter or baking sheet. Scatter warm black beans over the chips.
  4. Heat the nachos (optional). For crispy, hot nachos, place the chip-and-bean base under a broiler for 2–3 minutes until the edges start to color. Watch carefully.
  5. Add toppings. Drizzle generously with warm nacho cheese sauce. Add jalapeños, cherry tomatoes, and red onion.
  6. Add cold toppings last. Add avocado, salsa, cilantro, and vegan sour cream after the hot elements — they wilt and lose quality if cooked.
  7. Serve immediately. Nachos deteriorate quickly as the chips absorb moisture. Serve straight from the pan.

Tips

Jalapeño brine is the flavor secret. The pickling brine from a jar of jalapeños adds a sharp, salty tang that makes this sauce taste more like real nacho cheese. Don’t skip it.

Don’t skip the soaking. Under-soaked cashews produce a gritty sauce. Fully soaked cashews produce a completely smooth one.

Serve immediately. This is important for nachos. Once the sauce and toppings are on, chips begin to soften. Eat right away.

Layer chips and beans, then sauce. Pouring the sauce over everything ensures coverage. Alternatively, serve the sauce in a bowl on the side for dipping — better for groups eating at their own pace.

Variations

Sheet pan nachos: Spread chips in an even layer on a full baking sheet. Top with beans and broil first, then add sauce and toppings.

Loaded with more protein: Add seasoned walnut meat (walnuts pulsed with taco spices) or vegan chorizo crumbles.

For another shareable vegan snack, see the vegan guacamole and vegan hummus. Browse all vegan snacks at the snacks hub.