Vegan Crunchwrap Supremes

Before I was a vegan, I used to really love Taco Bell. I only ever got bean burritos and seven layer burritos because I was a vegetarian at the time, but to this day, I'll still sometimes get a hankering for that fake Mexican comfort food. These crunchwrap supremes are totally vegan and can easily accommodate different preferences or whatever you have in your kitchen. Whatever your tastes, I've provided several alternatives throughout the post.

To make four crunchwraps, you'll need:

• 4 large, burrito-sized tortillas
• 4 small tortillas
• 2 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1/2 package of Gardein beefless crumbles (or tofu crumbles, soy chorizo, whatever you like/want)
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 can Rotel
• Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos (this is the secret ingredient! Or you can use tostadas or corn chips)
• shredded lettuce
• guacamole
• 1 recipe of vegan cheeze sauce (below)

For the vegan cheeze sauce, you'll need:

• 1 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least four hours
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
• water, as needed

There are so many other filling ideas you can use (like rice, sofritas, chili beans, sweet potato, etc.) but I'm going to show you how I made these crunchwraps with Gardein vegan beefless crumbles. Heat oil over medium high heat in a pot. Add in your garlic and beefless crumbles and stir as to not let it stick to the bottom of the pan. Add more oil if needed.

In a separate pot, heat up your drained can of black beans and can of Rotel over medium heat.

While those two things are heating up, you can make your cheeze sauce. Hopefully by this point, your cashews have been soaking in a loosely covered container for four hours. If you're running short on time, you can soak them in boiling water for 30 minutes.

Drain the cashews and add them to your blender, along with the nutritional yeast and taco seasoning. I've also added 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and/or green chilies in the past, but I didn't have those on hand this time. Blend until smooth, adding 1/4 cup of water at a time as needed. You want a thick hummus-like consistency, not a drippy queso consistency.

First add your beef crumbles, then add the black bean/Rotel mixture on top of that.

Then place a few Doritos on top to separate the hot filling from the fresh filling. If you don't like Doritos, you can use tostadas or tortilla chips or really anything crunchy that you like. Sprinkle some lettuce on top of the chips. Here is where you could add more fresh ingredients if you wanted, like jalapenos, cilantro, pico de gallo, etc. Then grab your smaller tortilla and spread guacamole and some of the vegan cheeze sauce on it. Place it guac/cheeze side down.

Fold the edges of the larger tortilla on top of the smaller tortilla, going around the perimeter. Carefully place the crunchwrap seam-side down in a hot oiled skillet. Cook each side for a couple of minutes, until each side is golden brown and crunchy.

Cut in half and serve with any remaining cheeze sauce.

This is definitely in my top 5 favorite homemade meals. The secret ingredient (Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos) really elevate it and give it a kick. And the cheeze sauce is so good by itself, I almost want to just eat it with a spoon.

Like I mentioned throughout the post, there are so many different filling ideas you could try. And during the meat shortage caused by the pandemic, it's a great, easy way to go outside of your comfort zone and try some vegan meat-alternatives while still getting some comfort food in your belly. Happy cooking!