Nut Free Vegan Mac And Cheese

In a saucepan, make a roux by melting the vegan butter and then stirring in the flour to form a paste. Cook the roux for about a minute and then whisk in the sweet potato cheese mixture. Simmer the cheese on low for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed. Pour the macaroni into a baking dish. Bonus points: my Homemade Vegan Mac & Cheese Powder recipe is completely nut-free, soy-free, oil-free, and with a gluten-free option. Making this recipe very allergy and whole-food plant-based friendly (just depending on which flour, plant-based milk, and pasta you choose to use). As these Vegan Mac and Cheese Bites are dairy-free, and can also be gluten-free, it made total sense for them to be nut-free too so they are totally allergen friendly. My Vegan Carbonara with Smoky Carrot Rashers and my Easy Homemade Vegan Butter were the reason I decided to use the nuts.


  • Prep:
  • Cook:
    • Makes 4 portions

    Enjoy this healthy, vegan version of mac ‘n’ cheese. Creamy and nutty, cashews take centre stage, along with plant-based milk, vegan cheese and plenty of veg

    Dairy-free

    Ingredients

    And
    • 500g macaroni
    • vegan parmesan, grated, to serve

    For the sauce

    • 100g cashew nuts
    • 1 large carrot, cut into chunks
    • 1 medium floury potato, cut into chunks
    • 1 onion, roughly chopped
    • 1 celery stick roughly chopped
    • 150g sweet potato or butternut squash, cut into chunks
    • 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
    • 1 tsp dried oregano
    • 1 tsp mustard powder
    • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
    • 200ml plant-based milk

    To bake

    • 150g cherry tomatoes
    • 50g wholemeal breadcrumbs
    • a few basil leaves, finely chopped
    • 50g vegan cheese, grated

    Method

    Creamy Vegan Mac And Cheese

    • STEP 1

      For the sauce, put the cashew nuts in a saucepan of water and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 mins, then add all the vegetables and the garlic. Continue to simmer for at least 10 mins until all the veg is tender.

    • STEP 2

      Drain and transfer to a blender. Add all the remaining sauce ingredients and season with salt. Blend until smooth.

    • STEP 3

      Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add a good pinch of salt. Tip in the macaroni and cook following pack instructions. Drain and mix with the vegetable sauce. If you like, sprinkle with vegan parmesan to serve. The macaroni cheese can be eaten like this or you can bake it in the oven.

    • STEP 4

      To bake the mac n cheese, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Transfer to an ovenproof dish and stir through the tomatoes. Mix the breadcrumbs with the basil and vegan cheese, then scatter ver the top and bake for 25 mins until piping hot and bubbling.