Nachos are the perfect appetizer, but are not usually associated with being a healthy option because they are typically doused in sour cream, lots of cheese, and made with processed tortilla chips. However, I was craving nachos one night so I set out to make a version with crispy sweet potatoes and only real ingredients and boy did it satisfy my craving. Don’t they look delicious?! I topped them with a lot of healthy fats so it was extremely filling and I ate them as my main meal. These are perfect to make when looking for something to share with a few people, bring to a party, enjoy as a meal, or on a game day!
These nachos are one hundred percent vegan, dairy free, gluten free, and made with no sugar so they really cover a lot of dietary restrictions and will have you feeling good! Of course you don’t need to have a dietary restriction to enjoy these – I promise anyone who eats them will be asking for more. The best part is they are filled with protein, fiber, and a number of nutrients so you can feel good when eating them.
For the sweet potato, you can coat them in any seasoning you like. My go to is garlic powder, salt, and some paprika!
I love using this lentil taco mix instead of meat and being able to use a variety of vegetables, like onions, avocado, and pepper. The best part of this dish are the toppings because the combos are endless.
Substitution ideas:
- Sweet potatoes: you can use orange sweet potatoes, japanese yams, regular potatoes, or healthier chips like Siete
- Lentils: you can use any type of bean, chickpea, or ground meat if you prefer
- Toppings: you can switch out the cashew cream for queso and can also top your nachos with tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, pumpkin seeds
- Cashew Cream: could do queso, salsa, or guacamole instead
Vegan Sweet Potato Nachos with Lentils + Cashew Cream
Cooking & Baking Supplies
- Baking Tray
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
Nachos
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- sprinkle salt + pepper
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
- microgreens (optional)
Lentil Topping
- 1 1/4 cup cooked lentils
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cumin
Cashew Cream
- 1/4 cup dairy free cream cheese
- 1/2 cup cashew milk
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice a large sweet potato into 1/4 inch slivers either using a large knife or a mandolin + place on a baking tray.
- Season sweet potato with olive oil, salt, paprika, and garlic powder and cook in oven for approximately 40 minutes, flip halfway through to make sure both sides are browning.
- While sweet potatoes are cooking, place all ingredients for cashew cream into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Cut onion, avocado, and pepper and place in a small bowl and set aside until sweet potatoes are done cooking.
- Place cooked lentils (or any bean of your choice) in a bowl with spices and mix well.
- After you remove the sweet potatoes from the oven, let cool for a few minutes, then add on toppings, lentil meat, and drizzle cashew cream. ENJOY!
