April 25th, 2024
Recipes
Best Vegan Cheese Sauce
Valentina P
- Difficulty
•
- Time 15"
I've tried a whole heck of a lot of vegan cheese sauces, and this one is by far my favorite. It's creamy, thick, and full of crave-able cheesy flavor without the cheese. It's simple to make: simmer sweet potato and onion until soft, and then puree it with a combination of cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic, starch, and a hint of paprika. This sauce is epic on macaroni and cheese, broccoli, and even casseroles.
How To MakeDiet Type: Plant-based
Shopping List
- 3 ounces orange sweet potato, diced into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked in warm water for 30 minutes)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup onion, diced
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (Note 1)
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons tapioca starch (or corn starch)
- 2 teaspoons cold water
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Step 1: Place the sweet potato and onion in a small saucepan filled with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, covered with a lid, for 10 to 12 minutes. It will be ready when the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the liquid into a separate container (it will be used in Step 2).
- Step 2: Drain and rinse the soaked cashews and place them in a food processor. Add the drained sweet potatoes, onion, olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, and paprika to the food processor. Measure 6 tablespoons of the cooking liquid from the boiled vegetables. Add this to the processor. Blend for 30 seconds.
- Step 3: Stir together the starch and cold water in a small bowl to form a slurry. Pour this into the cheese sauce mixture and continue blending until the sauce is super smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Serve: Transfer to an airtight container until ready to serve. This sauce is epic in Vegan Macaroni and Cheese and Vegan Cauliflower Mac and Cheese.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: For best flavor, check to make sure your nutritional yeast is not past the best by date. Stale nutritional yeast can have a slightly bitter and less cheesy taste.
Nutrition
I've tried a whole heck of a lot of vegan cheese sauces, and this one is by far my favorite. It's creamy, thick, and full of crave-able cheesy flavor without the cheese. It's simple to make: simmer sweet potato and onion until soft, and then puree it with a combination of cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic, starch, and a hint of paprika. This sauce is epic on macaroni and cheese, broccoli, and even casseroles.
How To MakeDiet Type: Paleo
Shopping List
- 3 ounces orange sweet potato, diced into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked in warm water for 30 minutes)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup onion, diced (about 1.2 ounces)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (Note 1)
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons tapioca starch
- 2 teaspoons cold water
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Step 1: Place the sweet potato and onion in a small saucepan filled with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, covered with a lid, for 10 to 12 minutes. It will be ready when the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the liquid into a separate container (it will be used in Step 2).
- Step 2: Drain and rinse the soaked cashews and place them in a food processor. Add the drained sweet potatoes, onion, olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, and paprika to the food processor. Measure 6 tablespoons of the cooking liquid from the boiled vegetables. Add this to the processor. Blend for 30 seconds.
- Step 3: Stir together the starch and cold water in a small bowl to form a slurry. Pour this into the cheese sauce mixture and continue blending until the sauce is super smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Serve: Transfer to an airtight container until ready to serve. This sauce is epic in Vegan Macaroni and Cheese and Vegan Cauliflower Mac and Cheese.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: For best flavor, check to make sure your nutritional yeast is not past the best by date. Stale nutritional yeast can have a slightly bitter and less cheesy taste.
Nutrition
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Best Vegan Cheese Sauce
PT15M 3 ounces orange sweet potato, diced into 1 inch pieces 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked in warm water for 30 minutes) 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup onion, diced 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (Note 1) 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt 2 teaspoons tapioca starch (or corn starch) 2 teaspoons cold water 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika Gluten Free Paleo Vegan 1.5 Servings
Ingredients:
