Is there anything better than a plate full of crispy tortilla chips smothered in cheese? There is! It’s a plate with tortilla cheese, smothered in cheese then loaded with lots of vegetables and beans which luckily for you, is where this recipe comes in. These vegetarian nachos are loaded with summer vegetables and BUSH’S® Organic Black Beans.
Nachos for dinner!
We take our nachos pretty seriously. They aren’t a snack-food in our house. Typically I make a big mess of nachos for a movie night dinner. No plates are involved- just a family, together, with a big bowl of loaded nachos.
What’s great, however, is these nachos could easily serve as a solid app for a party. Load the bowl up with a side of limes and you’re ready to go.
BUSH’S® Organic Black Beans
One of the things I love most about the fact that BUSH’S® Beans has an organic line is how accessible it is. You can easily walk into a local grocery store and find these beans on the shelves. I love using BUSH’S® Beans as a veg friendly protein source (and even the meat eaters can get on board!)
If you want to use an easy version of the beans, BUSH’S® Beans has a delightful savory bean (Black Bean Fiesta) that’s already spiced- perfect for a nacho topping
Vegan-it
I think what I love about these nachos is that with a solid vegan cheese recipe, they are a fantastic vegan recipe. You could easily to swap in vegan cheese but I have a love of this butternut squash queso.
Seasonal adaptations
Finally, we’re all about these nachos year-round. During the cooler months, roasted sweet potatoes and butternut squash are our favorite toppings. Occasionally we’ll do sauteed greens. If we’re really wanting to go big, we’ll make this chili and top our nachos (extra delicious!)
Summer Veg Nachos with Black Beans
Scale
Ingredients
Bean Topping
1 ear of sweet corn
1 bell pepper (red, green, or do half of each
½ medium red onion
1 small zucchini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 15oz can BUSH’S® Organic Black Beans ½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
Cheese Sauce
3 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup to 3/4 cup whole milk
Nachos
8 ounces tortilla chips
1 cup guacamole, for serving
Cilantro, for serving
Instructions
Begin by preparing the vegetables. Remove the kernels from the corn and dice the pepper, onion, and zucchini. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil followed by all the diced vegetables and sweet corn kernels. Cook until the vegetables are just tender; 6 to 8 minutes.
Drain and rinse the can of BUSH’S® Organic Black Beans and add to the pan along with the cumin and salt. Stir and cook just until the beans are warm. Turn off heat and make the cheese sauce.
To make the sauce, combine the shredded cheese with cornstarch, paprika, garlic, and salt. Turn on the heat to medium low and stir to coat the cheese with cornstarch. Once the cheese begins to melt, add about ½ cup of milk in. Whisk and let the milk heat/cheese melt. Continue until the cheese sauce is smooth and has thickened, about 4 minutes. If the sauce is too thick (it should drizzle), add a splash or two of milk.
Place the tortilla chips in a large shallow bowl. Top with cheese followed by the vegetable mixture. Finish with the guacamole and cilantro. Serve immediately.
I did not like tomatoes as a child. My mom grew tomatoes in our garden and I always turned up my nose at them. What a missed opportunity to enjoy something so delicious! As an adult with my own garden, I was excited to grow a big harvest this summer. Unfortunately, both tomato plants died before they produced any fruit! If you’re lucky enough to have a homegrown bounty of fresh tomatoes still warm from the summer sun, I beg you to make this marinated tomato and avocado salad.
In fact, I beg you to make this marinated tomato and avocado salad even if you don’t have a vegetable garden. That is, unless you’ve discovered this recipe in the dead of winter and all you can find are bland greenhouse tomatoes. In that case, bookmark this page and come back in summer when tomatoes have the absolute best flavor. I used pearl tomatoes on the vine for this recipe because they’re the perfect bite size when sliced into quarters. Feel free to use whatever tomatoes you have on hand!
This marinated tomato and avocado salad is a fantastic summer recipe whether you’re barbecuing at home or headed out for a picnic. The tomatoes can chill in the fridge while you prep the rest of your feast, making this a really simple recipe to prepare if you’re in charge of multiple dishes. Dice and add the avocado just before serving for the best results.
While incredibly fresh and delicious on its own, there are many ways you can bulk up this marinated tomato and avocado salad if you need to feed a crowd. Try adding cooked quinoa, couscous, or farro. Or, turn it into a pasta salad by adding cooked and cooled shells or penne. I have big plans to spread this salad on crusty bread for a bruschetta-inspired appetizer.
1 or 2 ripe avocados, diced (depending on your preference and the size of your avocados)
⅓ cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Quarter the pearl tomatoes and place them in a large bowl. Peel the red onion and cut it in half from tip to root. Place the flat part of the onion on your cutting board and carefully slice it into thin half moons. Add the onion to the bowl with the tomatoes.
Combine the chopped garlic, lime juice, olive oil, agave, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine. The marinade should be salty, tangy, and just a tad sweet – adjust the ingredients until balanced.
Pour the marinade over the sliced tomatoes and onion and gently toss to coat. Marinate the tomatoes in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Just before serving, drain any excess liquid from the tomatoes. Tip: if you’re serving this salad with cooked quinoa, couscous, or pasta, reserve the marinade for extra dressing. Transfer the marinated tomatoes and onions to a serving platter and add the diced avocado. Top with chopped cilantro and serve fresh.
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