It’s hard to tell these are so good for you, because they are very crispy and full of flavor (you won’t miss the oil, cheese, and ground beef at all, I promise!). These taquitos are made just the way I like ’em: low fat vegan style.The other night I was in the mood to cook, but I didn’t want to “cook,” if you know what I mean. It had been a long day, we were all hungry, and I had to get something on the table before we all had meltdowns. Not only that, I wanted something tasty that didn’t require more than 20 minutes of my time and effort.I ended up making a super quick soup, Corn Chowder, from The McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook, along with a creation of mine, let’s call them Nacho Taquitos. Maybe it’s just me, but I thought the flavor of the beans hinted of nachos (cheese, mixed with a bit of salsa).
There are some pretty good reasons to eat taquitos more often. Here they are, in no particular order:
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Easy to make.
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Tasty as anything.
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Crunchy, crispy. Yum.
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Did I mention these are very easy to make?
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Your kids (or hubby, or roommates, or significant other) will gobble them up and ask for “more, please!”
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If you have kids, taquitos fit perfectly into their little hands, much more friendly than a grande burrito for their miniature mouths.
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Very inexpensive. What, like 15 cents or less, per taquito??
Vegan Nacho Taquitos
- 1 can fat-free vegetarian refried beans
- 1 roasted red pepper (I use jarred roasted red peppers, much easier)
- 1/4 c. nutritional yeast
- 2 TBS. cashews
- 1 tsp. chili
- 1 tsp. dried onions
- 3 TBS. salsa
- 2 TBS. green chilis
- 12 corn tortillas (or as many or as few as you want, the bean dip can make up to a dozen or more)
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you reach the desired texture. I didn’t fully puree the mixture, so the cashews were still not fully blended, which I liked, because it added a bit of texture without seeming out of place (whole cashews in my taquito?!, I hear your children saying), so fully blend, or blend well, your choice. Warm the tortillas in a toaster oven, oven, or microwave until bendable. Place about 2 TBS in the middle of each tortilla and roll tightly (go easy on the filling, you don’t want fat taquitos, otherwise, it’s no longer a taquito but a burrito!). Cook on a non-stick baking sheet for 12-15 minutes at 400 F, until cooked thoroughly. For extra crispiness, broil on high at the very end, for 1-2 minutes (but set the timer, because if you’re like me, you’ll forget about it, burn everything to a crisp, and then have a good cry about it all). Dip with guacamole, plain soy yogurt, soy sour cream, or fresh salsa and/or serve with corn chowder. 
The corn chowder was simple: vegetable broth, onions, corn, spices (vegan Worcestershire sauce, thyme, dry mustard, paprika, marjoram, diced red pepper, and fresh ground pepper to taste), rice milk, and the secret quick ingredient, frozen chopped hash brown potatoes. A dollop of plain soy yogurt is added for a hint of cool creaminess. A sprig of parsley just to be vain.
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