vegan macaroni and cheese

Vegan Macaroni And Cheese

Yes, you can have creamy mac and cheese and stay healthy… try this vegan macaroni and cheese… it’s so good!

vegan macaroni and cheese

I have been pretty much dairy-free for too many years to count. And, for the last several years I eat mostly grain-free too.
And, honestly, there’s not too much that I feel I’m missing. That is, except creamy pasta dishes.

When I serve something that looks like this vegan macaroni and cheese, anyone who knows me backs up and asks what it’s made of. I can’t say I blame them because I’ve tried to replicate dishes like this with some pretty strange ingredients.

I experiment with lots of creamy pasta recipes. I mean, I do this a lot. Because pasta is awesome. It’s always been my favorite food. It’s the food that I find to be the most comforting food around.

I don’t post most of my experiments because truthfully, a lot of grain-free, dairy-free pasta dishes that are supposed to taste creamy and pasta-like really aren’t that good. But when I find a good one, I get really excited. And this vegan macaroni and cheese recipe is really, really good.

The sauce is made with potatoes, carrots, nutritional yeast, and coconut milk. I know it sounds a little odd, but the texture and look are just perfect. It’s so creamy and the nutritional yeast gives it a cheesy taste. My non-vegan husband ate big bowls of this.

The pasta is made from lentils. Just lentils. This is a great find (see the recipe below for details on this awesome grain-free pasta). The texture really is like traditional pasta… it’s my new favorite pasta.

If you like the feel of this dish, take a look at this recipe for another type of vegan cheesy pasta!

vegan macaroni and cheese

Here are some of the great ingredients in this dish:

Lentils help lower cholesterol, manage blood sugar levels, are high in vitamin B and protein, and have hardly any fat. They are a good source of long-term energy and are very high in fiber. These tiny legumes also help with digestion and they are the perfect protein to eat in the summer because they actually clear the body of excess heat; long ago, cold lentil soup was prescribed for patients with heatstroke or fever.

Potatoes are good at soothing ulcers and neutralizing acid in the stomach and they help relieve constipation. These tubers also can help relieve arthritic inflammation. So, even though sweet potatoes are thought of as the white potato’s more nutrition sister, regular old potatoes can be just what the doctor ordered.

Turmeric is a Chinese herb (Jiang Huang). It is great for reducing inflammation throughout the body. If you suffer from aches and pains in your joints, try turmeric. It can help relieve menstrual pain and some other abdominal pains but, if you are pregnant, ask your doctor before you eat too much turmeric.

Nutritional yeast gives things a cheese-y taste without using any dairy and it adds amino acids and Vitamin B, so it’s perfect here.

Carrots help strengthen the organs in your body. They also are good for the eyes (this is their claim to fame) and they promote healthy digestion. Many moons ago, people used to make carrot tea to ward off measles and to prevent cancer. Carrots help detoxify the body and in today’s world of Chinese medicine, they are prescribed to ease constipation and tonsillitis.

In Asian medicine, we use coconut to strengthen the body, reduce swelling, and stop bleeding. Coconut kills viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It’s good for all types of infections and viruses in the body, including the flu, bronchitis, tapeworms, urinary tract infections, and herpes.

vegan macaroni and cheese

Vegan Macaroni And Cheese
5.0 from 3 reviews
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Recipe type: pasta, casserole, comfort food
Cuisine: recipe adapted from:Vegan Yumminess
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
This mac and cheese really is reminiscent of the creamy cheesy pasta I remember from my childhood. But this one is grain-free and dairy-free.
Ingredients
  • 12 oz cooked pasta (I used this brand of grain-free lentil pasta)
  • 1 med baking potato, peeled, diced
  • 1 large carrot, thickly sliced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 Tbs lemon juice
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ¼ tsp chipotle chili powder
  • 3 Tbs nutritional yeast (I like this kind)
  • ¼ cup coconut cream from the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk (I buy these in bulk)
Instructions
  1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
  2. Add the potatoes, carrots, and onion.
  3. Boil until the veggies are soft; mine took 13 minutes.
  4. Dip a measuring cup into the veggie cooking water, and save ½ of a cup of it, then drain the veggies.
  5. Place the cooked veggies in a blender with all of the remaining ingredients, except the pasta. Add the reserved cooking water.
  6. Blend until smooth and creamy (I used my Vitamix for this).
  7. Pour the sauce of the pasta and stir until well-combined.
  8. Enjoy!

vegan macaroni and cheese

5 replies
  1. Julie keeper of my home
    Julie keeper of my home says:

    This recipe looks so incredibly easy! I have never been a fan of Mac and cheese, and I honestly think it’s because my body has never been able to tolerate dairy. I have been dairy free for many, many years now. About a year and a half ago, I decided to go grain free, as well. I won’t ever go back. I feel too good! I will definitely give this recipe a try, and I know my husband will, too. He loves mac and cheese! Thank you Stacey!

    Reply
    • Stacey Isaacs
      Stacey Isaacs says:

      Hi Julie! It is easy. Just know that while my family loves it, when I first introduced it as “mac and cheese”, they were a little disappointed because it doesn’t taste a lot like the cheesy version they are used to. Call it “creamy pasta” and they will love it!

      Reply
  2. Michelle Fiorella
    Michelle Fiorella says:

    Another winner! Seriously, do you have a cookbook out? Whenever I try your recipes they are amazing, and I love when you include bits of Chinese Herbal Wisdom. My husband could not believe that this was dairy free. He wants it to become part of the regular repertoire.If you knew him you’d know that was high praise indeed! Thanks again for sharing.

    Reply

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