Vegan Mac and Cheese
This mac and cheese has zero dairy, but 100 percent rich, smoky, cheesiness. I literally melt in my chair every time I get to dig into this timeless, comforting meal. It’s mind-blowingly easy and delicious!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Mac sauce:
- 1 medium carrot, peeled
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for at least 10 minutes
- 1/2 cup canned or home-cooked cannellini beans, drained
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
- Kosher salt
Noodles and cheese:
- 16 ounces gluten-free elbow macaroni
- 1 cup shredded vegan cheese of your choice (optional)
Instructions
- To make the mac sauce: Place the carrot in a steamer basket (or a sieve or colander). Fill a wide saucepan (that can fit the steamer) with about 1 inch water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook the carrot in the steamer over the simmering water for 5 to 10 minutes, until the carrot is tender.
- Transfer the carrot to a blender or food processor. Add the cashews, beans, nutritional yeast, broth, butter, garlic powder, onions powder, chipotle powder, and salt to taste and blend until smooth.
- To make the noodles and cheese: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni to al dente. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Pour the mac sauce and shredded vegan cheese over hot, freshly cooked pasta and stir, ensuring all the pasta is covered with sauce. The hot pasta will heat the sauce.
- Enjoy and get ready to want more!
Notes
Excerpted from Living Lively: 80 Plant-Based recipes to Activate Your Power & Feed Your Potential © 2021 by Haile Thomas. Published by William Morrow Cookbooks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.