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!
Best mac & cheese ever! Made this yesterday for a vegan potluck & it was a hit :). I made sure to put this recipe page address on ingredient card, so hopefully this dish will spread like wdfire, converting cheese-loving omnivores everywhere! ;P. On a scale of 1 to 10, this dish is an 11!
Cashews really are the business. They can be used for so many things, especially in raw cooking. I made a great Brandy Cashew Cream to go with my mince pies last Christmas. I love the sauerkraut idea. Something I NEVER would have tried if you hadn’t mentioned it.
Does anyone else’s food processor leak when putting in so much liquid (the cashews + two cups of broth)? Mine always leaks all over the place. It is a really good one, too (Cuisinart Pro Classic). I might try the blender next time but I don’t have a VitaMix, so went with the processor. Thoughts?
Yeah, food processors do that sometimes. But do you notice that it stops leaking after about 10 seconds?
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to stop (it slows down a little, though) and I am always prepared with towels because I know it does it. As long as that is normal and won’t like leak into the motor or something, I’m cool. My processor is seven years old and has always leaked with liquid based recipes. Anyhoo, the Mac & Shews recipe is FANTASTIC, and I definitely want to make it again. I always worried about the processor leaking but never asked anyone, so I really appreciate your help with my appliance issues :-).
Well I have a Cuisinart, too, and it does leak when there’s a lot of liquid, but it stops after a few seconds. I assume it stops because it gets clogged but at least it stops!
I shall soldier on with more confidence,now. Thanks, Isa!
I really, really wanted to like this recipe. I used less sauerkraut (I do like sauerkraut) and just could not get past the sauerkraut smell before eating. Like I said, I wanted to like it and kept trying a spoonfull throughout the day, but this was a miss for me. I’m glad other people like it, but just not for me.
Note about the food processor: Yes, it will leak! I too did not look at the “max liquid” line. After sopping up my mess, I re-started with a small amount of broth and added slowly as the mixture became less liquid-like.
I was really excited to make this since I cannot stand fake cheese but I LOVE mac and cheese. I was VERY impressed with how this turned out! I am a fan of Sauerkraut already so no issues there, although I have to say in the finished dish I could not taste it (but I’m sure if I hated Sauerkraut I would have picked it out right away, that’s usually how it goes).
I substituted gluten-free pasta and chick pea flour to make the recipe Gluten Free Friendly! I also added a topping of crushed gluten-free pretzels mixed with some herbs (basically italian seasoned breadcrumbs) for some crunchy crust on top.
Can’t wait to make it again!
Sounds good about the GF changes. A friend of mine had good luck with rice flour as the roux base, too.
This recipe is DELICIOUS! I’ve made it for many of my vegan and non vegan friends and everyone loves it. I want to try to use the cashew cream sauce to make stuffed pasta shells then pour marinara over it.
I am so excited to try this recipe tonight. I have tried a variety of Vegan Mac n Cheese and need the perfect one for my upcoming wedding in June, which will be featuring so many of your recipes. I have a feeling the genius addition of sauerkraut is going to be the missing link. I seriously don’t want to wait a few hours for these cashews to soak. I’ll be patient though.
So I made a few adjustments for taste and added a little bit of dijon mustard and soy sauce to the cheese sauce. Absolutely amazing, a great recipe. Thank you Isa!!
For those who are allergic to cashews, try substituting macadamia nuts instead. I use them in my pesto recipe and they add a nice creaminess. You may not even have to soak them, but you’ll have to experiment with that. I also use a vita mix, that could possibly make a difference in texture, it does when making pesto. Hope this helps.
Hi Folks, Any thoughts on the best way to make this ahead of time? Is it best to make it, bake it, fridge it and then re-heat it in the oven the next night? Or make the sauce and noodles ahead, keeping them separate until ready to bake? Thanks!
Made this last nigh. It is AWESOME! I brought some to work for lunch, I am so enjoying it! Thanks again for a homerun! The Family all love it too………….the sauerkraut is nothing short of GENIUS! you are so my hero!!
Yo. I love this so friggin much. We added spinach + bread crumbs to the top. The spinach was a nutrients/taste BOOST.
I just made this for my mom and step-dad who have recently switched to a whole-food-plant-based diet and have been missing cheesey comfort food. This was AMAZING!!! I wasn’t really expecting much having avoided any kind of “fake cheese” things myself. Loved it, and will totally be making this again! I added dried onion to it, just a little, but I don’t think that made much of a difference 😛
I also made your cornbread with it, using almond milk instead of soy (personal preference)
This was…CRAZYDELISH! I made half a recipe suspecting that, being home alone, I might be tempted to mow down on the lot of it and…I was right! So good! So tough to pry myself away from that pan and save some leftovers! Thankyouthankyou!
I love that it achieved all that I was craving (a creamy baked pasta dish) without any processed ingredients. Winwinwin (and major thanks)!
Macadamias instead of cashews??? Curious what you think
Macadamias are a bit sweeter and for some reason, although they are just as creamy, they don’t thicken up like cashews. Why are cashews so magical? That said, if it’s an allergy situation or you’re just hell-bent on experimenting, please try it and report back!
Thanks, Isa…I’ve got these macadamias sitting around, so I might do a combo with cashews…if so, I will let you know how it goes!
Hi, Isa…the recipe was really good with macadamias (no cashews, just macs)…the sauerkraut was a bit strong (perhaps because the nuts are sweeter), but otherwise delicious.
Good to know!
I made this last night, and it totally rocked my world. My husband is not even vegetarian and he LOVED it. Thank you!
Oh yeah, we are gluten-free too and used brown rice Tinkyada pasta and brown rice flour for the roux, and it turned out great.
I was nervous – this was my first vegan mac-n-cheese…but we added the bread-crumb topping and the hot sauce – we never missed the cheese. I like rasrasras’ suggestion to add spinach but I think I’m going to be naughty next time and do a crumbled-potato-chip-topping with peas mixed into the pasta. Potato chips are still a form of veggies LOL! In all seriousness, many thanks – we’re not vegans but we are really working hard on reducing our saturated & trans fat intakes. xoxo
When I want tang in my “cheez” I add a pinch (well, more like 1/4 tsp) of cream of tartar. Yum. I’m skeptical about the sauerkraut but am willing to give it a try…just not thrilled about the idea of having leftover sauerkraut. Any chance I can use vegan kimchi? Oh how I love the vegan kimchi.
This is totally our new fave. When we first moved into our new home, this was the meal that I christened our kitchen with. It makes a house a home. 🙂
Last night, I played with the cheese sauce recipe, cut the pasta, and added half a bottle of white wine, shallots, rosemary, dijon mustard, and some daiya for some kickass vegan fondue. My husband said he no longer pines for the melting pot, now. 🙂
This was so freaking good it made no sense. i was a bit nervous at first (I got some directions reversed) but it was great! Can I say that I’m gonna use the cashew/sauerkraut/veggie broth mixture in sandwiches and all else? It was so good!
This is my favorite thing that has ever been said. “This was so freaking good it made no sense.” It makes up for everything.
OH MY SEITAN! I just ate this recipe for the third meal in a roux and still am lovin it. This recipe combines all of my favorite things but doesnt taste like any of them! I had been meaning to try out this recipe for literally months but every time I bought all the ingredients i would keep eating the ingredients separately before i had a chance to make it ! (yes, i eat fresh sauerkraut straight, dont judge.) Thnxxxx!
Oh man was this stuff good! I was concerned I wouldn’t like this because of the sauerkraut , not a big fan of it alone, but I was so wrong, the result of all the flavors together was so tangy and creamy, it was absolutely the best vegan Mac and “cheese” I have tried to date! Thanks Isa for continuously serving up awesome new recipes!
I have a question — did you make your own sauerkraut? Or do you buy the stuff in a can?
Can you soak the cashews in the 2cups of vegetable broth that you will purée them in, or do you recommend soaking them in water and then adding the veg broth at the time of puree?
People always ask this, and I suppose you could, but I think there is something a little yucky about the soaking liquid once it’s done. I like to just start anew and I don’t see any reason why not. Is there a particular reason you want to soak them in the veg broth instead of draining the soaking water?
THIS IS AMAZING. Definitely the best vegan mac&cheese I’ve had!!! 😀
Also, I didn’t cover the casserole with foil when baking and it still turned out amazing. (I love the baked edges.)
ISA, thanks for replying! No reason in particular to soaking them in broth, I just thought I could soak them in my Vita mix blender and then turn it on when they were soaked without draining. No biggie though to soak in water first.
Anyhow, I made this last night. My family are not vegans although we are trying to eat much healthier and maybe someday I will be vegan. But for now I am experimenting with it all. I make a very good mac and cheese so I wanted to test this on my family(husband and 2 teenage sons) they are brutally honest! They all really liked it! 1. they do not like sauerkraut, they didn’t even know it wad there. 2. They thought it was nice and creamy, but not cheesy. They were fine with that because it tasted good. 3. The sauce was tangy when made but lost the tanginess when baked with the whole wheat noodles, so I served it with Frank’s Red hot sauce. I had added mustard and smoked paprika to the recipe also. I think next time I might add more than the tablespoon of mustard that I originasly put in. Anyone not sure about the kraut, don’t sweat it, try it you’ll like it!
Thanks for the feedback!
Hrmmmm…I wonder…
Any ideas of how it’d taste with replacing the sauerkraut with Kimchi? I’m not certain, but I bet it’d give it an extra little kick such that it wouldn’t need the hot sauce 😉
wow. i just used the sauce in a potato gratin with broccoli. so good, didn’t miss the cheese at all!
Made this last week and really enjoyed it, although it tasted nothing like mac and cheese to me. It actually reminded me of this delicious stuffing my aunt makes for Thanksgiving every year which has tons of onions, butter, and Italian sausage in it…. soo good, but soo not vegan! I think I may bring some Mac and Shews to next Thanksgiving so I won’t feel bummed about missing out on her stuffing like I have the past 3 years. Or sub the noodles w/ vegan cornbread stuffing, mmm. Thanks for the recipe!!
I made this tonight and loved it! I used chickpea flour and added mustard, smoked paprika and cayenne. I only made a small pasta bake and plan to use the rest of the sauce on fresh veges. So delicious… thanks for the recipe!
Mmmmmm…… just perfect!!!!! I have been a Vegan for almost 10 years and have never had anything that satisfied the mac n cheese craving. This was simply profound! Also, I am so happy it didn’t included any creepy fake cheeses. Thank you so much it was a gift to my mouth, not to mention 5 close friends who applaud you.
Try adding half of one of the big cans of Hatch roasted green chiles, chopped up, for a tasty Chile Mac n Shews experience. I also made a cool Psychic TV cross with chiles on the top for fun.
Ooh Psychic TV!
Oh man, this is my absolute favorite sauce that I have ever made! (The first time I made it, I used a foor processor and it leaked everywhere, but after that I used a blender and that seemed to get it creamy enough).
I like to make just the sauce and use it for everything–putting on pasta, dipping bread, coating steamed veggies. My new favorite recipe by far. I find that every time you reheat it after being in the fridge, it gets milder, but no less delicious.
Thanks for this amazing recipe. Any idea if it can be considered low-fat? (I mean it’s certainly lower in fat than a stick of margarine, though)
Yum. We made it last night. Used a blender, worked out fine. Had it with a nice side salad with homemade Italian dressing. Thanks for the recipe!
My lady-friend I made this last night. It was a great success, but we made a few alterations that are worth mentioning. I had been thinking for a while about ways to make an ‘asian-infused’ mac and cheese [cheez]. We stuck with the basic recipe, but added a couple spoonfuls of miso paste to the vege stock, replaced the salt with soy sauce, and added about 2 tablespoons of ‘prickly ash’ chinese chilie sauce. We also fried up a couple of chinese eggplant (the long, purple kind) and about 10 oz. of shitake mushrooms, and stirred them in with the roux/cashew/kraut mixture.
The resulting mac was delicious! The miso, soy sauce, and shitakes gave it a nice, pungent, fermented quality, and the eggplant some interesting color. We ate it with Sri Racha sauce and IPA, very nice.
This recipe is soooo yummmmy!
I have no idea why I waited so long to make this. It was wonderful. Served it with a side of bbque tofu and collard greens. Now I must take a nap….tired since I ate way too much of this. Will put this one in my monthly rotation of dinner. Thanks Isa!
i made this yesterday for some friends and just finished up the leftovers for breakfast. i was drawn by the idea of making a vegan mac n cheese with cashews and sauerkraut. this was SO GOOD and had my omnivorous friends hooked. i had several helpings of this myself. i used canned broth with half a cube of veggie bouillon added, and i also included a few generous dashes of cayenne pepper as the onions and garlic cooked. also, i omitted the turmeric as i don’t have it handy and couldn’t justify the expense. it wasn’t missed. otherwise, i followed the recipe precisely. i will definitely make this recipe again. this is a great potluck recipe. i’m afraid if i made it for myself i’d eat myself sick. thank you!