I’ll be honest, when I hear the words “Comfort Food”, my mind immediately fills with images of homemade macaroni and cheese. You know, the kind that’s baked in the oven using the trifecta of dairy: butter, milk and cheese.
Now, however, when I hear the words “Macaroni and Cheese”, my mind envisions something better for my waistline, as well as being 100% cruelty-free. This recipe for vegan macaroni and cheese is nothing like Grandma used to make, but it’s still creamy, garlicky and delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 1 lb pasta (elbow macaroni, penne or fusili work best)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2½ cups unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy, almond, rice)
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp prepared mustard
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and ground pepper to taste
- 1 tsp turmeric (optional)
- 1 cup broccoli florets, steamed or ½ cup green onions, chopped (optional)
Directions
- Cook the pasta as per directions on the package. Drain and set aside.
- In a blender or food processor, blend together the garlic, cashews and coconut milk until smooth. Set aside.
- In a sauce pan over medium heat, add olive oil. When the oil is hot, add flour and stir. Continuing stirring and let the flour cook for about 1 minute.
- Slowly, add the non-dairy milk ½ cup at a time, stirring well after each time to ensure the flour doesn’t clump in the milk.
- Add the cashew mixture, nutritional yeast, ketchup, mustard, lemon juice and turmeric, and stir well. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add cooked pasta, broccoli and/or green onions, and mix to evenly coat the noodles, and serve immediately.