Vegetarian nachos is a delicious Mexican-inspired 30-minute meal. Perfect for a Friday night in front of the telly. We use shop-bought corn chips and refried beans. We make our own guacamole and salsa – so easy and a million times better than shop-bought any day of the week. We have plenty of melty cheddar cheese adorning each corn chip (you can keep your liquid cheese). A dollop of cool and creamy sour cream and a smattering of choice garnishes make this an enduring family favourite.
It’s not rocket science, but the main reason these nachos are so good is upright corn chips. Really! It’s worth taking the extra time to stick the corn chips upright. A refried bean base enables us to do this. That way, we can scatter grated/shredded cheese over the top and it falls into the gaps in-between the chips. All the corn chips get their fair share of cheese. Pet hate (one of many!) – corn chips piled in a bowl with a sheet of toppings. What’s the point of all the sorry naked corn chips underneath?
There’s a time and a place for chunky guacamole and salsa. Check out my Avocado Salsa if you’re looking for a chunky avo topper for corn chips. Toppings that are on the smoother side are best for nachos. The perfect nacho corn chip is covered in all the things. Melted cheese, salsa, refried beans, sour cream AND guacamole. We must maximise our corn chip ‘real estate’ by making our toppings easy to apply 😊
This makes enough for 4 generous portions for a meal.
🥘 Ingredients
corn chips/tortilla chips – I’m not loyal to a particular brand. I tend to buy whatever's on offer that day 🙂 I do stick with ones that only have 3 ingredients only - corn, oil and salt. I’ve found that corn chips vary quite a bit in the amount of salt they contain. You might want to compare a couple of brands if you’re not a salt-fiend. The only salt added in the rest of this recipe is for the guacamole (because avos without salt is a travesty). There is already salt in some of the other ingredients – Tabasco, tomato ketchup and refried beans. I prefer triangular (rather than round) corn chips, but it doesn’t really matter what you use!
I always make sure I buy the corn chips myself (don’t rely on home delivery). I carefully pick out a bag that doesn’t look flattened. I even tilt the bag from one end to the other and listen out for signs that the corn chips are very broken inside. I very carefully transport them home and store them until ready to use. A few broken ones are fine; just tip them over the arranged corn chips (or eat them as you go) 😊
refried beans – I like the Old El Paso brand, made from pinto beans blended with Mexican spices. It’s very mild and has quite a smooth texture, which works well here.
avocado- you might need one or two, depending on the size. You never quite know how big the stone is until you cut it open. Always worth buying a spare – they’re so hit and miss, aren’t they? If the avos are disappointing firm inside, you won’t get such a creamy and delicious result. Need help with selecting, storing and ripening avocados?
tomatoes –we skin and use the flesh only (not the watery seedy inside) for salsa. Avoid overly ripe tomatoes for making salsa. Very soft tomatoes will result in salsa that is more watery.
cheese – cheddar for a good balance between melting ability and tastiness. Don’t try and use ‘extra tasty’ cheese (‘extra mature’ in the UK). It doesn’t lend well to melting on its own. It tends to split and curdle when heated at high temperature. Yes, this is an obscene amount of cheese. This isn’t diet food. It doesn’t seem like too much, trust me! Try the amount suggested here before you reduce it. And grate your own! Pre-grated cheese contains additives to stop it clumping together in the packet. These anti-caking ingredients also stop it melting so nicely.
coriander/cilantro – lots! In the salsa and guacamole. Sprinkled on top to serve. All the coriander haters out there…. I’m not sure I can help you!
Tabasco – I like the vinegary tang to cut through the richness. This amount of heat is mild – my kids will eat (this is my barometer for heat). I like to shake more over my own portion, so it’s worth literally bringing to the table.
lime – lots of juice, from 2-3 limes, depending on how large/juicy they are. Their acidity helps cut through the fattiness of the cheese and the creaminess of the sour cream. It lifts the flavour of the salsa and guacamole. I don’t know about where you’re from, but limes in Australia can get crazy expensive, depending on the time of year. I like to buy lots when they’re cheap and keep a stash of lime juice in the freezer, in ice cube trays. This makes for easy portioning. Frozen lime cubes can be added to the gauc and salsa ingredients and whizzed up as they are. My icecubes are a tablespoon each, about half a typical lime’s worth. Frozen lime juice cubes are easily cut too. You can use exactly what you need with no waste and no sorry lime half hanging out in the fridge. You don’t have to be super-precise of course, but a tablespoon of lime juice weighs about 15g.
🔪 Instructions
Make up the salsa and guacamole first. We simply throw the salsa ingredients in a mini blender until it is the consistency you like. Ditto the guacamole ingredients. There's no need to clean the blender in-between either . On the smoother side is easier to scoop up with a corn chip.
Tomato Salsa
(Photo 1 above) this salsa uses the tomato flesh minus the skin and seeds. If you have a blowtorch, you can scorch the skin so that it blackens and shrivels up. It can then be easily removed by scraping gently with a knife.
The other way of removing tomato skins is to cut a small cross in the base of each tomato. Pour boiling water over them in a bowl, leave to sit for a couple of minutes and peel off.
(Photo 2) whichever method you use - once the skin’s removed, we quarter the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds with a small knife or spoon. Simply add the rest of the salsa ingredients and blitz!
(Photo 3) finished salsa
Guacamole
(Photo 1 above) leave a tablespoon or so of salsa in the food processor to blend with the guacamole ingredients. This adds a touch of seasoned tomato which serves to elevate flavour even more.
(Photo 2 & 3) simply add the rest of the salsa ingredients and blitz!
Arranging Corn Chips
We smear the refried beans over the bottom of the baking dish/es and arrange the corn chips in rows.
Cover with the cheese and that’s it; ready for the oven. It only needs 5-8 minutes at 180°C. Note that these photos show half the amount of corn chips, cheese and refried beans. The recipe is for double this.
The aim is to simply melt the cheese onto the corn chips and crisp up the corn chips on their exposed edges a touch. If you take it too far; something weird happens with the cheese; it’s like it disappears!
Pile the cheesy corn chips on plates or bowls. Make sure you include the bean layer! Top with generous dollops of sour cream, guacamole and salsa. Garnish with coriander leaves. Add a sprinkle of pickled jalapenos/a sprinkle of Tabasco sauce if you want extra heat.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- 2x baking dishes, roughly 20 x30cm (or one very large one)
Ingredients
- 3 medium tomatoes
- coriander leaves
- lime juice 1-2 limes, depending on size
- 2 Tablespoons tomato ketchup
- ½ teaspoon Tabasco or to taste
- 1-2 avocados
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 435 g refried beans
- 350 g plain salted corn chips
- 400 g tasty cheddar
- 200 g sour cream
To Garnish
- roughly chopped coriander leaves
- Optional Tabasco sauce/ sliced pickled jalapenos
Instructions
- Preheat Oven – to 180°C
Make Salsa
- Peel Tomatoes – using a cook’s blowtorch or boiling water (note)3 medium tomatoes
- De-seed Tomatoes – cut the peeled tomatoes into quarters. Scoop out and discard the seeds and the watery insides.
- Blend – put the tomatoes in a food processor. Add a handful of coriander leaves, one tablespoon of lime juice, the tomato ketchup & Tabasco. Whizz up until your desired consistency. Tip into a small bowl to serve, leaving about a tablespoon of salsa in the food processor.coriander leaveslime juice2 Tablespoons tomato ketchup½ teaspoon Tabasco
- Make Guacamole - tip in roughly chopped avocado flesh, a handful of coriander leaves, two tablespoons of lime juice and the salt. Whizz up until your desired consistency and tip into a small bowl to serve.coriander leaveslime juice1-2 avocados¼ teaspoon salt
- Grate Cheese - coarsely grate the cheese400 g tasty cheddar
- Assembly - spread the refried beans over the base of your serving dishes. Arrange the corn chips – stand up parallel to each other. Sprinkle over the cheese.435 g refried beans350 g plain salted corn chips
- Bake - for 5- 8 minutes, until you can smell toasted corn chips, and the cheese is melted.
- Serve - dish up piled high on plates, ensuring you include the bean layer and dollops of salsa, guac and sour cream. Scatter over some coriander and Tabasco/jalapenos if you want extra heat.
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