Vegetarian Nachos

Home » Appetizers & Snacks » Vegetarian Nachos
You won't miss the meat in these vegetarian nachos that are made with crumbles of meaty cauliflower and walnuts combined with Mexican spices.

You won’t miss the meat in these vegetarian nachos that are made with crumbles of meaty cauliflower and walnuts combined with Mexican spices.

This post may contain affiliate links for more information, please see our Disclosure.

vegetarian nachos in a skillet

Cauliflower Vegetarian Nachos

People joke about the versatility of cauliflower, but it really is a very versatile vegetable!  You can mash it, puree it, rice it, roast it, make a pizza crust, and even turn it into a meat substitute. But the thing is, you have to like the taste of cauliflower.

I have unpleasant childhood memories of cauliflower. My mother would boil it to death and pour some kind some kind of white sauce on it. It took a long time for me to try cauliflower again. Now I love it! I even make white sauce for pastas and vegetables using pureed cauliflower.

These nachos really are the best vegetarian nachos! They are filling and nutritious. The cauliflower crumbles are meaty, full of fiber, and the walnuts provide protein and healthy omega 3’s.

A view looking down at vegetarian nachos in a skillet

Easy Vegetarian Nachos Recipe Ingredients

It doesn’t take long to whip up a batch of vegetarian nachos, here is what you need to make them.

cauliflower meat for vegetarian nachos

Recipe Steps To Make the Best Vegetarian Nachos

Please note that this a list of steps to give you an idea how to make this recipe. Full details are in the recipe card below.

  1. Wash and dry the cauliflower, and break it up into pieces
  2. Crumble the cauliflower by adding it to a food processor or chopping it up with a sharp knife
  3. Chop the walnuts until they are the same size as the cauliflower crumbles
  4. Cook the cauliflower, walnuts and seasonings in a skillet
  5. Place tortilla chips into an oven proof pan
  6. Top the chips with cooked cauliflower meat
  7. Add the jalapenos and cheese and place the nachos in the oven to bake
  8. Top the nachos with your favorite nacho toppings

Total Estimated Time to Make this Recipe:  25 to 35 Minutes

Vegetarian nachos finished recipe on white plate and shredded Romaine lettuce with a fork on side.

Vegetarian Nachos Tips and Variations

  • Meal Prep Tip. Make the filling ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.  Assemble the nachos when its time to eat for a quick meal or snack.
  • For crispy chips – use a cast iron pan to heat up the nachos for best results.
  • Make a  meaty version of nachos – use a quarter of a head of crumbled cauliflower and 1/4 pound of ground chicken or turkey breast.  Brown the meat first, then add the cauliflower and spices and simmer.
  • Make it vegan – heat the nachos in the oven without the cheese , just before serving pour on vegan queso or sprinkle the nachos with nutritional yeast flakes.
  • Turn the Nachos into tacos.  Stuff your favorite taco shell with the cauliflower meat and top with salsa, cheese and your favorite taco fillings.

Vegetarian Nachos

You won’t miss the meat in these vegetarian nachos that are made with crumbles of meaty cauliflower and walnuts combined with Mexican spices.

Click on serving size to scale this recipe

Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: nachos recipe, vegetarian nachos recipe
Servings: 2 for dinner 4 as an appetizer
Calories: 283kcal
Author: Anne
Scale this Recipe 2 for dinner 4 as an appetizer

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 large head cauliflower – about 4 cups when shredded
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 clove chopped garlic
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • Low sodium organic corn tortilla chips – enough to cover the bottom of pan
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese – or more if you love cheese
  • 1 jalapeno pepper sliced or diced
  • salsa
  • lettuce
  • tomatoes
  • guacamole

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 375
  • break the cauliflower up into pieces and add to a food processor, process until it turns into small crumbles resembling the size of ground meat.
  • add the walnuts and pulse until they are similar in size to the cauliflower
  • heat the oil in a pan over medium heat
  • once the oil is hot, add the cauliflower and cook until it begins to soften about 5 minutes
  • add the walnuts, spices , garlic,  water and stir – reduce the heat and let the nachos simmer for 10 minutes until  most of the  liquid absorbs
  • while the mixture is simmering, line the bottom of a 10 inch cast iron pan or baking dish with tortilla chips
  • pour the meat mixture into the pan and then top with sliced jalapeno peppers and cheese
  • bake for 10 minutes until cheese melts and heated through
  • remove from oven and top with your favorite nacho toppings

Notes

  • Meal Prep Tip. Make the filling ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.  Assemble the nachos when its time to eat for a quick meal or snack.
  • For crispy chips – use a cast iron pan to heat up the nachos for best results.
  • Make a  meaty version of nachos – use a quarter of a head of crumbled cauliflower and 1/4 pound of ground chicken or turkey breast.  Brown the meat first, then add the cauliflower and spices and simmer.
  • Make it vegan – heat the nachos in the oven without the cheese , just before serving pour on vegan queso or sprinkle the nachos with nutritional yeast flakes.
  • Turn the Nachos into tacos.  Stuff your favorite taco shell with the cauliflower meat and top with salsa, cheese and your favorite taco garnishes.
Nutrition information is provided by Nutrifox,  an online calculator and is meant to be used for informational purposes only.  Even though I try to provide accurate information, these figures should still be considered as estimates

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 348mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

18 Comments