Vegan Cheese Sauce!
You’ll eat more cheese sauce “guilt-free” when it’s made from plant-based foods like potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower! I have two different recipes for this post for you to try and ideas for how to use it.
I’ve become obsessed with vegan, plant-based cheese sauce ever since I got a few recipes for it and found two that I like! I use it for macaroni to make my own healthy version of Mac & Cheese, such as in the main photo.
I also use it to top steamed broccoli - it’s delicious!
And I also like to dip bread into the cheese sauce. (The artisan bread in the photo is an easy recipe that I covered in another blog post here!)
By the way, all PINK TEXT is hyperlinked, including that artisan bread recipe post and the ingredients you’ll see listed in this post that are pink. Links open in a new tab.)
Wow, that’s a big photo!
The color you get from your cheese sauce depends on how much of the “orange” vegetable goes into your cheese sauce creation. Sometimes mine come out more yellow, sometimes more orange. Still tastes good.
One of my recipes has a base of cauliflower, sweet potatoes, onions, and cashews. Unbelievably delicious!
The second recipe has a base of white potatoes, carrots, onions, and cashews.
I think the cashews give it a creamy texture.
In the photo above, the top sauce is the cauliflower / sweet potato recipe. The bottom sauce is the potato / carrot recipe.
RECIPES
Vegan Cheese Sauce – Cauliflower & Sweet Potato Base
Ingredients:
½ cup Raw Cashews
½ cup Onion, roughly chopped
2 cups Cauliflower, cut into medium-sized florets
1 ¼ cups Sweet Potato, peeled & chopped
1 cup Water (have some extra water in a small pitcher by the stove)
½ cup unflavored plant-based milk (I use Almond Milk)
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
1 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Turmeric
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon Tamari (or soy sauce)
1 ½ teaspoons Miso Paste (the lighter color version)
1 ½ teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
Directions:
Soak the cashews in HOT tap water for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse, and drain again. Then set the cashews aside.
Roughly chop the onion, cauliflower, and sweet potato. Put them into a large saucepan (I use my largest saucepan for this recipe.) Add the 1 cup of water. Turn on the heat and bring the pot to a boil. Let it boil for 8 minutes (with no lid) until the cauliflower and sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Add more water if needed, about two tablespoons at a time.
Put the cashews into the blender. Add the almond milk and all of the other ingredients listed after the almond milk.
Spoon out the vegetables with a slotted spoon into the blender. Then add all of the cooking water to the blender.
If you’re using a high-speed blender (such as a Vitamix), use the tamper.
Blend on the highest speed until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
The vegan cheese sauce will last in a covered container in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Vegan Cheese Sauce – Potato & Carrot Base
Ingredients:
½ cup Raw Cashews
1 cup Potatoes, peeled & diced (I use either Yukon Gold or Red potatoes)
¼ cup Carrots, diced
¼ cup Onion, chopped
1 cup of the cooking water from boiling the vegetables)
4 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 pinch Paprika
Directions:
Soak the cashews in HOT tap water for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse, and drain again. Then set the cashews aside.
In a medium-sized saucepan, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil.
Add the potatoes, carrots, and onion. Cook for 15 minutes. Check the potatoes and carrots with a fork for doneness.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables from the pot to the blender.
Measure out 1 cup of the cooking water and add it to the blender.
Add all of the other ingredients to the blender.
Blend on high speed until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
The vegan cheese sauce will last in a covered container in the refrigerator for 5 days.
To Heat the Cheese Sauce later:
I put the amount of refrigerated cheese sauce into a non-stick fry pan, turn the heat on medium-low, and stir it frequently until it’s heated to the temperature I want. I’ve walked away from it a couple times while it was heating and was sorry I did! Keep an eye on it. It will heat quickly.
Ideas for the cheese sauce:
Top steamed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.)
Make Mac & Cheese: Boil the macaroni and drain, then add to a bowl, Stir in the warmed cheese sauce.
Add chopped jalapeno peppers to make a nacho cheese dip.
Add to brown rice for a cheesy rice dish