Vegan Queso Mac and Cheese [GF, Oil-Free]
Creamy, delicious and healthy vegan queso mac and cheese! A fun spin on traditional mac and cheese that is made from cashews, gluten-free, oil-free, and packed with flavor!
Equipment
- High speed blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/3 cup + 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning use a quality taco seasoning- It makes a difference!
- 1/4 tsp mineral salt + more to taste if desired
- 1 & 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp chopped fresh garlic or about 1 clove
- Pinch of turmeric for color optional
- about 3/4 cup warm water start with 3/4 cup water then add more slowly until desired consistency
- 10 oz of your favorite pasta
Instructions
- Add the raw cashews and enough water to cover them to a pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and boil cashews for about 20 minutes.
- Next, while the cashews are boiling, in a separate pot boil water and cook your pasta according to the directions on the package. When the pasta is done, drain and set aside.
- When the cashews are done boiling, rinse and drain and then let them cool for about 5 minutes.
- Add the boiled cashews and the remaining queso ingredients to a food processor/high speed blender. Start with 3/4 a cup of water and add more very slowly until your desired consistency is reached. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Next, heat up the queso. Transfer the queso to a small pot and turn the burner to low. Heat until queso is hot, stirring frequently. This will thicken up a bit when heated, add a small splash of water if needed. Be careful not to turn the burner up too high!
- Pour the hot queso over the cooked pasta. Top with cilantro or your favorite queso toppings, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I do not recommend pouring the queso over the pasta before heating the queso up as it will lose some of it's creaminess. Make sure to heat the queso up separately in a pot before adding it to the pasta.
- For leftovers, store covered in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove over low heat, adding a splash of water if needed.