recipe
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Creamy, savoury, deeply orange — vegan mac and cheese done right. Cashew + nutritional yeast + roasted vegetables base, pours over hot pasta.
Recipe stats
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Cook: 25 minutes
- Total: 40 minutes
- Serves: 4
You’ll need
- 1 lb Macaroni or shells
- 1.5 cups Cashews, soaked 1 hour
- 1 medium Carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium Yellow potato, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 Onion, chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 2 cups Vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup Nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp Mustard powder
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric (for colour)
- to taste Salt
Method
- Boil chopped carrot, potato, onion, and garlic in vegetable broth until tender, about 12-15 minutes.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Drain and rinse soaked cashews.
- Blend cooked vegetables (with cooking liquid), cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, vinegar, smoked paprika, mustard powder, turmeric, and salt until completely smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust seasoning — needs more salt than you think.
- Pour sauce over hot pasta. Stir gently to coat.
- Serve immediately, garnished with smoked paprika, fresh chives, or vegan parmesan.
Notes + tips
- Soaking cashews is non-negotiable for smoothness. 1 hour minimum, overnight better.
- The carrot + potato base is the trick — it builds creaminess and that orange-yellow colour without relying on heavy oils.
- Bake the assembled mac with breadcrumbs at 375°F for 15 minutes for a baked-mac variant.
- Sauce keeps in the fridge for 5 days, so make extra and pour over fresh pasta during the week.
Why this works
This recipe is intentionally simple. The technique stays out of the way of the ingredients. Plant-based cooking generally rewards clean execution over elaborate technique — the flavours are fresher, the texture cleaner, and the result more satisfying when you let good ingredients do most of the work.
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Recipe by the Stay Healthy Vegan editorial team. Tested in our home kitchens before publication.