One of the things that has surprised me the most with plant-based cuisine is easy it is to create similar flavors and textures that I used to enjoy while eating animal products. The goal is not to aim for the vegan dish to taste exactly the same, but to try to bring out something about the non-vegan dish that I really enjoyed, like a rich sauce or thick chocolatey pudding. Enter: nacho cheese. One of things I love about a cheese sauce is that it’s comforting and creamy. This vegan version of nacho cheese isn’t necessarily a carbon copy of the real thing, but it definitely gives me (and hopefully you) that same type of comforting feeling when eaten.
Ingredients
| Quantity | Unit | Name | Link | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | cups | white potatoes, peeled and chopped | ||
| ⅓ | cup | carrots, sliced | ||
| ½ | cup | raw cashews | ||
| ⅓ | cup | mild olive oil | ||
| ½ | cup | nutritional yeast flakes | ||
| 1 | teaspoon | onion powder | ||
| ½ | teaspoon | garlic powder | ||
| 2-3 | teaspoons | salt | ||
| dash | turmeric, for color | |||
| 2 | cups | water | ||
| 2 | tablespoons | non-hydrogenated margarine (omit if diabetic) |
Instructions
- Boil the carrots and potatoes until they’re fork-tender.
- Meanwhile, place the cashews and olive oil in a high-speed blender with a small amount of water (just enough to liquefy) and blend until creamy.
- Add the cooked potatoes and carrots to the blender, along with the seasonings (nutritional yeast flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, turmeric) and 2 cups of water to the blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the margarine and blend until smooth.
