Vegan White Cheese Sauce
My creamy Vegan White Cheese Sauce has a rich, sharp flavor that’s perfect for anyone who, like me, loves a strong, cheesy taste. Made with cashews, potatoes, and roasted garlic, it blends into a smooth, velvety sauce in just 40 minutes. It’s easy, healthy, and great for pasta, veggies, or dipping.
Servings: 7
Calories: 76kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked potato (about 3-4 potatoes, see note)
- 2 tablespoons cooked yellow pepper (about 1/3 of a medium sized pepper)
- 3 tablespoons cooked yellow carrots (about 4-5 yellow baby carrots or one medium sized)
- 5 tablespoons cooked sweet or yellow onion (about 1/2 a small)
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (see note)
- 1 teaspoon roasted garlic (about 2-4 cloves, depending on size)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ - 1 ½ teaspoons mustard seed powder (use less or more according to how sharp you like the flavor, start with 1/2 and work up)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons chickpea miso (see note)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (can use less or more depending on taste preference)
- Your favorite pasta if making Mac and Cheese
Instructions
- Roast the garlic by peeling and wrapping it in tin foil with a splash of veggie broth. Roast at 400 F (205 C), in a regular or toaster oven, while you cook the veggies.
- Put potatoes (peel if you don't want specks of skin), yellow pepper, carrots, onion and cashews in a pot and cover with water. If you don't have a high speed blender and are grinding the cashews, then don't boil but grind them dry and place them in the blender.
- Cook over high heat until water boils, about 15 minutes if uncovered. Turn heat to medium and boil another 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
- When done, drain water (keeping some to thin out sauce if prefer a thinner sauce), separate veggies and put the cashews in the blender. I use a fork to fish out the veggies, then drain the cashews over a pasta strainer.
- Measure out the needed amount of each veggie and place each in the blender. Add the rest of the ingredients.
- Blend on high until you get a creamy gooey consistency. If you have a tamper tool use it to help mix the sauce as it blends. If you don’t have one, then you will need to stop and push down the ingredients every once in a while.
- Taste and adjust ground mustard seed for a sharper flavor if desired.
- If you want to thin it out, add some of the reserved cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time until you get the desired consistency. Use it while it's nice and hot!
To use this sauce for a sharp flavored white Mac and Cheese:
- Cook your pasta according to package directions.
- Drain pasta reserving about 1 cup pasta water in case you want your mac and cheese a little thinner.
- Add the pasta back into the pot and add desired amount of cheese sauce. Mix well. Try and add a touch more salt if needed.
- Then add pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well in between additions, until you get the desired consistency for your Mac and Cheese. If your pasta is too starchy (as some gluten free pastas are) you can also use regular water or even non dairy milk to do this. Add salt if needed, it most likely will since the sauce is no longer as concentrated. Devour!
Notes
- My Top Tip for this vegan white cheese sauce recipe is to use a high speed blender! The key to a rich, velvety cheese sauce is fully blending all the ingredients until completely smooth. A high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, creates the creamiest texture. If using a regular blender, I recommend soaking the cashews beforehand or grinding them into a fine powder first to prevent grittiness.
- Adjusting Consistency: If you need to change the consistency of the sauce, I've found success by thinning it out with the veggie cooking water or even just plain water.
- Measuring: I always pack the cooked veggies into the measuring cup instead of loosely scooping them to ensure accuracy.
- Peel Your Potatoes and Cook Properly: Undercooked potatoes leave a grainy texture, so I boil them until they are fork-tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Leaving the skin on can also make the sauce look speckled and slightly grainy.
- Save Some Cooking Water: I always set aside some of the veggie cooking water because it helps thin out the sauce if needed.
- Getting the Veggies and Cashews Out of the Pot: I use a fork to remove the veggies first, then drain the cashews through a pasta strainer.
Nutrition
Calories: 76kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 496mg | Potassium: 200mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1082IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg