The best, easy vegan mac and cheese recipe with broccoli, roasted sweet potato and cashews. So simple a kid could do it!
Vegan mac and cheese tastes amazing!
Not only that but is is also a nutritious meal you feel good about feeding your family, plus it only requires a few ingredients. You have whole grains, supernatural broccoli, roasted sweet potatoes, cashews, nutritional yeast and a few spices. Add a tomato salad on the side and dinner is served!
Sweet potato and butternut squash (even carrots & pumpkin) are totally interchangeable in this recipe, so feel free to swap one for the other if you like. I’ll usually roast a big batch of them to have for the week, so really whatever is in the fridge is going in here.
You can’t get this out of a cardboard box friends!
Simple stove top and blender dinner:
- Cook the pasta and broccoli in the same pot as instructed in the recipe.
- Whip up the cheese sauce in a powerful blender. A few minutes of simmering is all the sauce needs to become lusciously thick, creamy and cheesy thanks to the magic of nutritional yeast and tapioca. The Best!
- Mix everything together and dive into deliciousness.
It’s so delicious, I’m making it for Thanksgiving!
This Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese is Everything:
Healthy
Easy
Good for You
Tastes Soooo Good
No Bake, No Oil & Dairy Free
Wholesome From Scratch
Super Creamy.
Mac and Cheese Topping Ideas:
Fresh Chives & Parsley
Toasted bread crumbs
Avocado
More broccoli
Smoked Tempeh
Baby Spinach
Chili flakes
Pine nuts or pepitas
Roasted Veggies
FAQ: Can you freeze vegan mac and cheese ?
A: Not recommended, best served right away but it makes good leftovers.
How to Make Vegan Mac and Cheese:
Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese
The best, easy vegan mac and cheese recipe with broccoli, roasted sweet potato, nutritional yeast and cashews.
Servings 6 people
Calories 378kcal
Ingredients
Vegan Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup raw cashews (soaked)
- 1 cup roasted sweet potato -mashed
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 pinch chili powder (optional)
- 1.5 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2.5 tbsp tapioca
- 1 pinch sea salt to taste
- 2 cups water
Pasta
- 3/4 lb whole wheat elbow macaroni pasta
- 3 cups broccoli florets + more
Instructions
Make the Cheese Sauce:
- Rinse and soak the cashews in hot water for 20 minutes or in cold water overnight.
- Drain and rinse again then add them to a powerful blender together with the roasted potato, nutritional yeast, all the spice and water. Process until silky smooth.
- Transfer the cheese sauce to a medium pot and bring to a simmer. Stir well for a few minutes until thick and creamy. Remove from flame, taste and adjust seasonings with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Cook the Pasta:
- Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a good pinch of salt (the water should taste like the ocean). Add the macaroni and cook for 2 minutes less than the instructions on the box say.
- Add the broccoli florets to the pot with the pasta and simmer together for 2 minutes. The pasta and broccoli should be perfectly cooked al dente at this point but give it a taste anyways. You don’t want to overcook them.
- Reserve one cup of the pasta water then drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander. Add them to the pot with the cheese sauce and toss everything to coat well. (Add a little bit of the reserved pasta water if needed to stretch out the sauce at this point).
- Serve hot topped with smoky tempeh bits or sesame tofu if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 46mg | Potassium: 544mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3430IU | Vitamin C: 41.3mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 4.2mg
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