French fries are the spice of life—so versatile, and so delicious. When Sweet Earth Foods contacted me to create a recipe featuring one of their delicious products, I was having a hard time figure out exactly what I wanted to create. Jasmine and I have been on a bit of a potato kick recently so incorporating spuds into this was a must. After some deliberation, with a stroke of brilliance, Jasmine conjures up the idea of vegan carne asada fries. I thought to myself, wow…that sounds amazing! I’ve never even had carne asada fries before, but I knew I’d be able to knock this one out of the park. 

This recipe can either be a quick and easy snack or a more elaborate and delicious meal. I decided to go all out and make the pico de gallo and guacamole from scratch (recipes not included), but you can also use store bought pre-made toppings and add and modify things as you please.  Vegan sour cream would’ve been a nice addition, or some tempeh bacon.

With a prep time of about 40 minutes, this recipe will serve around 2-4 people (depending how hungry you are). I hope you enjoy!

Also a shout out to my instagram follower @emily.merwin for coming up with the clever “CarNO” Asada Fries name!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

THE FRIES

• 4 large russet potatoes
• 2 tbs olive oil or Tessemae’s Zesty Ranch (optional)
• 1/2 cup guacamole
• 1/2 cup pico de gallo
• 1 package of Sweet Earth Foods (1o oz) Chipotle Savory Grounds
• Cilantro (garnish)

THE MEXICAN CASHEW QUESO

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1/4 cup hot sauce (I used Yellowbird)
• 4 tbs nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup hot water

1. Soak cashews for 2 hours or until soft
2. Add all ingredients to high power blender or food processor
3. If too thick, add more water to reach desired consistency

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and set to convect bake
2. Wash and peel potatoes then cut in french fry shape 1/4″ thick
3. Place potatoes in bowl and coat with olive oil or Tessemae’s Zesty Ranch dressing (optional)
4. Line potatoes on baking sheet(s) and place in the oven for 15 minutes
5. Remove trays from oven, flip potatoes and bake again for 15 minutes
6. Once finished, remove from  oven and let cook
7. While cooling, follow package direction to heat Sweet Earth Savory Grounds on stovetop
8. Add potatoes to a serving bowl or dish and top with the Sweet Earth Savory Grounds, Pico de gallo, cashew cheese sauce, guacamole, and garnish with cilantro

Enjoy! Comment below with any additions or adjustments you added to your creation! Happy cooking 🙂