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
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!
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!!
This was so good! I made a couple of small changes / additions:
– Added soyrizo into the mix
– Topped with some breadcrumbs and liberal sprinkling of black pepper
– Quick bake at 375 degrees for about 5 minutes to get that real mac and cheese crisp on top.
Thanks for sharing this recipe – we’ve been using veganaise and cashew cream + nooch to try to get that right cheesy flavor. This is easily the winner so far.
Love it!
This was pretty darn good! Definitely recommend giving it a try if you’ve only tried cashew-based mac and cheese sauces. I sauteed garlic and a shallot in some vegan butter and added it to the tofu. I omitted the oil and added a little of the hot pasta water. It was a hit in our house.
Thanks Bailey!
I’m actually mind blown with how amazing this recipe is. I’ve only ever tried to make cashew-based Mac n’ Cheeze before and this blows that out of the water. Thank you!
Winner, winner, vegan dinner!!
Ha Ha ! Amen! I, too enjoyed this version. I air fried the mushrooms in batches with some vegan dry ranch seasoning. I gilded the lily with panko and some vegan butter, trying to mimic the pre-vegan version so loved here. I added more kale with some swiss chard which I added to the pasta at the last minute. It was a winner…even with the resident omnivore!!
Awesome!
Fantastic! So easy to make and CRAZY tasty. Hubby loved it. Will definitely add this to our regular meal rotation. Thank you.
This was a great recipe! I used mini rigatoni (that’s all I had in the pantry) and the sauce was super rich and creamy. But then I made the mistake of baking it since I wanted crispy breadcrumbs on top… it completely dried out which was a shame! Still ate it though, but I’m definitely not baking next time haha. Will be making this (the correct way) again!
Sorry about that!
Wonderful and delicious! I will make this again!
Can it be frozen?
Thanks!!
The cheese sauce is surprisingly good. I’m just getting my feet wet with vegan dishes and was very pleasantly surprised with the texture and cheesy flavor of the sauce. I think there must be a typo with the garlic though. 1 tablespoon is way too much. I will make this again but will use 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic. Otherwise 5 stars. Cheers!
Hi Mike, yes it quite a garlicky recipe. Feel free to lower. Roasted Garlic is nice too.
I am currently eating this at the moment and it is YUMMY! I added 2 cloves of garlic, 1/4 small white onion, and a heaping spoonful of vegan butter in the food processor to make it taste more like my mom’s recipe. Also added some parsley flakes since I didn’t do the kale or mushrooms. It’s delicious! Another bonus is that I already had everything in my pantry to make this and it didn’t call for any weird ingredients. Plus I’m not a huge fan of cashew-cream sauces since it is so darn expensive to make for a lot of people. This recipe is simple, yummy, and has very little clean-up. I will be making this again!
Thanks for sharing Sarah! Glad you liked it and appreciate your modifications!
This is so good! I added real roasted garlic instead of powdered and it gave it such a creamy texture.
Thank you and the folks at Boots Bakery for sharing this recipe! My husband and I have made it so many times, I decided it needed a spot on my blog as well. 🙂 We live in Western Washington and hope to make it to Spokane to try out the real stuff. 🙂
Oh wow I love Boots Bakery & Cafe. I took a road trip to Portland from good old Saskatoon Saskatchewan (Canada) and one of my pit-stops was in Spokane WA. I was worried about not finding anything to eat in this city, but was really surprised. I ended up having a late dinner, early breakfast on my way through and then a great breakfast on my way back. I so wish that this place was open while I was in Spokane two years back for a motorcycle road trip. Would have made my trip that much better!
Do you have any suggestions for a tofu alternative? I can’t have soy… Thanks!
Maybe cashews? They are creamy..
I have made this dish several times – it’s fabulous! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Debbie!
I accidentally used garlic powder instead of granulated garlic–oops! A bit overwhelming in the end product, but I could tell that if I’d done it right, it’s a tasty dish 🙂 I am definitely going to make this again, and not make that mistake!
Beautiful photos! This meal sounds like the perfect comfort food. Thanks for sharing…
-Shannon
I LOVE Boots.. awesome place with awesome people!
Yes!
I’m so intrigued by this recipe! It look so delicious that I just have to try it, thanks for the recipe!
I just made this, yum! I used whole wheat rotini instead of gf pasta. Thanks Alison!
Just made this, Yum! i used whole wheat rotini instead of gf pasta. Thanks Alison!
Mac and cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods. Yours looks amazingly delicious!
Thanks, she did a great job making it healthy and taste good.
Wow – the interior decorating in that place is gorgeous! I especially love those glass mugs used as light fixtures! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Yes it’s great in Boots- those are actually blenders.;)