Veggie Mac — Vegan Mac & Cheese
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Yield: 4-6 servings
 
Adapted from VegNews

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Soy-Free*

This creamy, delicious mac and cheese just happens to made from whole plant foods. Since the sauce is built on a base of veggies, you can feel good about enjoying a big ol' bowl—or two. Veggie mac also plays well with a variety of mix-ins**.
Ingredients
  • 16 oz gluten-free elbow macaroni or other short-cut pasta (regular pasta is fine if GF isn't needed)
  • 2 cups diced peeled potatoes (russet or yukon gold)
  • ⅔ cup chopped onion
  • ½ cup diced carrots
  • 2 cups water
  • ⅔ cup raw cashews
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast flakes
  • 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
  1. Place a large pot of water over high heat.
  2. In a separate small saucepan, combine the onion, carrots, potatoes, and water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
  3. Place the remaining ingredients in the jar of a high-speed blender***. When the veggie mixture is finished cooking, add it (water included) as well. Blend on high until completely smooth. The sauce will be very thick, so have your tamper ready if using a Vitamix.
  4. Once the large pot of water has reached a full, rolling boil, throw in a fistful of salt and add the pasta, cooking until al dente.
  5. Drain the pasta and return it to the large pot. Pour in the sauce and stir to combine.
Notes
*If you need this to be both gluten and soy-free, make sure to double check the ingredients on your GF pasta as some brands contain soy.

**There is enough sauce here to generously coat 1 lb of dried pasta. If you want to add a moderate amount of mix-ins (wilted greens, a small head of broccoli), there is room for that. If you'd like to add a larger portion, I suggest cutting back the pasta to 12 oz to ensure enough sauce to go around. Some of my favorite additions to Veggie Mac include: roasted broccoli, spinach, and roasted tofu cubes.

***Because of how thick and viscous this sauce is, I would not recommend using a regular blender. I haven't yet tested this, but I imagine it may work in a food processor if you substitute ⅓ cup of raw cashew butter for the whole raw cashews listed in the recipe.
Recipe by Leaves of Kale at http://www.leavesofkale.com/2015/02/veggie-mac-vegan-mac-cheese/