Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce Recipe

Cheese is known to be one of the hardest things for people to give up when switching to a vegan diet. However, once you've made this vegan cheese sauce recipe, you'll never look back.

Root vegetables are the star of this vegan cheese sauce recipe, which makes it a tasty addition to any winter comfort dish. Root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and onions are readily available year-round and have a long shelf life when stored properly. For an extra tasty and healthy cheese sauce, be sure to purchase local and organic root vegetables – these are better for your health, and the environment.

A common ingredient in any type of vegan cheese is nutritional yeast flakes. Not only does this add protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to dishes, it also has a nutty/cheesy flavor which is important when creating a vegan cheese alternative. You can find it in most bulk food, health, or grocery stores, as well as online (available on Amazon**). 

Vegan Cheese Sauce Recipe: Step-by-Step

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 
• ¼ cup carrots, peeled and diced
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 cup vegetable broth (reserved from cooking)  
• ½ cup navy beans, cooked
• 4 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp garlic powder 
• dash of paprika (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place all the chopped vegetables in a large pot, and add in enough water to cover. 
2. Cook on medium-high heat for approximately 15 minutes, or until the sweet potato chunks are nice and tender. 
3. Once cooked, reserve one cup of the cooking water and drain the rest.
4. Now, add all the listed ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until you’ve reached a creamy, smooth consistency. 

This vegan cheese sauce will last up to 10 days in the fridge, and can also be frozen for up to two months. To bring back the smooth consistency, allow it to thaw and then blitz it in a blender or food processor again.

Note: You can also use soaked cashews instead of navy beans in this recipe for extra creaminess in your vegan cheese sauce. Keep in mind that most cashews are imported from Asia and South America, which means they travel long distances to reach American soil and are therefore the less sustainable option.

Using Vegan Cheese Sauce

This vegan cheese sauce recipe can be used in a variety of delicious ways, including: 

• drizzled on top of nachos, or as a dip
• a creamy, cheesy layer of a veggie lasagne 
• pizza topping 
• on top of vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower 
• as a perfect base for mac & cheese 

Looking for more vegan cheese recipes? Check out: 

• The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese Substitutes
• Vegan Feta 
• Cashew Cream Cheese
• Vegan Parmesan 

Read more: 

• Non-Dairy Sour Cream: Recipes and Uses
• 8 Benefits of Being Vegan & Potential Drawbacks
• Factory Farming: A Look at This Problematic System

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Tags: Guide Recipes Vegan