I love cheese sauce, but now I’m plant-based. Are there any easy alternatives? I don’t want to use a lot of processed foods.
Mike Davies, Chef/Owner Camberwell Arms In London, he says he discovered the “dark arts” of vegan “cheese” sauce from his wife, Bonita, who happens to be vegan and chef. He says that the simple answer is to prepare a vegetarian béchamel, which can be prepared in one of two ways. The first comes from Bonita herself: “She makes the roux using vegan equipment, then flavors it with nutritional yeast to get those cheesy, umami vibes.” You can then adulterate this further, whether it’s with some mustard powder (as Davies’ mother does), grated nutmeg or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
The roux is too Katie BiscoeThe preferred method, especially when using lasagna or cauliflower cheese: “I use a basic method,” says the book’s author. Vegan store. “Take 50g of vegan butter and 50g of flour, and make a roux the way you normally would. Add some oat milk, then add the nutritional yeast once it’s nice and thick. Yes, oat milk and vegan butter are processed foods, Bisco admits, so look out for Foods that contain few ingredients.
The goal of the vegan “cheese” sauce game is “to create something that has the same richness, texture and taste, and is delicious, too,” adds Davies. For this reason, his second (and favorite) tactic is cashew nuts. You have to be organised, remember: “Soak the raw nuts overnight or boil them in water for half an hour, then blend them in a fine food processor with a little soaking liquid, some lemon juice, grated garlic, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper until smooth and shiny.” And if you want it a little richer, add some crème brûlée. “This will rival any cheese sauce,” Davies guarantees. “But don’t be shy about the nutritional yeast.” Seasonings or extra fat.” This sauce is a pasta baker’s dream, for example: “Wilt some spinach, dip it in the cashew ‘cheese’ sauce, and spoon it into large pasta shells.” Davies then bakes it in a tomato sauce with A little extra cashew sauce drizzled over the top is for good measure.
Pisco also turns to cashews for a thicker sauce, perhaps to dip nachos in. She also soaks the nuts, but only for three hours (“you want a little substance”), then drains and blends with miso, garlic and chives, which she says “always gives that touch of that familiar cheesy flavour.” However, if mac and cheese is calling, or if you need a cheesy sauce to drizzle over gnocchi, for example, now’s the time to maneuver the roots, says Bisco, which “I do every day.” In practice, this means roasting the leeks, squash, sweet potatoes and sage for about half an hour. “You don’t want anything to turn golden and brittle at the edges, but you do want it to be soft and sweet.” Then simply beat until smooth, then loosen with a little water or broth to get the desired consistency. “This has a comforting cheesy flavor, and it’s also like a cheese sauce, which is helpful,” says Bisco. “There’s absolutely nothing processed in there either!”
