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hese Smoky Quinoa Vegetarian Nachos

Smoky Quinoa Vegetarian Nachos

These Smoky Quinoa Vegetarian Nachos are easy to make, addicting, and super versatile so you can easily adapt the recipe to what you like most about nachos (cheese...lots of melty cheese).

Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican
Keyword nachos
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

Smoky Quinoa:

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup white quinoa , rinsed
  • 1/2 cup chunky tomato-based salsa
  • 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast , optional
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp cumin powder
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • dash salt and pepper

Everything Else:

  • 1 bag tortilla chips
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1 jalapeño (fresh or pickled)
  • 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes , halved
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 radish , thinly sliced
  • lime juice , to taste
  • Hot sauce (optional - if you like it spicy)

Instructions

For the smoky quinoa:

  1. Bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Once boiling, add quinoa and reduce to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for an additional 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.

  2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  3. In a mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup salsa, nutritional yeast (if using), olive oil, cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, and a dash of salt and pepper.

  4. Once the quinoa has sat, fluff with a fork and transfer to mixing bowl. Fold until the quinoa is completed coated with the salsa mixture and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Spread out into an level layer on the baking sheet to ensure even baking.

  5. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes (time varies so much because different salsas will have different amounts of water content), stirring halfway through, or until most of the quinoa has browned.

  6. Remove from heat and serve warm.

To Assemble:

  1. Turn broiler to high. Place half the bag of chips on a baking sheet along with half the cheese, salsa, and jalapeno slices. Place remaining chips on top and top with remaining cheese, salsa, and jalapeno slices.

  2. Place baking sheet in oven and broil until cheese is melted and gooey.

  3. Remove from oven and finish with tomatoes, cilantro, radish slices, lime juice, and hot sauce. Serve right away.