Vegan mac and cheese
Prep
15 mins
Cook
20 mins
Servings
6
Difficulty
Medium
You're going to love this vegan mac and cheese because it comes together in under 40 minutes and tastes absolutely decadent. I discovered that cashews create the creamiest sauce without any dairy, and they're packed with healthy fats and minerals that keep you satisfied. The best part is how simple it is: you just boil potatoes and carrots, blend them with soaked cashews and a few pantry staples, then toss it all with your pasta. No fancy techniques needed. The result is rich, cheesy, and totally convincing, even to the skeptics at your table.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 160 graw cashews
- 200 gcarrots peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
- 700 gpotatoes peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
- 90 mlolive oil
- 40 gnutritional yeast
- 11 lemon juice only
- 14 garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tbspdijon mustard
- 1 tbspwhite wine vinegar
- 1 tspcayenne pepper
- 400 gmacaroni
- 3 tbsppanko breadcrumbs
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
The night before, soak the cashew nuts in water and leave overnight.
- 2
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Steam the carrots and potatoes together for 5 mins, until completely softened. Transfer to a food processor. Drain the cashews and add these with 60ml of the oil, then blitz to break down the nuts. Tip in the other ingredients – apart from the macaroni, breadcrumbs and the remaining oil – then blitz again until the mixture is smooth and season well. Add a splash of water and just a drizzle of olive oil if it looks too stiff, then set aside.
- 3
Cook the macaroni in a large pan of salted water for 1 min less than packet instructions, drain then stir through the sauce. Transfer the mix to an ovenproof dish, stir the breadcrumbs with the remaining oil and some seasoning. Scatter over the top of the macaroni and bake for 20-25 mins until piping hot and crisp.
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