What do you get when you combine vegan and Tex-Mex? You get the most guilt-free, flavorful fiesta in your mouth.

After my favorite local Tex-Mex restaurant became a casualty of the pandemic, I was forced to look into creating my own family favorites. Around this same time, I was looking for creative ways to introduce more vegetables into my little ones’ diets. Then the idea came to me: Vegan Tex-Mex.

I began with some of our staples when we have a craving for Tex-Mex. Chips and salsa are a must, and of course, you can’t turn down queso. But vegan queso? Challenge accepted.

From there, I took a trip to flavor town and began flipping my recipes upside down and creating them vegan-style. My little ones did not miss the meat in any of these dishes, and I guarantee you won’t either. Suitable for vegans, vegetarians, or just food lovers in general, hopefully these vegan Tex-Mex recipes make their way into your rotation too. Enjoy!

5 Vegan Tex-Mex Recipes

1. Tex-Mex Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1 head cauliflower, riced
• 3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1 Tbsp lime juice

Directions:

1. Heat EVOO over medium heat. Once hot, add onion, garlic, and jalapeno.
2. Once the onions are translucent, stir in tomato paste, cumin, and paprika.
3. Add cauliflower rice and stir until all ingredients are combined.
4. Cook until cauliflower becomes fluffy.
5. Remove from heat and add cilantro and lime juice.
6. Serve as a side dish or a main course.
7. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:
Yields 4 servings

• Calories: 91
• Fat: 4 g
• Carbs: 15 g
• Fiber: 5 g
• Protein: 4 g

2. Tex-Mex Slaw

Slaw Ingredients:

• 4 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Dressing Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp vegan mayonnaise
• 3 Tbsp lime juice
• ½ tsp hot sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Whisk mayo, lime juice, and hot sauce. Set aside.
2. Thinly slice cabbage. If you have a mandolin—great. If you have a food processor or attachment on your KitchenAid®, that’s great too.
3. Slice green onions and chop cilantro.
4. Combine cabbage, green onions, and cilantro in mixing bowl.
5. Add dressing and mix well.
6. Refrigerate for a few hours until flavors marry.
7. Enjoy.

Chef Note: I generally eyeball the dressing ingredients until I have enough to coat all of the cabbage. Depending on your taste preference, you can add a little more or less of any of the dressing ingredients.

Nutrition Information:
Yields 6 servings

• Calories: 62
• Fat: 3 g
• Carbs: 7 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 2.4 g

3. Tex-Mex Tostadas

Ingredients:

• 4 corn tortillas
• 15-oz can black beans
• Shredded lettuce
• 1 avocado, sliced
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 green chili pepper or jalapeno, chopped
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1 lime
• Optional: Vegan sour cream (2 Tbsp)
• Optional: Salsa (2 Tbsp)
• Optional: cilantro

Directions:

1. Layer corn tortilla, then beans, lettuce, avocado, onions, and peppers.
2. Sprinkle with cumin. Then squeeze lime juice on top, or you could give a small squeeze on each layer.
3. Top with your favorite toppings (i.e., vegan sour cream, salsa, cilantro)
4. Enjoy!

Chef Note: If you wanted to add grilled tofu to this vegan Tex-Mex recipe, that would make an amazing addition.

Nutrition Information:
Yields 2 servings

• Calories: 412
• Fat: 16 g
• Carbs: 56.5 g
• Fiber: 23 g
• Protein: 16 g

4. Tex-Mex Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 4 cups water
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 15-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 15-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 can corn (or frozen or even fresh if its available)
• 1 fresh hot chili, seeded and chopped
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Optional: avocado
• Optional: vegan sour cream
• Optional: tortilla strips

Directions:

1. Sauté onions and garlic in EVOO over medium heat until onions are translucent.
2. Add water and all remaining ingredients (sans cilantro and optional toppings).
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 10 – 15 minutes.
4. Stir in cilantro, reserving a little bit for garnish if you desire.
5. Enjoy!

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Nutrition Information:
Yields 4 servings

• Calories: 303
• Fat: 13.5 g
• Carbs: 40 g
• Fiber: 11 g
• Protein: 6.5 g

5. Tex-Mex Salsa and Queso

Salsa Ingredients:

• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• ¼ cup onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
• ½ tsp salt

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients and fold together gently.
2. Keep in refrigerator for an hour for flavors to marry.
3. Enjoy with sliced veggies or tortilla chips.

Queso Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw cashews
• ¾ cup water
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 4-oz can green chili peppers
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Soak cashews for roughly 5 minutes in room temperature water.
2. Add cashews and remaining ingredients into a food processor or blender, and blend until creamy.
3. Place either over the stovetop or in a microwave and heat until warm.
4. Serve with tortilla chips or sliced veggies.

Nutrition Information (for salsa):
Yields 4 servings

• Calories: 28
• Fat: 0 g
• Carbs: 6 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 1 g

Nutrition Information (for queso):
Yields 4 servings

• Calories: 204
• Fat: 13.5 g
• Carbs: 12 g
• Fiber: 2.4 g
• Protein: 9 g

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