Serves 8
Time: 1 hour || Active time: 30 minutes
I don’t think vegans ever get sick of Mac & Cheese, or, “Cheeze” or whatever. One of the first recipes I ever tried was from one of my all time favorites, the New Farm Cookbook. It was great for me back then because I always had a ton of people over, and you could make it for a crowd at the drop of a hat. So if you were all sitting around watching Evil Dead 2 on repeat, it was only a matter of time before a magical pot of Mac & Cheese would appear and swallow your soul.
That recipe is still the prototype for many a vegan Mac & Cheese recipe: lots of nooch, garlic, onions and, wait, what’s that? Half a cup of margarine?! This was the 80s and so it wasn’t even non-hydrogenated margarine. It was the real deal – a bright yellow log of pure processed fat. Today we have less ungodly ingredients to work with, but still, I can’t shake the feeling that when I eat those types of Mac & Cheese, I’m eating melted margarine.
So I’ve been toying with different ingredients for the past few years and I’ll probably continue to mess around with it. It’s all about developing flavor and creaminess with ingredients that are still really accessible and really delicious, but also way less processed, and, well really real.
To keep things from being one note, I wanted to build flavor with a few simple methods and ingredients. Like all great Mac & Cheese recipes, this one begins with a roux. Flour is cooked in olive oil, lending a toasty flavor and giving the finished sauce extra body and creaminess. If you’ve never made a roux before then this will be a great skill to add to your repertoire! And speaking of creaminess, cashews are given their standard vegan treatment: a long soak in water and then a horrifying (for them) trip in the food processor, to be pureed until they’re silky smooth.
So I’ve been playing with various ratios and ingredients, and it always comes out good and creamy, but I wanted something different, tangier, more interesting. Cheese is aged, giving it flavor and nuance. There’s always mustard (an ingredient even in the New Farm recipe), miso, lemon…but I hit upon an ingredient that really gave me the depth I was looking for…sauerkraut! Since the average home cook (myself included) isn’t really set up for aging stuff, I wanted something that’s already fermented, and sauerkraut really works.
This mac is my favorite yet! (But that still doesn’t stop me from adding some Frank’s Red Hot.) And of course I don’t totally break with tradition, I used a little turmeric and a touch of nutritional yeast for that telltale yellow that tells you you’re eating “cheeze” not “cheese.”
Recipe notes:
~You really need to blend the beejeezus out of the cashews and sauerkraut. Although it won’t be completely creamy until after it’s cooked, it should still be relatively smooth, with absolutely no chunks, when it comes out of the food processor. I think a Vitamix type thing would work here, too, but I don’t have one myself.
~Make sure that the roux is cooked and toasty before streaming in the veggie broth. It really makes a difference in the final flavor, so get your roux a really beautiful gravy color.
~You can use any smallish pasta. I love to use chiocciole because it can hold plenty of sauce, and I just find the shape pleasing. Small shells or traditional macaroni are both great choices, too.
~To soak cashews, just place them in a bowl and submerge with water. Soak for at least an hour, preferably two, or up to overnight.
~And lastly, the type of veggie broth you use makes a huge difference. If I use my own homemade broth, I make sure it’s super assertive. If you use the type of broth that comes from a powder or concentrate, that is totally cool, just make it a bit stronger than you usually do.
1 lb small pasta like shells, macaroni or chiocciole
1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked (see recipe note)
4 cups broth, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
2 cups sauerkraut
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
Several dashes fresh black pepper
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
First boil salted water for the pasta. Cook pasta and drain. In the meantime, prepare the rest of the recipe.
Place the soaked cashews and 2 cups of the vegetable broth in a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping the sides of the food processor with a spatula occasionally to make sure you get everything. This could take 5 minutes.
In the meantime, preheat a large pan (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Saute the onions and garlic and a pinch of salt in a tablespoon of the oil, until onions are softened.
Drain the sauerkraut in a sieve, pushing it into the sieve to remove as much moisture as possible. Add to the pan just to heat through, a minute or two.
Transfer sauerkraut mixture to the food processor with the cashew mixture. Once again, puree until relatively smooth. There will be some texture, just make sure it’s not chunky.
Wipe out the pan that you sauteed the onions in and preheat it over medium heat once again. Add 3 tablespoons of oil, along with the flour. It should become a gooey clump. You’re now making a roux! Add a little bit more olive oil if necessary. Toast the roux for about 15 minutes, until it smells toasty and turns a medium brown. Stir practically the whole time so that it cooks evenly.
Now stream in remaining 2 cups of broth, whisking constantly so that it doesn’t clump. Whisk until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes.
Stream in the cashew sauerkraut mixture, and whisk until well incorporated. Add the tumeric, black pepper, nutritional yeast if using, salt and fresh lemon juice. Heat through and stir occasionally, allowing the mixture to thicken.
Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly grease an 11 x 13 casserole with olive oil.
Add the cooked pasta back to the pasta pot and pour in the sauce. Taste for salt and pepper. Mix to coat, then transfer to the casserole dish. Cover casserole with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove tin foil and bake an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot!
I would never have made this if I didn’t already trust you. But it was fantastic! And my baby is eating her third helping, which is a good sign. I really want to try a kimchi version now.
This tastes wonderful. I put some on noodles, some on stir-fry veggies and potatoes, today I’m going to coat some pretzels with the sauce and dry them. (Noodles are the best, but most decadent.) Most cheeze recipes have way too much yeast in them for me. This was just right. The VitaMix made it very smooth. When the roux lumped, I just added it to the VitaMix and velvety smooth again.
Mmm this was SO good. I used macadamias cause I was out of cashews. It didn’t get quite as creamy as I wanted it, but the flavor was AMAZING…without question my favorite mac n cheese recipe to date….
This was fantastic! I made it for a potluck and decided to call it “Pasta in a a cashew sauce” so that nobody would go “Well, this tastes nothing like mac and cheese!” and everybody loved it. To me it tasted cheesy, but nobody else (all non-vegans) compared it to mac and cheese. Not that it mattered. All I know is that it is all gone.
Um, yeah, amazing… To make gluten free, I simply used quinoa pasta and garbanzo bean flour for the roux. I plan add in some smoked paprika next time.
I have it in the oven right now! I thought I hated sauerkraut and almost rejected this recipe because of that hate, but then I realized I haven’t tried it since I was a kid. I likey! I likey! So excited to eat this!
I i only use 1 cup cashew how much sauerkraut should i use?
Came our really tasty, but it seemed like there was too much broth -I think my mix got more liquidy than you described. plus it ended up making lots more sauce than I needed. I swear I used just 4 cups! only thing I did different was used cashew pieces instead of whole. I’ll try making it again.
I i only use 1 cup cashew how much sauerkraut should i use
1 1/2?
Holy Guacamole! (We served this with a spicy avocado mash)…….This recipe blew our shews off.
We were initially resistant to the idea of kraut, but found a fabulous simple, local make at the corner store and the consistency of the end product cheez was f**kin awesome! Thanks Isa, you rock girl.
Delicious, thank you! I skipped the baking step. SO GOOD.
I’m sure most folks will figure it out, but you could mention that the cashews are raw in the ingredients list, and that it’s 2 cups of broth when you puree them.
LOVED IT! And it’s so the second day, too.
Looks so good…I really need to get a Food Processor!
I’m not strictly Vegan, but love VEGAN WITH A VENGEANCE…..have actually made some decent tofu, thanks to you…
I love kraut, so can’t wait to make this. Some nice additions/renditions from fans above as well. Any recommendations on the kind or brand of kraut? Jar? Bag in refrigerated section? I love kraut so no matter, just curious. Also, in other recipes, I drain and rinse the kraut and then cook it with wine or broth (to replace the liquid) and thyme, onion, etc. would that work nicely here? Love your recipes, Dawn
Really tasty! I was curious about vegan Mac and Cheese and now I have made it. I cooked it in the pot a bit longer and have been using it as a topping sauce vs. in a casserole. Rather expensive and time consuming to prepare so I might prefer Pasta Primavera which is quicker and less expensive and still vegan healty. Thank You!
I am eating Mac and Shews as I type this. So delicious in my mouth! I was extra not afraid of the sauerkraut I used extra!
Wow. This is excellent. My roommate (a self-professed mac & cheese expert, and non-vegan) LOVED this too!
Argh! The 1st addition of broth doesn’t specify to leave out 2 cups. 🙁
Whoops! Fixed. I guess people got it cause it says “divided” in the ingredients list. Whew.
Made this last night and, happily, will have it for a few days to come. It was delish! You’re a genius, Isa!
This was amazing! I agree with Andy – you are a genius. Who would have thought that sauerkraut would add such amazing flavour? Yet another reason for me to love sauerkraut.
Holy shiitake, Isa…you have really outdone yourself this time! We tried this last night, and it’s not only the best vegan mac and cheeze I’ve had so far, it’s also the most filling. Thanks!
Holy crow!! This was the best vegan mac I’ve even made/enjoyed. It destroys Daiya mac-n-cheese that was loaded with just fat and salt. This had incredible flavor, was so hearty, and once we replaced the noodles with quinoa/corn noodles it was able to be eaten by everyone in the house…2 plates in a row. Thank you, thank you, a million times over, you are a Goddess of the kitchen.
This. was. amazing! Only downside was telling the omnivorous BF who loathes sauerkraut what the secret ingredient was… tried it, like a champ, but passed on second helpings. Also – Added extra onion, turmeric, and some smoked paprika…topped off with a lil sriracha…mmmmm:)
My (cheese-eater) boyfriend and I made this tonight and it was amazing! I’m so glad it makes a ton because I would happily eat it for days. My sister practically went into shock when she tried it and says there could never be a better mac n cheeze. I agree. We all think you are a food genius, Isa! You are our hero!
This was really excellent. I couldn’t stop eating the leftover cashew-and-sauerkraut dregs from the blender. It baked up delicious and was a hit at an omni potluck. I think I’m going to put in a little more sauerkraut next time, and add some veggies.
And as a morning-after update, it’s fantastic microwaved. I put some in a bowl, added about half a cup of delicious, delicious sauerkraut, and nuked it. Perfect breakfast!
I made this last night for my omni boyfriend. I told him I would melt a little real cheese on top if he thought it needed it (I’m an enabler like that), but he totally loved it. I did too, as I ate 2 huge bowls of it. Good recipe. The only problem is that there is no mention on what to do with the onion/garlic mixture. I just mixed mine in with the sauce and that turned out great.
I just ate this….this is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever had, and it destroys all other vegan Mac & Cheese recipes! I never like vegan “cheese” dishes, but you have made me a believer! Outrageously delicious and very creative! You really are a genius. 🙂
OK: this is good. REALLY REALLY GOOD. I can never leave a recipe alone, so I added about 1/2 tsp dry mustard, several dashes of cayenne and white pepper (I like spice!) into the sauce. I adore Nutritional Yeast so put even a little more. Also: thinly slice some tomatoes on top, and sprinkle w/a little smoked paprika to finish (all before baking).
Filling, satisfying, tangy, yummy. Great w/broccoli or sauteed greens (spinach, chard, kale).
I have a large Cuisinart food processor and I just let the damn thing run and run to get the cashews pureed in the broth. Always get some “leakage” but no biggie to clean up. I had another brand of food processor in the past: nowhere near as good. The Cuisinart is worth the $$. Someday maybe Santa will bring me a Vitamix.
Sounds great! This recipe is a blank slate for all sorts of ingredients, go crazy.
Am I the only one in the vegan world who wasn’t wild about this? I was only going to make 1/2 but then I thought, “nah it’s isa, I trust her + this looks really cool.” 1 thing that didn’t work was the cashew consistency. It wouldn’t been much better had I ground them up before adding the broth. Maybe even adding the broth a bit at a time, but 1/2 the broth at once did not bring my cashews to the right texture 🙁 and it never got that interesting aged taste I was hoping for. It just tasted like cashews and sauerkraut and lemon juice 🙁 it’s a little better the next day, but from now on I think I’ll stick to the way I do cheesy sauce.
+ I would’ve used EB instead of olive oil. I know we’re looking for healthy fats here, but cheezy sauces are supposed to be fatty. Could you imagine the calorie count if we were in the omni sauce biz??
Nothing but praise! Thank you SO MUCH for this reciple!! I hate that nutritional yeast, but love mac’ncheese. Moving in to my 8th year as a vegetarian/vegan, this was a delicious surprise 🙂
OMG! This turned out amazing! I used spinach penne to make it green for St. Patrick’s Day. It was a huge hit. Thanks for sharing.
hey im trying to make this it looks amazing. But i want to avoid using garlic. is there anything i can replace it with?
This is soooooo good! My husband is a freak and wouldn’t even try it so I ate the whole pan in 3 days. YUM!!!
I usually hate most vegan cheezes, the processed packaged stuff never quite lives up to what I remember cheese tasting like. This doesn’t taste exactly like cheese either, but better. Sooo soo so much better.
I tried this and didn’t tell my kids it had sauerkraut. They enjoyed it. But very filling. Next time I’ll do a half batch.
Whoa you know it’s good when there are 156 comments! I loved it fresh out the oven with some hot sauce, two days later reheated with breadcrumbs, broccoli, and carmelized onions, and I still have some left so maybe tonight with tempeh bacon and sauted kale. Thanks for yet another awesome recipe, Isa!
This recipe is the bomb! I’ve made it 3 times and all 3 times my non-vegan husband has scarfed up every last crumb. I’m going to try it tonight with some sauteed friarielli (rapini or broccoli rabe) and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Thanks, Isa!
I’m going to have 9, yes 9, people living in my home for two weeks (1 is not vegan). I was looking for some good crowd pleasers and think this shall do as one. Thank you!
Cool, also try the Cashew Korma and the Spaghetti-O recipe I just posted! Those are great for crowds.
Hey thank you so much for an amazing recipe! I just made it and put it into the oven, (this 20 minutes is killing me!!) the sauce is to die for and the sauerkraut well that ‘s just pure genius!!! I left out the roux sauce only because I’ve never liked a white sauce (yours does sound good though). Will definitely be getting your books.
Um, one problem – my children are now obsessed with this and want to eat it every day. On the plus side, a recipe feeds us for three days, so that’s handy.
@Mark – I use hing powder instead of garlic + onion. Check your local Indian grocery, or you can get it online. Make sure you read up on how to use it.
And one note – this sets up really nicely if you want to fry slices of it the next day. Or, um, so I’ve heard.
YUM – never too many Mac & Cheeze recipes, and I also like avoiding margarine where possible. Bookmarked! 🙂
Ahem, I am soaking the cashews now and going to the store for the kraut, finally! SO excited to make this. Thinking of adding broccoli, some sauteed swiss chard that I have leftover and throwing in some chickpeas (also leftover). I love me some goodies in my mac & cheese :-). CAN’T WAIT.
Made this today for my boyfriend, had no intention of eating it, myself, as I’ve been eating raw for a month and intend to stay that way, but how to cook without tasting, and how to taste this without eating WAY too much?? Best vegan mac and cheese experience yet. I’m so glad you had the idea to throw saurkraut in the mix! Perfect! Next time I’ll try with add-ins, spinach, etc.
This is the first PPK recipe that I have tried – I followed the recipe to the letter, and got a great result. DELICIOUS. It turned out better than I could have imagined.