This vegan mac & cheese is amazingly rich, creamy, and loaded with cheesy flavor. Easy to make and a guaranteed hit with kids and adults alike!
- 1 medium (12 ounce/340 gram) russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 16 ounces dried macaroni pasta
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk, plus more as needed, divided
- ¼ cup white miso paste
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- ¼ cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vinegar-based hot sauce (such as Cholula), optional, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
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Place the potato into a medium pot and cover it with water. Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil.
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Lower the heat and allow the water to boil until the potato is very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and drain the potato into a colander. Return it to the pot.
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While the potato cooks, boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions.
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Drain the pasta into a colander, return it to the pot, and add the butter. Stir to melt the butter.
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Place the cashews into a food processor bowl with ¼ cup of milk and blend to a smooth paste. You can add more milk if needed to help this along.
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Add another ¾ cup of milk, along with the potato, miso paste, nutritional yeast, peppers, vinegar, hot sauce, onion powder, garlic powder and salt. Blend the mixture until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. This can take a few minutes.
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Thin the sauce with additional milk if needed, then taste test and season with additional salt if you like. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
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Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir until evenly coated. If the macaroni needs reheated, place the pot on the stove over medium heat. Heat the pasta, stirring frequently and adding more milk as needed, until hot.
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Divide onto plates and serve.