The Vegan Cheese Sauce Recipe Anyone Will Love
Vegan cheese say what?! Who knew you could make cheese vegan! Vegan means no animal products so any forms of meat, dairy, etc. Just because you live a plant-based lifestyle that doesn’t mean you have to give up the finer things in life: cheese. For those of you who are transitioning to a plant-based diet but aren’t ready to give up cheese just yet, this is for you.
Nowadays, there are plenty of vegan cheese alternatives. But this cheese-less cheese sauce is packed with nutrients, unlike the canned version you’ll buy at your local grocery store. It’s filled with cooked veggies and different ingredients that actually will taste better than the real thing.
This vegan cheese sauce is perfect to top on nachos, dip chips or French fries in or maybe even pour over pasta and make a spicy Mac and cheese. It’s totally up to you how you want to eat your sauce. The best part is, you won’t be overly full and bloated from consuming dairy. This cheese alternative is the real deal and you’ll want to make it over and over again.
I found this recipe from a vegan blogger and YouTuber that I watch often. If you follow a vegetarian or plant-based diet, you’ll want to check her out. Her name is Lauren Toyota or Hot For Food on Youtube. “Cooking up vegan love,” as she would say and her blog has a ton of different and yummy recipes. I wish I could take credit but I cannot. All of the credit goes to Lauren: the vegan queen. Check out her recipe here or keep reading for instructions.
What is Nutritional Yeast?
This recipe contains nutritional yeast which is a pantry staple for vegans. It’s low in sodium and calories as well as being fat-free, sugar-free and gluten-free. Since vegans don’t consume meat or fish they can lack in vitamin B-12. Nutritional yeast is a natural way of getting in B-12 without taking any supplements. It is added to a lot of dishes because it has a cheesy taste to it.
All you need is a high power blender to make sure the sauce mixes well. Other than that, grab your ingredients and get ready to eat some cheese.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of white potatoes (cubed and peeled)
- 1/2 cup of carrots (cubed and peeled)
- 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk
- 2 tsp of lemon juice
- 6 pickled jalapeños
- 3 tbsp of jalapeños pickling liquid
- 1 tbsp of tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tsp of arrowroot flour (you can sub this for cornstarch if you can’t find arrowroot)
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- 1 tsp of onion powder
- 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp of salt
Instructions:
Boil the potatoes and carrots in water for approximately 10 minutes or until the veggies are fork-tender. Remember that if you overcook your potatoes, they will become starchy and that will result in a glue-like consistency throughout your sauce. Also, it won’t be completely smooth.
Drain the water and add them to a blender. Lauren suggests a Vitamix or Blendtec but any high power blender will work. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend! Quick and simple. You’ll want this vegan cheese all the time.
If you serve it right away, the sauce will still be hot. If you make this ahead of time, just pour it back into a saucepan and heat it up. There are so many ways to eat this delicious sauce.
There are so many good ways to eat vegan and live a plant-based life. Veganism doesn’t mean giving up the foods you love, it means finding a different way to eat them.
