Vegan + Gluten-Free Nachos

I'm not sure anyone needs to follow a nachos recipe to a 'T'. When at the end of the day it'll likely taste delicious however you make it. So consider this my current formula for my favourite nachos. Incorporate an element or two and leave the rest!

The tortilla chips, salsa verde and dairy-free cheese I used:

The spice mixes I used:

INGREDIENTS

• tortilla chips
• dairy-free cheese, grated
• iceberg lettuce, very finely shredded
• refried beans, warmed (optional)
• jarred salsa verde (I used Cholula, see above)

Nacho Cheese Sauce

• 1 small-medium potatoes, peeled & cubed
• 1 small carrot, peeled & cubed
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1–2 jalapeño slices, and a splash of their brine
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk
• 1/4 cup cashews, soaked and drained
• 1/2 tsp chicken-flavoured stock powder (I used Massel)
• 1 tsp tomato paste (or a squirt of tomato sauce)
• pinch of mixed herbs
• 1 tsp of salt
• grind of pepper

Guacamole

• 1 avocado, roughly mashed
• squeeze of lime juice
• pinch of salt

Fresh Salsa

• 2 large tomatoes, finely diced
• small handful coriander, finely chopped
• 1 large handful sliced spring onions
• squeeze of lime juice
• generous pinch of salt

Mince

• drizzle of light-flavoured vegetable oil
• 1/2 onion, finely diced (optional)
• 1 small–medium capsicum, finely diced
• 1 pkt of Impossible Mince (or similar)
• 1/2 pkt of taco or burrito seasoning (see gluten-free suggestions above)

Tofu Puffs

• classic or medium-firm tofu, drained and lightly pressed between paper towels
• cornflour or cornstarch, to dust
• taco or burrito seasoning (see gluten-free suggestions above)
• light-flavoured vegetable oil

METHOD

1. Prepare all the toppings (see methods below), including slicing your lettuce and warming your refried beans (if using). Preheat your oven to the highest temperature and once hot, lay your tortilla chips onto a baking sheet and generously sprinkle with grated cheese. Dairy-free cheese usually requires steam to melt, so I recommend adding a small splash of water to the tray and tenting foil over the tortilla chips (or covering with a lid). Place in the oven for 15 minutes (that's how long my cheese took to melt anyway), remove the foil and return to the top shelf of the oven for 5 more minutes or until the cheese is golden. Top with the prepared toppings, salsa verde (if using) and enjoy!
2. Nacho Cheese Sauce: Boil the potato, carrot and cashews until the vegetables are tender and almost falling apart. Drain and add to a blender along with all the other Nacho Cheese Sauce ingredients. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings (especially salt and Dijon mustard), if desired. Set aside until needed. It can be warmed-through in a small saucepan or microwave, before serving.
3. Guacamole: Combine all the Guacamole ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate until needed.
4. Fresh Salsa: Add all the Fresh Salsa ingredients together in a medium bowl. Gently toss to combine. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving, for the salt to draw out the liquid from the tomatoes and make them more flavoursome.
5. Mince: Heat a generous glug of light-flavoured vegetable oil in a frypan. Add the onion (if using) and capsicum and sauté over medium-high heat until mostly softened. Add the Impossible Mince and break it into a few large chunks. Don't break it up further at this point as this encourages delicious caramelisation. Wait for the big mince pieces to become golden brown on one side, then flip to caramelise on the other side. At which point, break the large chunks up further into smaller pieces, letting those caramelise. Once the mince is mostly cooked through, add your seasoning and stir it through, breaking up the mince into a fine texture as you go. If necessary, add a splash of water to lift the flavour off the bottom of the pan. Turn the mince off the heat and set aside until ready to serve.
6. Tofu Puffs: This method works for any quantity of tofu. Break the drained and gently pressed tofu into chunks and add to a bowl. Dust enough cornflour over the tofu to coat each piece. Gently toss the tofu to coat, adding more cornflour as required. Sprinkle over enough seasoning to lightly coat each piece and gently toss to coat (it's okay if the tofu crumbles some more). Drizzle with light-flavoured vegetable oil, gently toss to coat and cook in an air fryer for approx. 10–15 minutes at 200C. Or in the oven at 220F for 20 minutes (or until golden brown and puffy). Set aside until required.