Vegan Richa Mac and Cheese
This Vegan Richa mac and cheese loads the classic comfort food with veggies and skips the dairy. It's rich, creamy, and incredibly simple to make.
Calories 1772kcal
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
- 1/3 cup carrots, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 4 oz diced green chiles
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1/4 cup cashews
- 2 1/2 cups broccoli, chopped
- 10 to 12 oz elbow pasta
- 3/4 tsp mustard
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp sriracha
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp pepper, divided
Instructions
- Combine the water, potato, carrots, garlic, onion, chiles, tomato, and cashews in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cover and cook for 18 to 20 minutes or until the cubed potato is tender. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- Cook the elbow pasta according to package instructions. In the last 2 minutes of boiling, add the chopped broccoli. Drain the pasta and broccoli and set aside.
- Pour the vegetable mixture, mustard, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, olive oil, paprika, and sriracha into a blender. Blend for 1 minute, allow it to rest for 1 minute, then blend again until smooth.
- Transfer the vegan mac and cheese sauce to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, add more water to adjust its consistency.
- Bring the vegan cheese sauce almost to a boil. Taste and season as needed.
- Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce. Mix well to coat everything. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
- Let the mac and cheese sit for 2 minutes, and sprinkle the remaining pepper over the pasta. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can substitute nutritional yeast with any vegan cheese that melts well, such as cashew parmesan cheese alternative or dairy-free cheddar shreds.
- For the perfect crisp-tender texture, add the broccoli when there are only 2 minutes left until the macaroni is done. Don't overcook the broccoli, or it will end up mushy.
- For a creamier cheese sauce, swap water with non-dairy milk like coconut milk!
Nutrition
Calories: 1772kcal | Carbohydrates: 271g | Protein: 69g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 29g | Sodium: 3122mg | Potassium: 2862mg | Fiber: 30g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 10182IU | Vitamin C: 264mg | Calcium: 308mg | Iron: 13mg