Vegan Mac & Cheese

Mac and cheese is classic comfort food, perfect for any time of the day.

I've tried loads of vegan mac and cheese recipes and this is hands down the best one yet!

This vegan mac and cheese is smooth, creamy and packed with smoky ‘cheesy’ flavour.

VEGETABLES

Although traditional mac and cheese doesn’t tend to have vegetables in it, the aromatic flavours of the onion and garlic take this mac and cheese up a notch.

The carrots help give the mac and cheese the yellow colour you would expect from a cheesy sauce without any actual cheese!

Begin by dicing half a white onion, chopping 2 cloves of garlic and slicing two peeled carrots – you don’t have to be too neat with your chopping as it will all eventually get blended up into the ‘cheese’ sauce.

Once everything is chopped boil the carrots in a pot of water until completely soft – if you don’t cook them through, they won’t blend into the sauce. They should take roughly 10 mins to cook, depending on how thick you slice the carrots.

While the carrots are boiling, start making the ‘cheese sauce’.

Add 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Once the oil is warm add 2 1/2 tbsp plain flour to the oil and stir well to make a roux.

Let the roux cook until it begins to lightly bubble.

At this stage gradually pour 600 ml of unsweetened plant milk into the roux and stir continuously over medium heat. I find it is easier to use a whisk at this point to help get rid of any lumps in the sauce.

The sauce should begin the thicken as the milk heats up. Once thick remove from the heat and let cool.

If the sauce is still quite thin and runny you can add an extra teaspoon or so of plain flour, just make sure you mix it into the sauce properly so there are no lumps left behind.

Remove the sauce from the heat and let cool – the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools down.

While the sauce is cooling, add 1 tbsp olive oil to a small saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan along with a pinch of salt and let cook until the onions have softened and the garlic is slightly brown. Once cooked remove from the heat.

Now add the white sauce (béchamel) to a food blender. Also add the boiled carrots, sautéed onions and garlic along with 2 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast, black pepper, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika and salt.

Strain the ‘cheese’ sauce through a sieve to ensure the sauce is extra smooth.

Put the cheese sauce in a pan to heat up whilst you boil 300 g macaroni pasta.

Add the cooked pasta to the ‘cheese’ sauce and stir until the pasta is coated.

You can also add a sprinkle of chilli flakes on top of the mac and cheese for an extra kick.

(Serves 4)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 white onion (diced)

• 2 cloves garlic (chopped)

• 2 carrots (peeled and sliced)

• 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 1/2 tbsp plain flour

• 600 ml unsweetened plant milk (I used oat)

• 2 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast

• Black pepper

• Salt

• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

• 300 g macaroni pasta

METHOD:

1. Begin by heating a pan of water until it comes to a running boil. Then add your carrots to the water and let them cook until soft. This should take roughly 10 mins depending on how thick you slice the carrots. Once cooked drain.

2. While the carrots are boiling, start making the ‘cheese’ sauce. Heat 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once the oil is warm add 2 1/2 tbsp plain flour to the oil and mix the flour into the oil to make a roux.

3. Next gradually add 600 ml of unsweetened plant milk to the roux and stir continuously over a medium heat. The sauce should begin to thicken as the milk heats up - if the sauce is still quite thin and runny you can stir in an extra teaspoon or so of plain flour.

4. Take the roux sauce off of the heat and allow to cool, the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools down.

5. Next add 1 tbsp olive oil to a small saucepan over a medium heat and add the chopped onion and garlic. Let cook until the onion has softened, and the garlic begins to brown. Remove from the heat.

6. To finish making the ‘cheese’ sauce add the roux sauce to a blender along with boiled carrots, sautéed onions, garlic, nutritional yeast, black pepper, smoked paprika and salt. Blend until smooth.

7. Once blended, pour the sauce through a sieve into a pan to ensure your ‘cheese’ sauce is extra smooth.

8. Cook the macaroni pasta according to the packet instructions.

9. Add the cooked macaroni to the ‘cheese’ sauce and mix until the pasta is coated in the sauce.

10. Serve hot with a sprinkle of chilli flakes!