Nacho sauce version – just add salsa to the base recipe!
This crazy weather has me craving comfort food. It was 9 degrees not so long ago, and they say we’re about to get more snow tomorrow. I live in North Carolina, not Minnesota! I’m determined to get through this winter with some pasta tossed with my new Creamy Vegetable-based Vegan Cheese Sauce.
This sauce has cauliflower, turnips, and carrots as its base, so it’s easy to feel good about serving it to your family. It does have some cashews too, but you can leave them out if you are on a nut-free eating plan. Without the nuts, the sauce won’t be quite as creamy, but it will still taste like a sharp cheddar cheese.
Today’s post is sponsored by Califia Farms. If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you’ve seen me post about my love affair with their new creamers long before this. I’m very excited to finally work with them!
I think cauliflower is a miracle vegetable. It is good for you, and much like tofu, it can take almost any form that you can imagine.
Roast it, boil it, make “steaks” with it, or boil it then puree to make cream soups and sauces with no added fat. Pretty awesome, right?
The carrots add just a hint of sweetness to the sauce and colors it to look more like a “real” cheese sauce.
You may be wondering what the turnips bring to this party. Many people aren’t fond of them because of their bite. However, that bite is exactly why they’re used in this sauce. It gives it that tang that you expect from a sharp cheddar cheese.
Since we only use a 1/2 cup of turnips in this, you may want to try dicing and roasting the leftovers. Roasting really mellows them out and roasted turnips are delicious as a pizza topping.
This sauce is so simple to make. Just boil the veggies and cashew together until the vegetables can be easily pierced with a fork, then drain. Add them to a blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. This makes about 3 cups of cheesy sauce for you to play with.
- 1½ cups cauliflower florets
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- ½ cup peeled and diced turnip
- ⅓ cup cashews
- about 2½ cups water
- 1 cup unsweetened Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- ¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste if you are on a salt-restricted diet)
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
- Add the vegetables and cashews to a saucepan and add 2½ cups water or enough to cover the veggies.
- Bring to a boil, then turn heat to medium- low and cover. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. They are done when you can easily pierce them with a fork.
- Pour the cooked veggies into a colander to drain the water out. Add the drained vegetables to your blender along with the unsweetened Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, paprika, and mustard powder. You can start with ⅛ teaspoon of the mustard powder if your family might like it milder.
- Blend until smooth, scrape down and blend a little more.
- Use over pasta, mixed with sauteed mushrooms for a portabella chez steak or even doctor it up with Mexican spices and make nacho cheez!
- Add the vegetables and cashews to a 4 quart slow cooker and add enough to water cover the veggies. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours or while you are away at work.
- Pour the cooked veggies into a colander to drain the water out. Add the drained vegetables to your blender along with the unsweetened Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, paprika, and mustard powder. You can start with ⅛ teaspoon of the mustard powder if your family might like it milder.
- Blend until smooth, scrape down and blend a little more.
Now that you have a batch of Creamy Vegetable-based Vegan Cheese Sauce it’s time to cook with it. The first thing I made was a broccoli mac and cheese. It’s really easy and you are packing tons of vegetables in your picky eaters.
Keep reading for the simple one pot recipe to make this quick weeknight dinner.
I used 1/2 pound quinoa and brown rice pasta which makes about 4 servings. I usually cook mine 10 minutes total. After the pasta was cooking for 5 minutes I added 2 cups frozen broccoli to the pot.
The broccoli and pasta are ready after cooking 5 minutes together. Drain in a colander and return to the pot and toss with about 1 cup of the vegetable cheese sauce.
What do you plan on making with this vegetable-based sauce? I can’t wait to hear your ideas!
I made some of the leftovers into a queso dip by adding some jalapeño powder, chili powder and salsa. I really enjoyed it that way, too.
Creamy Vegetable-based Vegan Cheese Sauce
This creamy sauce has the sharp flavor of cheddar. It's made with a base of cauliflower, turnip and carrots. You can use all cauliflower or all turnip if that's all you have, but I think the combination of the two tastes best.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1/2 cup peeled and diced turnip
- 1/3 cup cashews
- about 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup unsweetened Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste if you are on a salt-restricted diet)
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
Instructions
- Add the vegetables and cashews to a saucepan and add 2½ cups water or enough to cover the veggies.
- Bring to a boil, then turn heat to medium- low and cover. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. They are done when you can easily pierce them with a fork.
- Pour the cooked veggies into a colander to drain the water out. Add the drained vegetables to your blender along with the unsweetened Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, paprika, and mustard powder. You can start with ⅛ teaspoon of the mustard powder if your family might like it milder.
- Blend until smooth, scrape down and blend a little more.
- Use over pasta, mixed with sauteed mushrooms for a portabella chez steak or even doctor it up with Mexican spices and make nacho cheez!
Slow Cooker Method:
- Add the vegetables and cashews to a 4 quart slow cooker and add enough to water cover the veggies. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours or while you are away at work.
- Pour the cooked veggies into a colander to drain the water out. Add the drained vegetables to your blender along with the unsweetened Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, paprika, and mustard powder. You can start with ⅛ teaspoon of the mustard powder if your family might like it milder.
- Blend until smooth, scrape down and blend a little more.
Alison says
This sounds delish! Just wondering if a “cheese” sauce like this can be frozen and then reheated at another time? I’m looking for a “cheese” sauce that I can pull out of the freezer for when I need something quick to throw together (as opposed to a boxed option which I don’t particularly like)- pasta has always been my go-to quickie dish. Thanks, Kathy! 🙂
Kathy Hester says
I think it would freeze fine, but would need to be re-blended after you thaw it. The water in the cauliflower and veggies might separate some, but blending again should do the trick.
I was going to try freezing some, but we ate it all!
Alison says
Thanks, Kathy! The re-blending makes sense. I’ll give it a try when I have a chance. 🙂
Jean says
This sounds and looks so good. I can’t wait to try it. I’ve made your spiral vegetable chickpea soup twice already to combat the “Siberian Express” weather we’ve been having. I grew up in Minnesota and left because of the cold. Now it’s following me.
Kathy Hester says
This winter has been nuts! There is about 7 inches of snow outside just from a storm that hit us last night. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the soup!
Jasmine says
i use other almond milk or does it have to be this one?
Kathy Hester says
Any nondairy milk should work if Califia products aren’t in your area yet.
Renée J. (RJ Flamingo) says
Although we’re not vegan, you know I’m always looking for a non-dairy substitute for use in my kosher kitchen. Your recipes are always a hit around here, and this sauce sounds like a perfect option. I’ll make this very soon!
Kathy Hester says
I hope you like it as much as I do!
cristina says
What a tasty dish with healthful ingredients – and like how you’ve used the Almond Milk!!
Kathy Hester says
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it.
Vegangail says
Oh, my goodness, this recipe truly is creamy and delicious! Thanks for sharing, Kathy!!! Yummy, yum, yum!
Kathy Hester says
<3
Heather M says
This sounds really good. My husband loved the Califia Brand Almond Milk when he couldn’t have regualr milk.
Kathy Hester says
It’s a great way to sneak in some extra vegetables too!
Joni Marie Newman says
I love Califia products. It is the only unsweetened almond milk I can drink by the glass. And those creamers. Hot dang! So good. Did you know they even make Agua Frescas? I love the watermelon flavor. So juicy.
Carole Murko says
What a great recipe. I have a cauliflower in the fridge and some almond milk….I am not a vegan but always open to trying new recipes! Thanks!
Kathy Hester says
I hope you like it!
Linda Watson says
Kathy, I’ve been longing for a healthy, sharp-cheddar-y sauce like this. Your photos are amazing too. I’m putting this recipe on my “must try” list.
donna baxter says
Made this today and found it to be very tasty. Put the remaining in a covered plastic container in refrigerator and the nutritional yeast made it rise like regular yeast and popped the cover off. Is this normal for this to happen? I just stirred it and it deflated.
Kathy Hester says
Mine did not do that at all and I had it in the fridge for a few days.
Margaret @ Veggie Primer says
LOVE – LOVE – LOVE this recipe. It’s so delicious and it’s the perfect flavor/consistency for my cheesy fries recipe. Thank you!!
Nicole says
I feel like I might be putting this sauce on everything from now on. I am such a fan of this recipe. Thank you!
Brandie says
This is a great cheese sauce. I love the way you use a bunch of veggies in it. Great way to trick those who don’t like veggies into eating them 🙂
Suzy says
Very good!! Made this tonight and served the sauce over broccoli and quinoa. Excellent flavor. I would recommend keeping some of the water from cooking the veggies in case the sauce needs thinning. Mine was quite thick. Would have worked well on pizza or crackers, but as a “sauce” was pretty heavy. A bit of that liquid would have thinned it nicely and not diluted the flavor one bit.
Excellent recipe. Thanks!!
Dorothy says
So good, save the drained vegetable water and use as a start for vegetable stock. My adult children and husband who are meat eaters are shocked to find out that there is no cheese in this and my grandson who is lactose intolerant now has another option to the more expensive vegan brand of packaged macaroni and cheese. Thank you so much!
Kathy Hester says
That’s wonderful to hear! Be sure to let me know if you have any questions about substitutes. You can join my Facebook group to chat with me and other friendly vegans here: