Many of my friends always say that they couldn’t go vegan because they will miss cheese too much! Of course, the vegan alternatives to cheese are not the same as the original, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to have that rich cheesy flavours n mac and cheese, over nachos or on any other dish. To be honest, since I discovered this plant-based staple, I use it far more often than I did any other “normal” cheese sauce before. This is one of those recipes that every vegan goes to as a staple and can be added to any main dish.
If you already are plant-based, you probably already can make this sauce in your sleep. However, if you are newly plant-based or just experimenting, read on to learn a bit more about the way to make cheesy substitutes. Once you understand the magic of soaked nuts and a high-speed blender you have the tools and know-how not only for cheese sauce but other creams, frostings, fillings and even ice-cream!
cashews
Let’s talk about these little nuts. I rarely ate cashews before going plant-based, but now in we can easily go through almost a kg of cashews in a week (and there are only two of us living here…) They are so creamy and delicious on their own, no wonder they are the cornerstone for most vegan sauces!
Cashews have three main characteristics which make them the perfect dairy substitute:
1. high in fat, which gives them a rich and creamy consistency
2. high in starch, which allows sauces to be thicker than other nut alternatives which are lower in starch
3. mild flavouring which means that any sauce, filling or base can be blended with seasonings, spices or ingredients without fear that the cashew will mask the desired essence of the dish.
soaking nuts
For the cashew cream, the first and main step is soaking cashews in water. You can soak it in lukewarm water from four hours to overnight if you are a planner, or if you are like me and want a cashew cheese sauce immediately all the time, I use boiling water for 30-45 minutes and it does the trick!
Soaking nuts for sauces allows the nuts to absorb water and become softer so they can be blended into a creamy consistency. However, from a health standpoint, soaking nuts is beneficial as well. By soaking nuts and seeds, they become easier to digest and increases the nutrient content that your body can absorb (to find out more about soaking nut click here).
Some recipes that have include creamy cashew bases, sides or add-ins:
roasted butternut squash and veggie burrito bowl
creamy lemon pasta with green veggies
vegan cashew cheese sauce
Equipment
- high-speed blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 150 grams cashews raw
- 12 grams nutritional yeast
- 4 grams garlic minced
- 15 grams lemon juice
- 1 tsp mustard
- ½ tsp paprika
- 237 ml non-dairy milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional Additions:
- 1 tsps taco seasoning or chipotle past for mexican version
- 130 grams sweet potatoes boiled and mashed (add ¼ cup additional water with this as well)
Instructions
- Soak raw cashews in boiling water for 15-20 minutes.
- Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender.
- Blend until very smooth and creamy.
- To serve, pour over whatever you want to cheese up! I like a thicker sauce for nachos or burrito bowls (recipe here) and slightly thinner for mac and cheese to coat every little noodle.
