Jalapeño Business

I know for me, when I decided to transition to a plant-based diet, there was undoubtably some guilty pleasures I was going to miss.  Nachos being the top of that list.  They are cheesy, comforting, sharable, fun and a perfect snack.  The beauty is, there is always a way to make something healthier and sans animal products, it just takes some creativity.  This recipe has been a hit among my friends, and with summer in full effect, it’s time for you to make these nachos for your people. Warning, they will be a fan fave, and you may end up having to make them again and again!  Please note you will need to make the vegan parmesan cheese and vegan nacho cheese sauce ahead of time.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Cauliflower Nachos

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

This recipe is perfect as an appetizer or entrée. A vegan spin on traditional nachos, loaded with veggies, spice and cheesiness. Give these a try for your next party or potluck.

Author: Bekah Rife

Category: Appetizer, Entrée

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan, Cali-Mex

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Cauliflower

• 2 medium heads of cauliflower, cut into florets and washed
• 2 tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil
• ⅓ cup vegan parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• fresh cracked pepper

Pico de Gallo

• 2 medium tomatoes, remove the seeds and dice medium*
• ⅓ cup onion, diced small
• Half of a jalapeño, diced small, do not remove the seeds
• Juice of half a lime
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped

Toppings

• 1 cup vegan nacho cheese sauce
• ½ cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed

Garnish

• 1 avocado, diced medium
• 2 green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. First, gather your mise en place. (mi ˑ zɑ̃ ˑ plas)
2. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
3. Next, place your cut and washed cauliflower into a bowl. Pour oil over the florets and mix to coat. Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Mix again to coat well, I like to use my hands for this step. Spread the cauliflower evenly onto a lined baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes on one side. Toss the florets and let them bake for another 5 minutes to gain additional color. Before removing from the oven the florets should be golden brown and taste cooked but not soft. Baking time may vary based on location and oven so please watch closely.
4. While the cauliflower is in the oven place all your pico de gallo ingredients into a small bowl and mix. Taste, adjust seasoning if need, and set aside to let the flavors marinate.
5. Once cooked, take the cauliflower out of the the oven. Set your broiler to high. Drizzle the nacho cheese and black beans onto the cauliflower. Place back into the oven for 4-6 minutes until the dish has gained more golden color.
6. Remove from broiler. With a spatula, move the cauliflower onto a serving plate. I do this in steps, carefully moving only what fits on the spatula at a time.
7. With a spoon, evenly distribute the pico de gallo all over the florets.
8. Next garnish with the avocado, green onions, cilantro and fresh cracked pepper.
9. Serve these nachos on appetizer plates, and make sure to give your guests a fork!

Notes

*For the pico de gallo, we want to avoid any excess liquid, this is why we need to remove the seeds. To deseed your tomato, first cut in quarters. Next hold one of the quarters skin side down in the palm of your hand. Start on one end of the tomato and run your knife between the flesh of the tomato and the membrane which holds the seeds in place. Keep the motion going until you reach the other end of the tomato. The seeds should effortlessly fall from the flesh, voilà!

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