Vegan Tofu Nachos with Sunflower Seed Queso
Crunchy nachos with crispy seasoned tofu, creamy sunflower seed queso, and colorful raw veggies.
Servings: 4 people
Equipment
- High speed blender
Ingredients
Seasoned Tofu Taco "Meat"
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 16 ounce tofu block extra firm
- 2 teaspoons taco seasoning*
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin ground
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce I prefer Cholula
Sunflower Seed Queso
- 1 cup Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 cup cauliflower florets frozen
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoons water filtered
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves peeled
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Nachos
- 8 ounce bag tortilla chips
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 tomato
- 1 jalapeño
- 1 avocado
- Salsa
- Hot sauce
- Freshly squeezed lime
Instructions
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the tofu from its package and drain the liquid. Use a kitchen towel to wrap the tofu block and gently press into the block with your hands to release as much liquid as possible. Then, use both hands to crumble the block into the skillet. Depending on whether or not you like larger crumbles or tinier, crispy pieces, use a spatula to chop the tofu to your desired shape.
- Add the taco seasoning, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper to the tofu mix and stir to coat every piece. Add an additional tablespoon of oil. Continue stirring, then add the hot sauce. Stir and let the tofu cook and get crispy for about 2-3 minutes. Then bring the heat down to a simmer while you prepare the sauce and toppings. Stir occasionally.
- Add the potatoes, cauliflower and sunflower seeds to a small saucepan. Pour enough water over top to cover everything. Bring the pot to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium and cook until the potatoes and cauliflower are fork tender, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, spread tortilla chips out on plates and prepare all of the toppings. Chop the red bell pepper, tomato, and jalapeño. For the jalapeño, remove the seeds if you prefer it to be less spicy. Slice open the avocado and remove the pit. Create a criss-cross pattern with a knife in each avocado half and use a spoon to scoop out the diced avocado.
- Get your sauce ready by adding the nutritional yeast, water, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper to a blender.
- By now the tofu should be crispy and the potatoes and cauliflower should be soft. Drain the potatoes, cauliflower, and sunflower seeds and add them to the blender. Blend on high speed until the queso is smooth and creamy.
- Add the tofu and toppings to each plate of nachos and drizzle on the queso. Add salsa, hot sauce, and freshly squeezed lime juice if desired.
Notes
- Servings suggest 4 people, but it can really range anywhere from 2-4. If you're hungry, don't be afraid to buy an extra bag of chips or double the tofu and toppings. Better to have extra than not enough! The queso does serve 4, so no need to double this unless you are serving more than 4 people. Toss any extra tofu or toppings into a breakfast bowl or burrito the next morning with queso if you have any leftover. :)
- To make homemade taco seasoning, combine a tablespoon of chili powder, a teaspoon of cumin, salt, and freshly ground black pepper, a half teaspoon of paprika, and a quarter teaspoon of garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and oregano. You can also just use chili powder instead of taco seasoning if it's all you have on hand.