Amazing Vegan Mac and Cheese

As seen on

Cookie + Kate

Total Time

40 minutes

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes

Rating

(325)

Ingredients

4 servings

8 ounces whole-grain macaroni elbows
1 head of broccoli, florets cut into small bites (about 1 ½ to 2 cups), optional*
1 ½ tablespoons avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
1 cup peeled and grated russet potato (4 ounces, about 1 small or ½ medium potato), preferably organic
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt, more to taste
Small pinch of red pepper flakes
⅔ cup raw cashews**
1 cup water, more as necessary
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 to 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar, to taste

Dinner Pasta Intermediate Healthy ...

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Preparation

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Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Cook according to package directions. If using broccoli, stir it into the pot when just 2 to 3 more minutes remain. Drain, and transfer the contents to a large serving bowl.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a medium-to-large saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender and turning translucent, about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Add the grated potato, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute to enhance their flavors.

Step 4

Add the cashews and water, and stir to combine. Let the mixture come to a simmer. Continue simmering, stirring frequently and reducing heat as necessary to avoid a rapid boil, until the potatoes are completely tender and cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Step 5

Carefully pour the mixture into a blender. Add the nutritional yeast and 2 teaspoons vinegar. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. If the mixture won’t blend easily or if you would prefer a thinner consistency, add water in ¼ cup increments, blending after each one.

Step 6

Taste, and blend in additional salt until the sauce is utterly irresistible (I typically add at least another ½ teaspoon). If it needs a little more zip, add the remaining teaspoon of vinegar. Blend again.

Step 7

Pour the sauce into the bowl of pasta. Stir until well combined, and serve immediately. Leftovers keep well, chilled and covered, for 3 to 4 days. Gently reheat, adding a tiny splash of water if necessary to loosen up the sauce.

Chef’s notes

Recipe adapted from my vegan queso.

Make it gluten free:

Simply use your favorite gluten-free noodles.

On broccoli:

You can omit the broccoli altogether, or replace it with finely chopped kale or peas (about 1 ½ cups). If you omit it, you might not need to use all of the sauce.

Raw cashew notes:

Most recipes like this suggest soaking the cashews for 4 hours in advance to make them easier to blend and to digest. I honestly never soak mine since I have a powerful Vitamix that blends them right up. The cashews in this recipe are cooked in hot liquid, so they’re softer and even easier to blend. However, if you don’t have a great blender or if you’re concerned about the digestibility factor, go ahead and soak them in advance.

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Skill Level

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Amazing Vegan Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

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Step 5

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Step 7

Chef’s notes

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