Mac and cheese is probably the number one go-to comfort food. In this time of uncertainty and stress, sometimes there are times where you just want to treat yourself. If you are looking to satisfy a savory craving while rocking your loungewear and binging Netflix, look no further. Here is an easy but delicious way to make vegan mac and cheese using nutritious ingredients!
Paige Holloway / Daily Nexus
Ingredients:
- Pasta of choice (I chose to use zoodles instead of pasta)
- 1 big potato
- 1 small carrot
- 1/2 cup of raw cashews
- 1/2 cup of plant-based milk (I went with oat milk)
- 1/2 cup of vegetable broth
- 1/2 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice (lime juice also works)
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- Optional: broccoli florets and white mushrooms
Directions:
- Soak cashews in hot water until they are softened.
- Cut both the potato and carrot into small pieces and cook in hot water with the salt for about 15 minutes.
- Boil water over the stove and add in the pasta of your choice while following the directions on the box. I chose to use zucchini spirals for my “pasta,” so I began by adding them to a pan with some olive oil. If you chose to add broccoli and mushrooms in your dish like I did, add them into the pasta during the last minutes of cooking. When it’s done cooking, strain and transfer into a bowl.
- Combine all the ingredients for the sauce into a blender or food processor.
- Pour the sauce into a pan and bring to a boil while stirring constantly.
- After letting it simmer, pour the sauce over the pasta and stir until combined. Serve and enjoy!
Paige Holloway / Daily Nexus
This recipe is perfect for satisfying your craving without being too heavy! It’s one of the few vegan mac and cheese recipes I have tried and actually enjoyed. Not to mention, it’s one of the healthiest I’ve come across. Nutritional yeast is the key to truly getting that cheesy flavor we all love. Other than that, feel free to switch it up and add other spices to make it your own! These are just what I prefer in taste but this recipe is easy to modify.
