Perfect Vegan Cheese Sauce
If you are a long time plant based eater then there is no doubt that a vegan cheese sauce is a staple in your weekly meal planning. This stuff makes anything taste delicious! Place it on baked potatoes, broccoli, over pasta, or in casseroles and it bumps the flavor up a level. If this is your first time making a vegan cheese sauce, there are a few ingredients you should know about.
Ingredient Staples
If you are transitioning to a plant based diet, then there are two ingredients found in this recipe that I want to highlight. This is because you will likely be using these ingredients in many different recipes and you will always need them on hand in your pantry.
Raw Cashews
Cashews are used to make rich creamy sauces, dips, soups, butters, and non dairy cheeses. You can also find grocery store versions of yogurt made with cashews. Their high fat content make them the perfect plant food to replace the animal fat in dairy. They are lower in saturated fat than animal products and they have no cholesterol. They are high in potassium, iron, and magnesium. I buy raw, unsalted cashews in bulk to have on hand in my pantry. You can find them at Costco or really, any grocery store. Do not buy them if they are roasted or seasoned with anything as this will alter the flavor of what you are trying to make. Also note that , while cashews are nutritionally beneficial, they are high in calories and fat, so overdoing your consumption may have a negative effect on your weight loss efforts. I like them in a vegan cheese sauce because 1 serving of sauce would probably even out to only one serving of nuts.
Soaking Cashews
You will need to soak your cashews in water for a few hours to soften them. If you do not, you could have a more textured, grainy, type of sauce. I like to soak mine overnight even though I do have a high powered blender. Just submerge them in a bowl of water on your counter and drain before using.
I just love my sauces to be smooth. If you do have a high powered blender such as a Vitamix, or a Ninja, you do not need to soak them first which will save you so much time! If you are truly going plant based, then I recommend a high powered blender as you will always use it!
Nutritional Yeast
Another plant based pantry staple is nutritional yeast. Sounds kinda gross right? It’s not! Nutritional yeast can be found in almost any grocery store in the baking isle. It looks kind of like fish food but it has a delightfully earthy, almost cheesy flavor. I like to say that it gives non dairy dishes that slight tang that is needed to perfectly please your palate. Bonus: Like all plant food it comes with additional benefits. Just 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast contains 8 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Indulge!
Uses for Vegan Cheese Sauce
I usually have a vegan cheese sauce in a jar somewhere in my fridge at all times. Mix it in rice or pasta, drizzle over baked potatoes or broccoli, or spice it up to use with nachos. It keeps in the fridge for about 2 weeks so it is definitely a great go to for busy weeknight meals.
Perfect Vegan Cheese Sauce
Equipment
- High Powered Blender
- Medium Pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup potatoes peeled and diced
- ¼ cup carrots, diced
- ¼ cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup vegetable broth (or use from boiled veggies)
- ½ cup raw cashews soaked*, (or ½ cup white beans)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp paprika (or just use a good pinch)
Instructions
- Add 3 cups of water to a pot and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, carrots, and onion in the pot and cook for about 15 min. Cooking time may vary depending on the size you chop your veggies so make sure they are tender.
- Plan to reserve 1 cup of the liquid you boiled your veggies in, and drain the rest.
- Place veggies, reserved broth, and the remainder of the ingredients into your blender and blend until smooth. NOTE: This may take a good solid 2-3 minutes. You want it to be smooth.
- You will need a high powered blender like a Vitamin or a Ninja brand. Generally when using these blenders you do not have to presoak your cashews which saves you on time!
