Healthy Vegan Mac and Cheese (Low-Fat)

two dark bowls standing next to each other on a table filled with whole food plant-based mac and cheese

Healthy Vegan Mac and Cheese (Low-Fat)

Try this creamy and healthy vegan mac and cheese for a low-fat comfort dish! It’s kid-friendly, nutritious and ready in under 30 minutes. A true classic gone fully plant-based!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword comfort food, low fat sauce, mac and cheese, quick dinner, vegan cheese, vegan pasta

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 426

Author Alena Schowalter

Ingredients

7 oz dry whole-grain macaroni 200 g
7 oz broccoli florets 200 g

Cheese Sauce

2 medium-sized potatoes cooked and chopped
½ medium-sized carrot chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 medium clove garlic minced
½ cup cashews soaked & drained (65 g)
¾ cup water 180 ml
¼ cup soy milk 60 ml
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
dash of paprika
dash of cayenne

Instructions

Get a medium-sized pot and cook your pasta according to package instructions. 5 minutes before the pasta is done, add the broccoli florets.
Once the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is soft with a little crunch, drain and set aside.

Make the Cheese Sauce

While the pasta is cooking, heat a small pot over medium heat and add the onion, garlic and carrot.
Sautée in some water or vegetable broth until they have softened, then add the cooked potatoes to warm them up for a few minutes.
Now, place all of the ingredients for the easy vegan cheese sauce into a high-speed blender jar and blend until smooth.

Assemble the Pasta

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add back to the pot. Pour the cheese sauce over the drained pasta and broccoli.
Mix well with a spoon but don’t overdo it if you want the pasta and broccoli not to get too mushy! Enjoy warm.

Notes

Try to soak the cashews for at least 30 minutes. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, go for overnight soaking.
You can use frozen broccoli instead of fresh!
Instead of cashews, you can use blanched almonds. If you don't have a good blender, feel free to add some almond or cashew butter to the potato mixture.
You can replace soy milk with any other plant-based milk.
If you or your family isn't keen on broccoli, choose another vegetable like kale or peas, or omit entirely.

Nutrition