Vegan Mac and Cheese
Creamy, extra-cheesy mac and cheese with a blended cashew, potato and carrot sauce - no dairy whatsoever. It comes together in about 40 minutes, plus soaking time for the cashews.
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews soaked overnight
- 1 potato peeled and cubed
- 1 carrot peeled and sliced
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 onion peeled
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp allspice
- 2 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp tapioca flour
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 5 cups macaroni cooked al dente (use gluten-free macaroni if needed, save the pasta water)
- 2 Tbsp spring onion chopped
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add the potato, carrot, onion, a pinch of salt, a pinch of white pepper and the allspice. Cover with water and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are soft.
- In a blender, add the soaked cashews, boiled vegetables, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, salt, white pepper, cumin powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, olive oil, tapioca flour and nutmeg. Blend until smooth and silky. Transfer to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, bringing it to a boil while stirring continuously. Add some of the reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick, then set aside.
- In a large pan, combine the cooked macaroni with the vegan cheese sauce, stir well and top with the chopped spring onion.
Notes
No time to soak the cashews overnight? Quick-soak them in just-boiled water for 15-30 minutes instead. Stick to full-fat coconut milk - the fat is what makes the sauce taste indulgent, so skip the light version. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat gently with a splash of plant milk or reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.