Vegan Cheese Sauce
so many different kinds!
Potato Vegan Cheese
Ingredients
2 cups potatoes (360 g), peeled and diced (any kind works!)
1 cup carrots (135 g), peeled and diced
1/2 cup water (125 ml)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (35 g)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (70 g)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
Instructions
Boil or steam the potatoes and carrots for about 20 minutes or until soft.
Drain them and add them to a blender.
Add all the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
Serve immediately with tortilla chips, crudités or use it to make pizza, lasagna, mac and cheese or any other recipe that calls for cheese. Keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for about 4-5 days. You can also freeze it if you want. I usually transfer the frozen container to the fridge the night before, that way it defrosts by itself. I reheat it in a saucepan and add some water or milk if needed.
Cashew Potato Vegan Cheese
Ingredients
¾ cup peeled and diced Yukon gold potato
¾ cup peeled and diced sweet potato
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup raw cashews
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup water
To make your cheese spicy or smoky, try adding:
½ to 1 chipotle pepper from canned chipotles in adobo
1 tablespoon pickled jalapeños
¼ to ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Add a few pinches of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until fork-tender, 8 to 12 minutes.
Drain and transfer to a high-speed blender with the garlic, cashews, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, olive oil, and water. Blend until smooth.
For spicy vegan cheese, add the chipotle pepper or pickled jalapeños. If you’d like a smoky flavor, add the smoked paprika.
Serve with tortilla chips for dipping or over pasta to make vegan mac & cheese.
Butternut Squash Vegan Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into small cubes.
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup water or vegetable broth
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup almond milk unsweetened and plain
3 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
1/2 tsp paprika
3 tbsp olive or avocado oil
1 large clove garlic or to taste. Sub 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, combine butternut squash, cashews and water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and cook 10-15 minutes or until squash is for tender.
After the butternut squash and cashews are done cooking, scoop into a high-speed blender or food processor blender, reserving remaining cooking liquid. Add remaining ingredients to blender too. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add some of the butternut squash/cashew cooking liquid to make for a thinner cheese sauce.
Store in an air-tight container in fridge for up to 5 days.
All kinds of Hard Cheeses
Ingredients
1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk full fat
1/2 cup hot water
2 tablespoons agar agar powder (or 6 tablespoons of flakes if you can't find powdered agar agar)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
Instructions
Prepare cheese molds by spraying a glass bowl or container with spray oil or rub any neutral-flavored oil on the molds to prevent sticking. (Recipe will make about 2 cups of cheese).
Pour the can of coconut milk into a saucepan.
Put 1/2 cup of hot water into the empty coconut milk can to melt all the remaining coconut milk and add the water to the pan.
Add all remaining ingredients (2 tbsp agar agar, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder) to the saucepan and stir with a whisk.
Cook over a medium heat stirring frequently until it boils.
Turn down the heat until the cheese sauce is just barely boiling and stir constantly for 6 minutes until it is very smooth. (It must boil for 6 minutes to activate the agar agar and set correctly.)
Immediately pour into the prepared cheese molds.
Let it cool with the lid off for about 15 minutes at room temperature, then cover and transfer to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to firmly set.
Recipe Video
How to make meltable vegan cheese:
Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan except only add 1/4 cup of water instead of 1/2 cup and only add 4 tsp of agar agar instead of 2 tbsp.
Heat the cheese sauce over medium heat until it begins to boil.
Turn down the heat until it is just barely bubbling and allow to boil for 5 minutes while stirring frequently.
Add 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp of tapioca starch (7 tsp) to 1/4 cup of cold water and stir until it dissolves.
Add the starch and water mixture to the boiling cheese sauce while stirring it in with a whisk and then cook for an additional 1 minute. (Your cheese will become very thick and stretchy).
Pour into a glass container and allow to cool uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before shredding.
Pro tips for perfect vegan cheese:
Stir the cheese sauce very frequently. Do not walk away from it while cooking.
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Make sure to measure the ingredients carefully! Slight changes in the amount of liquid, the agar agar, or the tapioca starch can change the texture of your cheese a lot!
For a cheesier flavor, add an additional tbsp of nutritional yeast.
If you want to grate the meltable version, pop it in the freezer for about 30 minutes after it has set to make it firmer and easier to grate.
Use whatever shape that you wish for a cheese mold - glass or ceramic work best. (Some people use a silicone mold, but I think that it changes the taste of the cheese).
Use a small amount of spray oil to keep it from sticking to the cheese mold.
