A rich, creamy, vegan mac and cheese with all of the aged cheese flavors you dream about. You won’t miss cheese much after giving this a try.
all vegans miss their mac and cheese
Ahh, vegan mac and cheese. It’s a surprisingly complicated issue.
It’s like one of the most veganized recipes there is, yet, for a long time still left me feeling unsatisfied.
I was quite the cheese connoisseur before turning vegan. Honestly, I was renowned for my “13 Cheese” baked mac and cheese recipe. I loved cheese to death, and never did I ever think I would be vegan.
But hey, almost all vegans once said we’d “never be vegan”, right?
It was one of the first things I was looking to replace when I turned vegan.
Here in Portland, there are fortunately many vegan restaurants giving their best crack at it. Some are pretty good. Some are pretty not good. I’ve tried pretty much every vegan mac and cheese Portland has to offer, and it’s helped me decided what I do and don’t want from a vegan mac and cheese dish.
#1. The sauce needs to have creamy, gooey, cheesy texture. No mac and cheese “sauce rubs” for me.
#2. There needs to be a sharp cheddary “umami”ness to it. This seems to be the hardest part. (aka, actually taste like cheese)
#3. The flavor must over all be bold. I feel like mild mac and cheese just a’int right. (coming from the girl behind the 13 cheese mac and cheese recipe)
This vegan mac and cheese recipe does all of that. And although I’m sure 20 years from now I may have an even better recipe, this one really is something to be proud of. It’s good.
It’s just soo addictive.
Just like mac and cheese.
So what’s the secret?
First of all, I have to address something. I KNOW, my proper pasta pals out there are looking at me like I’m crazy for calling this macaroni when it’s torchiette noodles.
“WHAT. THE. HECK. NICOLE. ? “
But you know what. COVID 19.
I still can’t get toilet paper at times, and finding macaroni in stock on this particular day was straight impossible.
So, don’t be mad at me. It’s not my fault.
But anyways, back to the crucial topic at hand; my macaroni sauce secret.
Let me tell you, it’s not nutritional yeast. That stuff is great, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not cheese. People seem to be getting that confused. Nutritional yeast is not cheese. Cheese is a harmonious blend of so many different notes and flavors. To degrade it down to being the same flavor as nutritional yeast is just disrespectful to the greatness that is cheese.
Cheese is what we call, umami. Nutritional yeast does offer some of that, but what I think get’s even closer is miso paste.
It is aged, like cheese.
… Salty, like cheese.
… Comes in many different varieties, LIKE CHEESE!
I’m surprised more people aren’t catching on to this.
Darker (red) miso pastes will result in a smokier, bolder flavor, where as lighter (white) miso pastes give a sharper, brighter flavor. Experiment around and see what you like, you really can’t go wrong.
Get yourself a good blender
It’s super duper crucial you have a high powered blender in your kitchen.
Not just for this recipe, but for so many others!
If you’re vegan, you already know how often you have to “soak cashews” for a variety of different recipes.
See, the cool thing about a high speed blender is that all of a sudden, you don’t have to soak cashews 8+ hours to avoid a bumpy sauce. Sometimes, I don’t evens soak them at all!
Vitamix is the best by far. We used these in professional commerical kitchens, and I’ve seen what they can endure.
They’re complete beasts designed to last for a very, very, long time.
I know, it’s a large investment. When you think about how much use you will get out of it and just how long you’re going to have it, it’s 110% worth it to have one.
If you don’t want to break the bank on a brand new one, you can still buy refurbished ones with a long term warranty for around half the price.
You gotta start somewhere, right?
If you don’t have a high powered blender that your using for this recipe, I can’t guarantee the same seamlessly smooth texture.
It plays a big role in the texture of this sauce. BIG.
Making this nut free
Honestly, I’m not opposed to the idea of this being nut free.
I’ve read time and time again online where blog authors with cashew based sauce recipes basically say, “TOO BAD… Sorry”.
I am going to agree that the cashews do add a lot of creaminess, but I don’t think you can’t make it without.
In fact, I’ve made this recipe without cashews before to make it a bit more HCLF friendly, and it turned out great!
I would recommend uping the amount of potato to 3 medium potatoes instead of 2. You may have to vary how much broth or water you add to get the same consistency.
You can also try adding an oat milk or soy milk with a high fat content to the recipe to replace the creamy flavor without adding nuts.
If you guys express interest in a nut free version, you gotta let me know. I’ll publish a nut free version of this for you if that’s something you need.
Nut allergies are serious and way too common for me to just brush you off.
You need your mac and cheese needs addressed just like the rest of us.
I got you.
Mac and cheese, and what?
As you can tell, I added some kale into my mac and cheese.
I also really love to add sundried tomatoes.
Come to think of it, it’s hard to imagine something that wouldn’t work in this mac and cheese.
What do you like to add into your mac and cheese? I’m brainstorming for more future recipes and spin offs.
Anyways, thank you for checking this recipe out. I sincerely hope you give it a try. If you snap any pictures, be sure to tag @alderspirit and use #alderspirit so there’s no way I can miss your post.
I love seeing what you’re up to!
Happy Friday! I hope you have an amazing weekend, and even more so, I hope it’s filled with bomb vegan mac and cheese.
Sharp Cheddar Vegan Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 2 cup potato, diced (2 medium) yukon gold
- 1 cup carrots, diced (2 small)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp "no chicken" bouillon Better than Bouillon
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, fresh
- 1 tbsp miso paste
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 16 oz macaroni
- 2-3 large kale leaves, sliced
- 3 tbsp panko bread crumbs OPTIONAL GARNISH
Instructions
- Soak the cashews under enough boiling water to cover for 30 – 60 minutes.
- Wash, peel, and dice the potatoes and carrots. Rinse the kale and slice into thin strips. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water fitted with a steamer basket to a boil. Add the carrots and potatoes to the steamer and steam for 20 – 25 minutes, or until fork tender.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine 3/4 cup of warm water with 1/2 tsp "no chicken" bouillon. Mix with a fork or massage the pasta with your fingers to help it dissolve. Set aside.
- Into a high speed blender, measure out the nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, miso paste, white vinegar, and black pepper. Once the cashews are done soaking, add them to the blender as well. Do not blend yet.
- Once the potatoes and carrots are done cooking, remove them from the steamer and add them to the blender. Pour the broth (water bouillon mixture) into the blender. Blend on high for 30 – 60 seconds. note: you may adjust the thickness of the sauce by adding water if you need it thinner. Remove from blender and set aside.
- In a separate small frying pan, add 2 tbsp of water and bring to a simmer. Add the kale and saute with a pinch of salt and pepper for 1 – 2 minutes, or until slightly tender. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the macaroni according to package instructions. Immediately after cooking, do not rinse, and add directly into a large pot.
- Pour the sauce over the freshly cooked macaroni and add the sauteed kale leaves. Stir to combine. Garnish with crispy panko breadcrumbs and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- after cooking the macaroni, get them into the sauce as quickly as possible. The longer they sit, the more likely they are to clump together.
- use a high powered blender. This is what ultimately makes the sauce creamy, smooth, and lump free. If you do not have one, be absolutely sure to soak your cashews for an hour or more.
- some good things to add in to the recipe might be: sundried tomato, plant “bacon” bits, plant “sausage”, bell pepper, broccoli, and more.
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This. Is. So. Good. I didn’t think vegan mac and cheese could ever taste like non vegan mac and cheese until I made this. I mean, wow. It’s so creamy, and flavorful, and orange like mac and cheese! No colors added so I’m assuming the carrot is what makes it the perfect color. My non vegan friends said this was their favorite thing I’ve ever made, and I might agree with them. I’ve already made this recipe twice in one week haha and adding in the kale is smart because it adds a nice fresh spark in the occasional mouthful.
Thank you so much! This mac and cheese is one of my favorites too. It’s just so easy to make and oh so satisfying. You’re the best!
No one does mac-n-cheese better than Nicole!
Thank you! 🙂