Mexican Recipes

Vegetarian Chickpea Chorizo Nachos with Jalapeño Yogurt Sauce

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As a vegetarian, I have never had chorizo before or to be honest, any interest in trying it. But, when I saw Vegan Chickpea Chorizo fries on the menu at a restaurant, I was very curious to try it.

Oh. My. God. It was finger licking delicious! I absolutely loved the Vegan Chorizo. It was delicious, spicy, and packed with flavor. I did some research and found out that chorizo is made with a blend of many Mexican spices. That’s probably why I liked it so much! I’m all about spices! I need my food to be loaded with flavor. 🙂

So, I am getting side tracked. But, my point is that I loved Vegan Chickpea Chorizo and just had to try it at home! I looked up all the spices that are included in Chorizo, and there are a lot, as I already mentioned. Although I have a pretty expansive spice cabinet, I did not have all of these spices.

But, most of these spices are included in a bottle of Uncle T’s Spices “The Good Stuff.” Problem solved! This spice blend is my absolute favorite from the brand. You must get your hands on a bottle!

Use Promo Code CHAIT10 for 10% off your own spice blend! Click here.

So, I used this spice blend to create my own version of Vegan Chickpea Chorizo and turned it into Nachos! The result was absolutely yum.

I love topping these nachos with a dollop of Jalapeño Yogurt Sauce. This recipe is also included below.

Vegetarian Chickpea Chorizo Nachos with Jalapeño Yogurt Sauce
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Vegetarian Chickpea Chorizo Nachos with Jalapeño Yogurt Sauce

Recipe by Chaitra KCuisine: Mexican
Servings

6

servings
Prep Time

20

minutes
Cooking Time

20

minutes
Calories per Serving

620

kcal

Baked Nachos loaded with Veggies and Vegetarian Chickpea Chorizo, along with a side of a creamy sauce made from Jalapeños and Yogurt

Ingredients

  • Chickpea Chorizo

  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas (or 1/3 dry chickpeas)

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 cloves garlic (minced/ crushed)

  • 2 tbsp Uncle T’s Spices “The Good Stuff”

  • Salt to taste

  • Taco Sauce

  • Nachos

  • 1/2 medium sized bag (13 oz) of restaurant style tortilla chips or tortilla strips

  • 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

  • 1/2 small red onion (thinly sliced and halved)

  • 1-2 cups colorful peppers (I used mini peppers and sliced them into thin circles. You can use regular peppers and thinly slice and halve them.)

  • 1 small jalapeño (thinly sliced into circles)

  • 1/2 cup olives (thinly sliced into circles)

  • 1/4 cup green scallions/spring onions (thinly sliced into circles) and/ or finely chopped cilantro

  • Jalapeño Yogurt Sauce

  • 1 small jalapeño

  • 1 clove garlic

  • 1/2 cup thick yogurt (Check out how to make homemade yogurt here.)

  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Chickpea Chorizo
  • Cook 1/3 dry cup of chickpeas in an Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker to get 1 cup of cooked chickpeas (see “Notes” section below for cooking instructions). Alternatively, you can use a 8 oz can ( 1 cup) of cooked chickpeas.
  • Add 1 cup cooked chickpeas to a food processor. Make sure the chickpeas are dry and then pulse it coarsely for a few minutes. You don’t want to blend the chickpeas into a paste. You just want to break them into pieces. Keep aside.
  • Heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil in pan at a medium flame.
  • Add 2 cloves garlic (minced/crushed) and sauté till aromatic.
  • Add the pulsed chickpeas and sauté for a few minutes.
  • Mix in 2 tsp Uncle T’s Spices “The Good Stuff” and salt to taste.
  • Then, add 2 tbsp Taco Sauce.
  • Let the Chickpea Chorizo cook for a few minutes and then take off flame. Don’t let it become too mushy. Keep aside.
  • Nachos
  • Spread a thin layer of tortilla chips in a flat baking tray ( I find that a cookie pan works best).
  • Add in half the Chickpea Chorizo and spread evenly across the chips.
  • Generously spread 1/4 of the shredded Mexican cheese on top.
  • Add another thin layer of tortilla chips.
  • Top with the remaining half of the Chickpea Chorizo and spread evenly. (I also sprinkled a bit more Uncle T’s Spices “The Good Stuff” and drizzled a bit more Taco Sauce on the Chickpea Chorizo for additional flavor.)
  • Sprinkle another 1/4 of the shredded Mexican cheese on top.
  • Then, add thinly sliced red onions and bell peppers on top.
  • Sprinkle another 1/4 of the shredded Mexican cheese on top.
  • Finally, top with thinly sliced jalapeños, olives, and scallions (and/or finely chopped cilantro).
  • Sprinkle the last 1/4 of the shredded Mexican cheese.
  • Bake nachos at 375 °F for 10 min.
  • Remove from oven and top with Jalapeño Yogurt Sauce. Enjoy 🙂
  • Jalapeño Yogurt Sauce
  • Add all of the listed ingredients to a blender and blend to a smooth, creamy sauce.

Notes

  • If you are cooking your chickpeas, I would suggest you soak them overnight in enough water to completely cover them. If cooking in a pressure cooker, cook at medium heat for 5 whistles. If cooking in an Instant Pot, cook soaked chickpeas for 10-15 min or dry chickpeas for 35-40 min.
  • Uncle T’s Spices blend “The Good Stuff” contains most of the Mexican spices usually used in Chorizo. That’s why it’s a great choice for this recipe. However, you could use a different Mexican spice blend. Alternatively, you could use a mixture of Taco Seasoning and Paprika.
  • I used Taco Bell “Mild” Sauce for this recipe. However, you could use any Taco Sauce of your choosing. Alternatively, you could use Adobe or Chipotle sauce.
  • Instead of all of the veggies traditionally used for Nachos, I used a mixture of colorful mini peppers (thinly sliced into circles) for this recipe. They tasted amazing with the Chickpea Chorizo and added a colorful touch!
  • I find that a flat baking tray such as a cookie pan/ sheet pan works best for Nachos. It can get messy, so I always make sure to put parchment paper underneath!
  • I used a shredded blend of Mexican cheeses. Alternatively, you could use Quesadilla cheese or Pepper Jack.
  • I prefer to crush my garlic via a mortar and pestle. You could finely mince by hand or use a pre-made garlic paste.
  • There are many versions of this recipe. This is my tried and true version that I came up with.  I hope you love it!
  • Vegan option: Use Vegan cheese or Nutritional Yeast for the Nachos. Use Vegan Yogurt for the Jalapeño Yogurt Sauce. Another option would to top your Nachos with Guacamole or a different sauce instead.

Did you make this recipe?

I hope you all try this recipe out! I would love to see your own adventures in cooking! Please take a pic and share them with me on Instagram/Facebook @chaitrascreations.

 

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