I never knew there was such a thing as vegan cheese. When we were at the 4th annual Xscapers annual bash they had a macaroni and cheese cook-off. One table had dairy free options and that’s where I learned that cheese sauce can be made out of potatoes, squash and cashews.
While I wouldn’t say this is a good replacement for cheese, or even good at all. It also isn’t too bad. If you are looking for a replacement for cheese that actually tastes like cheese, this is not it. If you are looking for a new meal idea, then it’s worth a try. Here are the two “cheese” sauces we tried.
Creamy yellow cheese sauce
- 16 oz Yukon Gold Potatoes (about 3 medium)
- 2-3 large Carrots
- 1/2 cup Water (used to boil potatoes)
- 1/4 cup Nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbs Nutritional yeast (in addition to above)
- 2 Tbs Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Wash and scrub both potatoes and carrots, peel if desired and chop into uniform pieces and boil for 10 minutes. OR…..
INSTANT POT: Simply add them to your Instant Pot with 1 cup of water. Set to MANUAL and cook for 12 minutes. Allow to naturally release for 10 minutes before opening lid.
- Let rest for 5 minutes and then with a slotted spoon, transfer the veggies to your blender
- Add 1/2 cup potato water and pulse to mix
- Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy
Cashew cheese sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 4 cups water, divided, plus more as needed to thin
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Soak the cashews: You can either do a quick soak, or soak the cashews for several hours or overnight. To quick soak, simply boil water in a tea kettle or on the stovetop, cover the cashews with the boiling water and set aside for 10-15 minutes. Drain.
- Blend: In a blender (high powered preferred, a food processor will also work), add the cashews, lemon juice, 3 cups of the water, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and the salt.
- Warm: In a medium saucepan, add the cheese sauce from the blender. Using a whisk, warm over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to bubble and thicken. Add the last cup of water, depending on how thick or thin you want the sauce to be.
- Add salt to taste, and Sriracha if using, depending on your spice preference. If the cheese sauce sits for a while, or you refrigerate the leftovers, it will thicken. Simply warm it again on the stove, adding water as needed to thin.
