Name: Vegan Breakfast Nachos (With Tofu)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 cup tortilla chips; ½ block firm or extra firm tofu; ⅓ cup salsa ((pico de gallo)); 1 head cauliflower ((for cauliflower rice)); ½ cup mushrooms, sliced ((baby portobello)); ½ small red onion, chopped ((can you yellow or white)); 3 tablespoons green onion, chopped ((for tofu scramble)); 3 cloves garlic, minced; ½ cup black olives, sliced; ⅓ cup shredded vegan cheese ((mozzarella, cheddar, gouda) ); ¼ cup shredded purple cabbage ((to top)); 1 teaspoon turmeric; 2 tablespoons garlic powder; 2 tablespoons onion powder; salt and pepper to taste

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These Vegan Breakfast Nachos are made with tofu, mushrooms, onion, salsa, vegan cheese olives and cauliflower rice. Vegan Breakfast Nachos are packed with protein and bold flavors.

Vegan Breakfast Nachos are a fun way to change up your breakfast. I like to use a lot of tofu in my breakfast recipes, like my Loaded Tofu Scramble, because it replicates the texture and taste of eggs.

Even though this dish seems like a cheat meal, it’s actually pretty healthy. This recipe has 10g of protein per serving with the tofu alone. If you add extra toppings like black beans or chickpeas, then you’ll up the protein count. Additionally, we are using vegetables such as mushrooms, cauliflower, garlic and cabbage for fiber, vitamins and nutrients.

This recipe takes about 20 minutes to make and is great to serve at large gatherings, parties or even for family breakfast. You can vary the ingredients pending what you have on hand, but there are a few key ingredients that cannot be sacrificed like crunchy tortilla chips.

I guarantee you will love this recipe for vegan nachos and you won’t even realize that it is 100% vegan!

Ingredients You’ll Need for Vegan Breakfast Nachos

Making this recipe is pretty simple. You will need to make an easy tofu scramble first before assembling the nachos, along with quick cauliflower rice. I’ll show you step-by-step instructions below. But first, here are the ingredients you will need in order to prepare this delicious breakfast recipe:

TORTILLA CHIPS: I like to use a plain tortilla chip but you can use a flavored chip like lime or spicy jalapeño.
TOFU: You can use firm or extra-firm for this recipe.
SALSA: I enjoy using fresh pico de gallo for this recipe. You can use cherry tomatoes or thinly sliced beefsteaks.
CAULIFLOWER: You’ll make a quick and delicious cauliflower rice for crunch and texture.
MUSHROOMS: This will act as our ‘beef.’ You can use a plant based meat-alternative if you prefer.
ONION: I use both red and green onion for this recipe but you can absolutely use white or yellow onion.
GARLIC: For the cauliflower rice and nachos.
OLIVES: A classic nacho ingredient and it adds a salty flavor that I can’t resist.
PURPLE CABBAGE: For extra texture shredded on top.
VEGAN MOZZARELLA: Sprinkled on top at the end and it will melt into ooey-gooey deliciousness.
SPICES: You’ll need turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper for the tofu scramble and cauliflower.

How to Make Breakfast Vegan Nachos

Time needed: 20 minutes.

How to make breakfast vegan nachos

Make the tofu scramble
In a small skillet, add chopped mushrooms, onion, garlic and salsa. Let the vegetables cook for 2-3 minutes until they turn soft. Crumble in tofu and add in turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Mix until all spices are incorporated and remove from heat.
Prepare the cauliflower rice
Rinse the cauliflower with water to remove excess dirt. Use a towel to pat dry. Next, cut the cauliflower in half vertically from the bottom stem up to the crown (top) of the head. On a slight slant, cut the florets off to make mini bite size pieces. On a flat surface, use a large knife and chop the cauliflower into tiny pieces to form pieces of ‘rice.’
Finally, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan or cast iron skillet. Add in the cauliflower rice and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add in minced garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper. Stir for 5 minutes until the cauliflower turns lightly brown and crispy.
Assemble Vegan Breakfast Nachos
First, preheat the oven to 375F. Next, begin assembling your nachos. On a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper, line the bottom of the tray with large tortilla chips. Next, spoon onto each chip the scramble tofu mixture, vegetables, extra salsa, red onion and olives. Repeat this process until all of the chips are covered with the ingredients.
Bake
Place the pan of nachos into the oven at 375F for 7 minutes. Remove the nachos and sprinkle shredded vegan cheese on top (and extra salsa if you prefer) and place back into the oven for 5 minutes. Finally, remove from the oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before serving. I like to add shredded cheese and shredded red cabbage on top.

Vary the Toppings!

You can use other ingredients to top your nachos with. I have come up with a few different ways of preparing this recipe below:

Use spicy peppers like jalapeño, chipotle or chili. For more intense heat, cut the peppers and keep the seeds. For less heat, remove the seeds.
Sprinkle a layer of plant-based meat crumbles on top of the nachos for extra meaty flavor.
Vary the salsa by using tomatillos and making salsa verde.
Add guacamole on the side using avocado, pico de gallo, diced onion, salt and pepper.
Dip the nachos in our 3 Ingredient Creamy Queso Dipping Sauce.
I have added cooked spinach, zucchini, eggplant and black beans on top and they all tasted delicious.

So, as you can see, there are a lot of ways to make this recipe since it’s so versatile. Use your favorite vegetables and spices that you like! If you are looking for clever ways to use natural ingredients as meat alternatives, check out our article on that here.