This creamy vegetable-based (NO butternut squash!) healthy and easy mac and cheese recipe is the last macaroni recipe you’ll ever need, take it from a mac and cheese connoisseur! Kids will love it too, they won’t be able to tell that the cheese sauce is cheese-free. Vegan + gluten-free + dairy-free.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium sweet onion, sliced
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup raw cashews,
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (If the sauce is too thick, add 1/4 cup additional broth until you reach the desired consistency)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 package of gluten-free elbow noodles (or regular whole wheat noodles)
Instructions
- Saute the onions for 5 minutes in olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the diced potatoes, carrots, cashews, and 2 cups of water. Season the water with a pinch of salt.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and let it cook for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables have softened and the water is mostly absorbed. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool. (I try not to add hot vegetables to the blender, it's dangerous!)
- Add the cooled vegetables, paprika, garlic powder, dijon mustard, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, vegetable broth, salt, and pepper to the food processor. Blend on high until the sauce is smooth and creamy.