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!
II pretended like I had enough time to make it when I started it. I soaked the cashews overnight on Monday night, made the mix with the cashews, broth and sauerkraut (I used mild KimChee) on Tuesday . I finished the whole thing on Thursday. One thing that is very important is that I ruined one batch of the cashews in the food processor because I used all 2 cups of broth. I tried again and only used about a cup to get it the right consistency. i didn’t add any other spices that would conflict with the KimChee. For instance I didn’t add any onion or garlic. i did add the nooch and only 1 cup broth at the end w/ the roux. I added breadcrumbs to the top which was fab! The consistency is wonderful. There is a slight metallic taste with the kimchee. I hope my fam likes it!
Are there any substitutes for cashews that aren’t other nuts? I’m allergic to all varieties…
Unfortunately, no. Are you allergic to tahini? I bet that would be good! Not the same, but good.
I’ve been wanting to make this for two weeks now, ever since I first spotted the recipe. And today, I finally made it, and it is sooo satisfying, just as satisfying as real mac ‘n’ cheese. Definitely the best vegan version I have ever tasted and definitely a recipe I will repeat! So creamy and comforting! Thanks for thinking outside the box!
Wow. I mean, just wow. I would have never thought this recipe would be good, but I couldn’t believe how yummy it was! My husband took one bite and said, “Oh wow.” Seriously. Wow! 🙂
I am new to being vegan and I have missed my homemade mac and cheeese but this recipe is so much better and way more tasty. It has way more flavor than regular mac and cheese. I have never tried saurkraut before and was hesisant because I always thought it looked and tasted gross, however the end result was very good!!! Thank you for this recipe!
You are so unbelievably talented Isa!. I made this, tempeh orzilla and the chocolate pumpkin loaf cake in the last two days and
honestly I am speechless they are all so good. You really have a very special gift. Thank you for being a vegan! xo
I’ve had Cahsews soaking the past 3 days…. Hope it isn’t weird. D:
THANK YOU FOR THIS AMAZING RECIPE!!!!!!!!!!!!! I make this all the time now, and have even adapted the sauce, (took out the sourkraut) and used it for “cream” of broccoli soup. THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love the idea of this recipe and have tried many from Veganomicron. I could scale the recipe down, though wondering if you have tried to freeze the sauce on its own . As delicious as it looks, I know it will go to waste if I make the entire recipe.
Thanks!
oh man, i really want to try this but I have a mild tree nut allergy (almonds, cashews, macs, etc.). Maybe I will try it will the tahini you suggested above. Could peanuts be substituted as well?
(trying to give up dairy is so annoying when you are allergic to almonds, cashews and soymilk!)
I think peanuts would conflict with the other flavors. What about sunflower seeds?
sunflower seeds i could try…would I prepare them (soak + blend) just as you would the nuts?
thanks for responding!
Yeah, I think so! I honestly don’t know if the soaking will add much but it doesn’t take any extra energy, so why not?
I used whole wheat pasta instead and it was Delicious! Thanks for never posting bad recipes.
Wow, that was delicious! My husband offered to do the dishes, and I caught him “cleaning” the saucepan with his fingers before committing it to soap.
Moving on to the raspberry truffle brownies…
I made this last night. I told the family I was making something with sauerkraut and cashews, but wouldn’t reveal anything else. Suffice to say, skepticism as to the deliciousness of the forthcoming meal was high but undeserved! Plus, this stuff must be super low-calorie! Thanks for adding sauerkraut for my list of pantry must-haves!
I’ve made this twice in the last two weeks, and I love the sauerkraut as a secret ingredient! I find this is even better cold and great for a picnic lunch!
I’m not a fan of sauerkraut, but this is amazing. The dish doesn’t taste like sauerkraut (for those of you with a distaste for it), but rather it adds tang to the sauce. I never knew cashews were so fantastical. =) Every time I bring this to work for lunch I get, “That smells good, what is that?” I used a very odd-shaped pasta (don’t remember the name), but the more twists and turns the pasta does, the more sauce it catches. This is glorious AND it freezes well. Double score.
Unfortunately, we forgot to pick up Sauerkraut at the store, so I made this without it and just added a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar. Still came out delicious and very Cheezy. I had the cheese sauce with made-from-scratch Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels, and it was so delicious, I couldn’t stop eating it and had the cheese with three pretzels for Lunch. ^_^
Wow, delicious. This tastes like fondue cheese to me. I added a bag of frozen spinach so this meal was an iron powerhouse. Thank you Isa!
Made this yesterday! It didn’t take as long as i thought it would. We loved it! I had a vitamix, so the sauce blended up really well. Although the kitchen smelled like sauerkraut, the sauce did not. I didn’t have turmeric on hand… but I think the next time I make it, I might skip the yeast, and use mustard for flav and turmeric for color. Also, I wasn’t sure how the top would look after baking, so I used my vitamix to chop up some Jewish Rye, toasted it, and then sprinkled on top. I thought rye and sauerkraut would go together. So yummy! I can imagine using the sauce recipe for a pasta primavera… maybe add a bit of wine.
mind blown. god bless you, isa.
just made the sauce. used my blender wand thing and i got the smoothest creamiest savoriest sauce. so delish, isa! i was timid about the ‘kraut, so didn’t do all 2 cups and didn’t have tumeric (even though i swear we do somewhere in the kitchen) so I used smoked paprika and a tsp or 2 of dijon. also, used garbanzo flour. it turned out so good. don’t think i will bake my pasta. i don’t want to turn the oven on. it was a scorcher today. the house is hot. perhaps tomorrow.
Thanks for the recipe! I made this last night. I’m one of those people who usually eat a fourth of pound of pasta per serving, but here I finished a sixth and felt uncomfortably full afterward. (Not used to foods this dense!) It seemed like I had a ton of sauce — maybe I didn’t thicken it enough? but it seemed pretty thick — but that seemed to work out well, since I was hoping to be able to add a lot of broccoli into the mix. There was enough sauce for two heads of broccoli and a pound of gemelli.
I noticed that the sauce was a lot more powerful — tangy, pecorino-ish maybe — before I baked it than after. I think if I make this again (and what else am I going to do with all the leftover sauerkraut? Seriously, I’m asking!), I might not bother with the baking stage and just stir everything together on the stovetop and serve. The acidity will be stronger, but I think some extra nutritional yeast would counterbalance that and result in a very intense, savory, cheesy sauce. (Side benefit: if the sauerkraut is only warmed, not cooked, then I think it’ll retain a lot of its lactobacillus.)
Now I’m curious about blending some sauerkraut and nutritional yeast into Bryanna Clark Grogen’s béchamel for a lower-fat alternative… But I proceed at my own peril.
Try the Runza recipe on the blog, it’s a great use of Saurkraut!
This is the strangest recipe I’ve ever loved! I prepared it for a vegan family friend who needed some comfort food. I am a complete newbie to vegan cooking. I read the ingredients, very dubiously, then I read the comments – which are overwhelmingly complimentary – and I HAD to make it, if nothing else, to satisfy my curiosity. So very very good! And, I am so excited to learn to cook more of these recipes. We’ve been talking about reducing our meat and dairy intake at my house, but I was unsure about how to cook without using those foods. It’s awesome how you have created such fantastic flavor and texture by combining these crazy ingredients. I can’t wait to learn more! Thank you for this great recipe and this wonderful site.
Peace.
i’m so glad i came across your website! i usually skip to the recipes on sites, but your writing is great! so funny, things i would think too…and great recipes!
thank you!!!
~ella
I was recently craving this and made it again the other day. SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am planning to make this for a friend tomorrow! This may be a dumb question but I am a novice cook…do you think I could make everything beforehand, assemble and put it in the casserole, and the bake it later that day? Or would that mess up the roux and all by not baking it immediately? I have a busy day planned before dinner and thought it would be nice to prep in the morning and then just toss in the oven later. But since I am feeding someone besides myself, I would hate to create a disaster! I also love the idea of adding steamed broccoli that you mentioned in one of the comments. I was thinking about maybe also (or instead of) mixing in some fresh torn spinach leaves before baking. Any reason that would ruin everything? 🙂 I love adding veggies to my mac n cheese – esp. green ones. Thanks for the recipe; I am excited to try it!
AHHH I love this! It is so sinfully good. I avoided cashew cheeses for so long because cashews are so expensive! But now you got me hooked… it’s going to be really depressing when I have to be homeless because I bought so many pounds of cashews, but until that day comes, I am going to enjoy this to the fullest!
It reminds me so much of the high quality, homemade macaroni and cheese that my family makes. My mom won’t eat any vegan meats, cheeses (except Daiya which she loves for some reason), or anything, but she ate some of this because it smelled so good, and then she took like half of the pot! But that’s okay, because it gave me an excuse to make more.
I made this. Came out great! Totally dig it;)
Thanks for all your recipes! This is the first recipe I made of yours and I’ve tried many since and have enjoyed them all.
Isa shmisa, you think that sauerkraut would be good in your Veganomicon Pumpkin Baked Ziti recipe?
I made this last weekend. It was amazing! i loved how cheesey it was. I altered it to make it gluten-free, and it worked out really well. I used certified gluten-free oat flour (I think any gluten-free flour would work) in place of the all purpose flour and I had to add about 1 tbsp of arrowroot powder so that it would thicken properly. I will make this again for sure. My omnivore boyfriend also thought it was amazing (as he does with all of your recipes I have tried so far). 🙂
My husband and I are newly vegan (about 9 weeks). I wasn’t expecting much from this macaroni and “cheez” but was intrigued by the sauerkraut so gave it a try. This was the first faux or vegan cheese sauce I’d tried. My husband and I LOVED this recipe so much we ate two bowls full! I’m thinking about organizing a vegan potluck, maybe once a month, and this will definitely be on the menu for the first night! Thank you Isa, your recipes have not disappointed us!
WOOF just ate some tonight for dinner. This dish is so satisfying and filling! It is a staple here and cashews were getting really expensive; so we made the switch to sunflower seeds(i also tried sunflower mac, it was good but i missed the tanginess from the sauerkraut in mac n’ shews). I was hesitant about subbing shews for sunflowers, but it came out just as good! It never really smoothed out and had a slight taste difference. It definitely hit the spot. And we kept it gluten free with brown rice pasta and buckwheat flour. The flour made it an odd color but it baked up really nice in the end!
Topped it off with a little daiya cheese(mozz and cheddar) and stuck it under the broiler. mmm aughh roll me to bed
This is fantastic every time! A sprinkle of Chipotle doesn’t hurt. 🙂 I think this sauce would go great in Manicotti!
gross. All of the is gross.
I can not express how satisfying this dish is. I’ve been vegan since 1997 and have never had a better simulation of this filling classic. Delicious recipes like this keep me coming back to Post Punk Kitchen.
OK…. wow! totally freaked out by the sauerkraut… but I def see where it adds to the flavor profile…. wonderful! have to say, I was very impressed with this recipe. I put half in the pan, then laid down a bed of spinach, and eggplant bacon and put another layer of macaroni and sauce over it… topped it all with breadcrumbs……. yummy!
I’m a total cooking noob, and I wanted to share my experience with others who are similarly afflicted. So, as with all of the recipes of yours that I’ve tried, it was fabulously smooth sailing… up until the roux moment. I mixed, I stirred, it toasted up nicely as described, I was more chuffed than was appropriate about my victory. As I cockily whisked in the broth and then my cashew goop and spices, I started to smell something toxic and burny and acrid. “That must be what roux smells like, I’m just unaccustomed to such sophisticated aromas,” I thought hopefully. Yeah, no. The nylon spatula I was using to mix, scrape and stir the roux had, during that process, gradually melted in an accordion-like pattern, and the burned plastic fumes had permeated the whole pot of sauce. I completed the recipe in pursuit of a fantasy that maybe the fumes would bake off in the same way that alcohol is supposed to, but god, did that ever not happen. I created an amazing-looking tray of creamy, bakey, golden mac and shews and spatula. Now, I know this site isn’t Vegan Cooking for the Woefully Uninitiated, but adding a bit about the ideal implements with which to prepare a roux (Wooden paddles? Sassy.) couldn’t hurt, right? I’m not letting the spatula win, I’m remaking this dish tonight armed with a paddle and a grudge, but I thought I’d chime in on behalf of any other potential spatula melters of the universe. Godspeed, you graceless culinary clods.
Aww, that sucks! A slanted wooden spoon spatula is what you need!