The creamy plant based cheese sauce is the star here. It has a secret ingredient that elevates this dish to
a whole other level. Feel free to pour it over everything!
If you are looking for a plant based cheese sauce this one is absolutely the BEST! With this batch I created a free form vegetable divan with barley to mimic the chicken divan my mom used to make me as a kid. It is so delicious that without knowing you would be surprised that there is no dairy in it.
One of the first dishes I made when I made the transition to plant based eating was Mac and Cheez- or as my daughter likes to call it- Mac and Lies. The typical recipes for the replacement of cheese sauce really lack. Most use butternut squash which gives it a slightly sweet flavor, and it just doesn’t have the richness or tang of cheese sauce. As a result of that effort I have decided to abandon attempts to replicate traditional dairy favorites, thinking I could be surprised. So far everything has been a disappointment until I happened to have a conversation with a friend of mine. Also relatively new to healthy plant eating, my pal Patrick shared a version of this recipe. He had I have spent some time at the counter and stove together, so he knows how much I love good food, and I know what a good taste he has too. He got all excited about this recipe and sent a copy of it right over to me. It was the addition of a surprising ingredient that really caught my attention, something I would never have imagined.
It’s the secret ingredient!
The difference is this recipe calls for a cup of sauerkraut! That’s right! The stuff of hotdog stands and backyard bbqs. At first that struck me as so strange, but when I thought it through it makes great sense. Cheese has that tangy thing that is hard to replicate- and putting lemon or vinegar into a dish for the acidic tang for me just doesn’t cut it. I’m not into eating hot dogs these days, but I am into fermenting my own vegetables, including sauerkraut. I used some of my latest batch, which I think has more complexity than store bought versions. It’s not necessary to use fancy kraut though, use whatever you can get your hands on.
The recipe also uses the commonly called for cashews for fattiness and richness, and instead of squash it calls for white beans, which gives it heft and luscious mouthfeel. I poured this over some barley and steamed broccoli and cauliflower for a super satisfying dinner- but go ahead and make a mac and cheez- you’re going to want to. I can see roasting potato slices with this sauce too. It’s really just that good!
I will say this though. As yummy as this is I would not promote it as a full on replacement of traditional mac and cheese. There is no need to put those two into competition with each other- this sauce stands on its own.
True story: When photographing this recipe I just couldn’t wait to be finished so I could eat the dish. This is a real first! I do love to eat my food, but this one couldn’t wait. As a result there is only this one photo. Sorry (not sorry!) Aaaand- did you notice that I have a tumeric stain on my thumb?!
In a large sautee pan sautee the onion and garlic, using a little water to keep from sticking, until golden. Add the tumeric and cook for an addition 1 minute. Set aside. Place the soaked cashews with 1 cup of the broth into a blender. Blend for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Add the onion mixture to the blender along with the beans and the sauerkraut. Blend, adding the remaining broth to make a smooth sauce. Add the nutritional yeast and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce back into the pan that you cooked the onions in and heat until warm and bubbly. If it's too thick you can add more broth to get the desired consistency. Pour over barley and vegetables as I did here, or pour over cooked macaroni, or roasted potatoes. 
Ingredients
Instructions
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