These Vegan Pumpkin Nachos are topped with a life-changing avocado queso – you’ll never want to go back to “regular” queso again!
Hey folks!! I’m super excited to bring this recipe to you today because it’s part of the 2018 Virtual Pumpkin Party – an online party where bloggers share their best pumpkin recipes. My former entries include:
2015: Vegan Pumpkin Gnocchi
2016: Chipotle Pumpkin Hummus
2017: Epic Pumpkin Tacos
And for this year’s party I’m sharing the recipe for these crazy delicious vegan pumpkin nachos with an absolutely STELLAR avocado queso. I’m going as far as to call it life-changing. Why? Because after trying this queso, you’re not going to ever want to have any other type of queso!
Most vegan queso recipes call for cashews; and while I love cashews, I wanted to create something different and exciting for these nachos. So I said to myself, “What’s creamy but still neutral enough to let the cheesy flavor shine through?”. And I had a eureka moment – AVOCADOS! This queso is like a hybrid between guacamole and my spicy vegan queso recipe (which I also highly recommend checking out). I had such a hard time photographing this recipe because I was so busy dipping my tortilla chips in the avocado queso. I would definitely try it out even if you’re not looking to make the nachos. It’s that good!!
Also, I want to say a few words about the actual pumpkin element itself. I wanted to use fresh pumpkin instead of purée in this recipe to keep things interesting. However, I probably choose the hardest way possible to break down my pumpkins – I cut the top off, scooped out the seeds and goo, and peeled it with a vegetable peeler. I like doing it this way because I don’t want to roast it twice. But if you have a better way to break down pumpkins that doesn’t involve cooking it twice, email me or leave a comment on this recipe!
Vegan Pumpkin Nachos w/ Avocado Queso
Ingredients
Roasted Pumpkin
- 1 Small Sugar Pumpkin about 4 cups chopped
- Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt + Pepper to taste
Avocado Queso
- 2 Avocados peeled and pitted
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1 Large Clove of Garlic
- 1 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
- 1/4 Tsp Chili Powder
- 1/4 Tsp Cumin
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
The Rest of the Nachos
- Tortilla Chips
- Chopped Green Onions
- Chopped Parsley or Cilantro
- Roasted Pumpkin Seeds or Pepitas
Instructions
Roasted Pumpkin
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- To start, break down your pumpkin. I do it the hard way (even though I’ve heard there are better versions online, I like doing it this way. However, feel free to cut it up any way you’d like!). Cut the top off of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and goo. Then, cut it in half. Using a vegetable peeler, peel off the skin (it’s very difficult!). Then, cut the peeled pumpkin into cubes. The final yield should be about 4 cups.
- Drizzle the chopped pumpkin with just enough olive oil to coat, plus salt + pepper to taste.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, roast the pumpkin for about 30-40 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.
Avocado Queso
- While the pumpkin is roasting, make the avocado queso. Add all ingredients into a blender, and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Feel free to add in a little water to help it blend, but not too much or it’ll dilute the queso.
Putting It All Together
- Lay out your tortilla chips on plates. Drizzle with the avocado queso, then top with the pumpkin, chopped green onions and parsley (or cilantro), and pumpkin seeds.
- Alternatively, layer everything on a baking sheet, and stick back in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 5-10 minutes so everything is warm. Either way is delicious!
- Enjoy!
Notes
P.S.
If you make these vegan pumpkin nachos and post it on Instagram, be sure to tag me @wellandfull and #wellandfull so I can see! I love seeing your takes on my recipes :)
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