Easy, cheesy, but entirely dairy free, this sweet potato vegan mac and cheese is sure to be a family favorite. It's rich and creamy without feeling too heavy and perfect for meal prep! Plus, it's ready in 30 minutes and gluten free!
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Prep: 20 minutesmins
Cook: 15 minutesmins
Total: 35 minutesmins
6
Ingredients
16ouncesuncooked pasta
2cupspeeled and cubed sweet potatoabout 1 medium sweet potato
Add the cashews to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak for about 20-30 minutes while we prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Peel the sweet potato, chop into cubes and measure out about 2 cups worth.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Any pasta works here! Be sure to salt the water pretty heavily. This adds a lot of flavor to the pasta and helps the sauce adhere to it better.
Add the sweet potatoes to a pot and cover with water. Boil for about 15 minutes or until fork tender.
Roughly chop the onion and mince the garlic. Add to a pan with the olive oil. They don't need to be perfectly chopped since they'll all get blended up anyway.
Saute for about 5 minutes or until the onions start to look translucent.
Once the cashews have softened, add to a high speed blender with 2 cups of water and blend until completely smooth and creamy, about 1 full minute.
Add in the onion/garlic and the drained sweet potatoes once they are done.
Add in all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and add any additional salt, pepper or other seasonings as desired. I usually start with 1/2 tsp of salt but end up adding an additional 1/2 tsp since the salt somehow enhances the cheesy flavor!
Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and stir to combine.
Top with red pepper flakes, chopped chives & enjoy!
Notes
I know soy sauce seems like an odd ingredient for mac and cheese, but it adds a really nice savory flavor and a touch more saltiness. I promise it's delicious!If you don't have sweet potato, you can sub for butternut squash or pumpkin! This will change the flavor slightly, but will still be delicious.