6 Vegan Super Bowl Snacks

1. Mini Vegan Nacho Pizzas

Makes 4 mini pizzas

Ingredients:

• 2 English muffins (spelt or sprouted grain)
• 1/3 cup vegan cheese shreds, vegan pepper jack flavor used
• 1/3 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup vegan refried beans
• 1 small jalapeño peppers
• 2 tbsp. tomato

Optional toppings:

• 1/2 large avocado
• 1 tbsp. black olives
• diced tofu (try lime-chipotle-agave marinated!)
• 1/4 cup onion
• cilantro
• lime juice
• vegan sour cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Pull apart your English muffins. Prep your veggies by chopping/slicing.
3. Generously layer refried beans to the muffin bread. Then add the salsa, vegan cheese, and veggie toppings.
4. Place on baking sheet and place on top rack in oven. Allow to bake for about ten minutes at 400 degrees. Then for an additional 2 minutes, broil so that the tops get bubbly.
5. Put the toppings on and serve.

2. Vegan Spinach Dip

Makes about 5-6 cups

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. organic frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup ‘quick-soaked’ raw cashews
• 1/2 cup raw parsley
• 1 cup raw arugula
• 2 tbsp. Nutritional Yeast Flakes
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper

Toppings: Sprinkle of Vegan White Cheese (Daiya)

Directions:

1. Thaw your spinach by soaking bag in warm water.
2. Quick-soak your cashews in hot salted water – for about 20 minutes. This will soften them a bit to ease the blending process.
3. Add all your ingredients, except the cheese (for topping), to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Do a taste test and adjust seasoning as needed.
4. Pour spinach dip into a heat-safe serving dish. Top with a sprinkle of cheese.
5. Heat/broil in oven as described above and remove to cool for a minute.

3. Cheezy Kale Chips

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch of kale, stems discarded and leaves ripped up
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 1 hour
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp soaking water from tomatoes
• 2-4 tbsp. fresh basil
• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 3/4 tsp. fine grain sea salt, or to taste

Directions:

1. Soak the cashews in water for 1.5-2 hours. Drain and rinse the cashews.
2. In a food processor, with the machine running, drop in the garlic and process until minced.
3. Add in the rest of the ingredients except the salt. Process until smooth, scraping sides as necessary, and add salt slowly to taste.
4. Wash the kale leaves and tear the kale into pieces, discarding the stems. Dry the leaves in a salad spinner (this helps the sauce stick). Place greens into a large bowl. Pour the cashew spread on top of the kale and stir with a spoon. Then toss the spoon and get in there with your hands to massage the sauce into the kale until well coated. Season with salt to taste.
5. Dehydrate for about 12 hours at 105-110F. Kale chips are ready when they are super-crispy.

4. Veggie Quinoa Chili

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• 2 cups chopped red bell peppers
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 medium zucchini, stemmed and diced
• 5 large Portobello mushrooms, stemmed, wiped clean, and cubed
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 4 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 cups quinoa (rinsed)
• 1 cup lentils
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. cayenne (use as needed, start with 1 tsp.)
• 1 tbsp. black pepper (add to taste)
• 1 tsp. sea salt (use as needed, start with 1 tsp.

Directions:

1. Bring the quinoa and 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 18 minutes.
2. In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the jalapeño peppers, bell peppers, serrano peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring until soft, for 3 minutes.
3. Add the zucchini and mushrooms, and stir until soft and the vegetables give off their liquid and start to brown for about 6 minutes.
4. Add the chili powder, black pepper, cumin, sea salt and cayenne, and stir for 1 minute.
5. Add the tomatoes and stir. Add the beans, lentils, tomato sauce, and 2 cups of water. Stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 18-20 minutes.
6. Once the red and green peppers are tender, stir in the quinoa. Return to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes to reheat. Remove from the heat, and stir in the cilantro.
7. Drizzle some avocado oil, or add some slices of avocado on top for garnish. Not only does it dress up your meal, but it also provides “good” fat that helps lower bad cholesterol.

5. Butternut Squash Tofu Jambalaya

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 cups butternut squash
• 2 cups of organic firm tofu
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• ½ cup red pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp hot sauce of choice
• 2 cups brown rice, cooked
• 2 cups organic vegetable stock (Emeril)
• 1 cup tomato sauce (Hunts)
• 1 tsp paprika and oregano
• 3 tsp cayenne pepper
• flaky sea salt and pepper, as needed

Modifications:

You can add some broccoli for some greens or you can swap the brown rice with quinoa for added protein.

Directions:

1. Get out a large bowl for the veggie prep. Dice the tomatoes. Peel and cut the butternut squash into ½ inch cubes. Cut the tofu in ½ inch cubes, as well.
2. In a large skillet, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add garlic, squash, tomatoes, and tofu.
3. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes then pour in the vegan Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and rice. Cook rice in mixture for 1-2 minutes before adding liquids.
4. Finally, add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, and reduce to let it simmer. Keep stirring off and on until the rice absorbs most of the liquid (approximately 20-30 minutes). Remove from heat and serve.

6. Portobello Tofu Fajitas

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 3-4 large Portobello mushrooms
• 1 pound extra-firm tofu
• 3 red bell peppers
• 1 Vidalia onion
• 1 tbsp. taco seasoning (see below)
• 1/2 lime, fresh squeezed
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil (for the pan)

Taco seasoning:

• ¼ cup chili powder
• ¼ cup cumin powder
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. oregano leaf (or oregano leaf powder)
• 1 tsp. Paprika
• 1 tsp. ground pepper
• ¼ cup Himalayan salt or sea salt (optional)

Directions:

• Remove stems of mushrooms, wipe tops clean, and cut into thick slices.
• Thinly slice bell peppers and onion.
• Mix together taco seasoning ingredients by simply shaking well in a jar.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, add coconut oil, peppers, and onions.
• Toss in the tofu.
• Cook about 2 minutes.
• Add mushrooms and 1 tbsp. taco seasoning.
• Stirring occasionally, cook another 7-8 minutes or until softened.
• Squeeze 1/2 lime (or more) into the pan, add salt, and stir.
• Turn off heat.
• While the veggies are cooking, prepare your toppings of choice.
• Warm the tortillas if desired.
• Serve with cilantro and toppings of choice.

About the Author

Chris Willitts is the founder of VegetarianBodybuilding.com, creator of V3 Bodybuilding and Mindful Strength, and a contributing writer for Muscle & Fitness. If you’re interested in eating more plants and less meat, check out this resource: How to Go Vegetarian.

Chris Willitts