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Ingredients in Vegan Mac and Cheese:
- elbow macaroni (or sub gluten-free noodles)
- Non-Gmo Organic Silken Tofu
- Nutritional Yeast Flakes
- Granulated Garlic ( or 1-2 raw cloves- or 4-5 roasted garlic cloves )
- kosher salt and pepper
- olive oil
- Optional: roasted mushrooms and fresh kale
Boots is nearing its one-year anniversary. About this time last year, Alison and her husband Arden, were still in the thick of it. Amidst ladders, paint cans, table saws and layers of dust it was hard to imagine a hip urban space, let alone a smoothly running and successful cafe. But that’s what it has become.
And for the health-conscious, vegans and gluten-free folk, it is a dream come true. Boots offers vegan and gluten-free fare, scratch-made cocktails, and sweet treats, in a unique and fun environment. Alison, Arden and her friendly staff go out of their way to make you feel part of the family. “If you come here once, you are a regular. We don’t have customers, we have friends.” states Alison. And after spending a few minutes with her, you feel as if you’ve been friends your whole life.
How to make Vegan Mac and Cheese
STEP TWO: Make the Vegan Cheesy Sauce!
She whips up the “cheesy” sauce in a food processor, using a non-GMO organic silken tofu.
She adds nutritional yeast which really boosts the health benefits and gives it a rich cheesy flavor. Nutritional yeast, if you are unfamiliar, is packed with protein and vitamins, particularly B vitamins, as well as folic acid, selenium and zinc.
It’s low in fat and gluten-free. A tablespoon or two added to vegan soups or other dishes can add depth, nuttiness, umami and richness, really enhancing the flavor that is already there. And it works great in this Mac and Cheese Recipe.
She adds olive oil, granulated garlic, kosher salt and pepper, scraping the down the sides and whips until very smooth. This is the sauce!
Once the pasta is done, about 7 minutes later, she very gently strains it.
STEP THREE: Add veggies!
Alison adds roasted cremini mushrooms and fresh chopped kale to this Mac and Cheese, but you could add any vegetable you like.
Chop fresh kale and add it to the pasta.
STEP FOUR: COMBINE!
Gently fold in the “cheesy sauce” into the pasta and veggies, and carefully stir, so as not to break up the pasta.
You could also place it in a warm oven, covered, for a few minutes before serving. Feel free to top it with Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle!
More recipes you may like:
- 40 Mouthwatering Vegan Dinner Recipes
- Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle
- Zesty Vegan Pasta with Cashew Alfredo Sauce
- Creamy Pea Pasta (Vegan)
- Orecchiette with Creamy Carrot Miso Sauce ( Vegan)
Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: vegan, main. pasta
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: american
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese with Kale and Mushrooms. A simple fast vegan dinner recipe, ready in under 30 minutes. Gluten-free adaptable!
Ingredients
- 4 cups dry elbow macaroni (or sub gluten-free noodles)
- 1 pkg (12 ounces) Non-Gmo Organic Silken Tofu
- 3 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast Flakes
- 1 tablespoon Granulated Garlic ( or 1–2 raw cloves- or 4–5 roasted garlic cloves )
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2–3 cups mushrooms roasted or pan sautéed (your choice on variety)
- 4–5 leaves kale, chopped
Instructions
- Get salted pasta water boiling. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain, saving a little pasta water.
- Chop and either sauté or roast mushrooms in the oven with a little olive oil and salt. Set aside.
- In a food processor, blend the sauce ingredients until silky smooth: silken tofu, yeast flakes, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil.
- Place noodles back in the same pot and pour in the cheese sauce, gently warming over low heat.
- Add the sauteed mushrooms and kale. Toss and taste for salt, adjusting. Add a little pasta water to loosen if you like.
- Serve immediately in bowls or place in a baking dish, covered, and keep warm in an oven until ready to serve.
- Feel free to top with this Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle
Notes
Leftovers will keep 4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 346
- Sugar: 2.4 g
- Sodium: 425.9 mg
- Fat: 11.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 3.7 g
- Protein: 16.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: vegan mac and cheese, healthy mac and cheese, vegan mac and cheese recipe
Very tasty. Not massive fan of traditional mac ‘n’cheese but this version was much lighter and tasty. I used pasta twists and spinach simply as I had them to hand.
★★★★★
Perfect Clare!
Love this recipe! Soooo good. We use penne pasta and just sautéed spinach instead of mushrooms and kale. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Perfect Shannon
Can’t wait to try this recipe..
Silken tofu come in 12 oz package and the recipe calls for 1lb 3 oz ? Is the 12 oz package enough ?
Thank you for all your great recipes, i tell everyone about your site, it is sooooo versatile.. have a great day…
Hi Helen- I think there was a typo! I think it is one 12 ounce package. 🙂
This is not mac and cheese but rather healthy pasta with kale and mushrooms. I didn’t hate it, It’s jut not what I was expecting. If you do make this, take the advise and add more salt than you think you should. The flavor is not outstanding without a lot of additions. I’ve loved everthing on the site so far but not this.
★★★★
Hey there! The stores around me have been out of silken tofu, I’ve got firm and extra firm. Is there anything I can do to make this recipe work? Please let me know. Love your recipes!
I just don’t think you’ll get the creaminess you want for this from regular tofu. Totally different texture. I’m sorry Elijah. ;(
It’s okay, I will totally wait until I have the right ingredients! Thank you so much!!!
Looks delicious, does it reheat well?
Great question and I’m not sure!Has anyone else tried reheating?
My family LOVED this dish. It was easy to make and delicious! I couldn’t find silken tofu (shopping during Covid) so we used firm tofu and added oat milk to get the right consistency. We also added one half white onion to the veggies. I’m definitely making this again!! Thank you so much.
★★★★★
Easy for someone new to tofu and almost as yummy as real cheese! Will make again for friends this weekend.
★★★★★
Awesome! Glad you liked this! 🙌
Easy and almost as yummy as cheese for a new tofu cook. Thanks!
★★★★★
by silken tofu did you mean soft rather than firm?
Silken Tofu is different than soft tofu- not refrigerated typically.
Please format your recipes to print so that they can be read. The print is so tiny and when I try to enlarge then it goes to multiple pages (like 14-15). Like the recipes but really can’t use them
Hummm, something is not right. You are using the print button? Check your settings on your printer that it is printing at 100%.
the same thing happens to me, the print is super small but we are still having blast making these recipes…
So Delicious!! I added a panko topping to this dish but seriously did not need it and I think would have been better without it. I shouldn’t mess with perfection. Thanks again for sharing another wonderful recipe. You’re the best!!!
★★★★★
This was delicious!!! I’m trying to eat more plant-based meals, and this was my first try at one…SUCCESS 😀 ! I can’t wait to try more recipes from your blog, Sylvia! Thank you!!
★★★★★
Thanks Leanne!