Vegan Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli
Stovetop vegan macaroni and cheese with broccoli! A creamy, one-pot mac and cheese pasta recipe with an extra serving of broccoli. My whole family love this one.
This vegan macaroni and cheese with broccoli is so decadent and delicious. A velvety cheese sauce coats the shells and broccoli nooks and crannies in complete deliciousness.
Enjoy it as an easy comfort food dinner or side dish.
Why I love this recipe
Vegan mac and cheese you say? Yup. A vegan macaroni and cheese with broccoli recipe without the cheese. If you’re like me and are always looking for more vegan but cheesy recipes, then this one is for you.
The sauce gets body from both cauliflower and cashews. If you’ve ever spent any time around vegan cheese sauce recipes, then you know these are both popular contenders. Why choose one when you can have both? The cauliflower lightens the entire thing up while the cashews provide yummy mouthfeel and richness. There’s also nutritional yeast, dry mustard, tomato paste and turmeric.
This vegan mac and cheese is perfect for times when you don’t want anything too far outside of the box. Well, except dairy. And cheese! And healthier! And more vegetables and less butter!
Ingredients
- Melted coconut oil: I like triple refined oil for a lesser coconut taste
- Nutritional yeast: This is what gives the cheesy flavor to the mac and cheese. It’s not the same as brewer’s yeast and can be found in most well-stocked grocery stores, or online.
- Tomato paste: The addition of the tomato paste and dried mustard helps to add depth and plant-based umami to this vegan mac and cheese sauce.
- Almond milk: You can use any unsweetened milk if you’d like. I’ve tested this vegan mac and cheese with broccoli recipe with both almond milk, soy milk and oat milk and they all work.
- Cauliflower florets: Another secret in making this vegan cheese sauce so incredibly luscious and creamy without the cream! I do the same in my vegan lasagna, and it’s incredible how creamy pureed cauliflower can be.
- Broccoli: This makes this vegan mac and cheese with broccoli, of course! I use about 3 cups of florets; you can add more or less depending on preference.
How to Make
This vegan macaroni and cheese with broccoli recipe has three parts- making the sauce, cooking the pasta and the broccoli, and then combining everything together.
Step 1: Make the Sauce
Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until warm. Then add the nutritional yeast, mustard, tomato paste, garlic, salt, and turmeric, and cook until mixed through. Whisk in the milk and then let simmer, as the sauce will start to thicken slightly.
Add in the cauliflower and cashews and let cook until the cauliflower is very soft, this takes me about 20 minutes. This is also the time when I cook the pasta.
Step 2: Blend!
Add the sauce to a blender along with the vinegar and puree until very smooth, this may take a few minutes depending on the power of your blender. My blender is large enough to puree the whole thing at once, but you may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender.
You don’t want any grainy pieces of cauliflower or cashews, so make sure it’s creamy and smooth before proceeding.
Step 3: Cook the Pasta
In a large pot of salted water, add in the shells and cook until just al dente. To keep the same pot of water, I remove the shells with a slotted spoon along with 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
Then, I bring the water back to a boil and add my steamer basket. Add the broccoli and cook until bright green and not overly tender, about 4 minutes.
Step 4: Combine
Toss the hot macaroni with the cashew-cauliflower sauce until well coated. Season with salt and pepper, if needed/desired. Add the broccoli and toss again, adding any remaining cooking water to thin the sauce, if needed. Serve hot and right away as the sauce will thicken as it sits.
Expert Tips
You will need a blender for this vegan macaroni and cheese with broccoli recipe to make the sauce incredibly creamy and smooth. You can use a food processor, but a blender will work better.
For ease, I cook the pasta and then add the broccoli to the same pot after removing the pasta. This cuts down on pots and saves time! I also like to save a little pasta water to help to thin the sauce when tossing with the pasta and the cooked broccoli florets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to soak the cashews before making this recipe?
No, unlike many cashew-based recipes, this vegan macaroni and cheese with broccoli recipe doesn’t require pre soaking as the cashews are simmered with the cauliflower for about 20 minutes which will soften them enough for blending.
Why do I need to reserve the pasta cooking water?
The starchy pasta water is valuable for adjusting the sauce’s consistency. If your sauce becomes too thick after mixing with the pasta, add small amounts of the reserved cooking water to help thin it while maintaining a silky texture. The starch in the water also helps the sauce adhere better to the shells!
How do I prevent the broccoli from becoming overcooked?
If you prefer more tender broccoli, you can steam it longer, but be careful not to overcook it and make it mushy. For the best texture contrast in the mac and cheese, I prefer to cook it until the broccoli just turns bright green, about 3-4 minutes.
Make Ahead Tips
If you want to make this vegan macaroni and cheese with broccoli ahead of time, then you can cook the cashew-cauliflower sauce 2-3 days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will thicken when chilled, so whisk in additional plant milk or pasta cooking water to reach the desired consistency when reheating.
Reheat gently over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Then add with fresh cooked pasta and the fresh cooked broccoli.
More Mac and Cheese Recipes
- Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese
- One Pot Vegan Chili Mac
- Sweet Potato Sage Mac and Cheese
If you try this Vegan Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Vegan Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil, I like triple refined oil for a lesser coconut taste
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 4 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 3 cups chopped cauliflower florets
- 1 cup chopped raw cashews
- 1 pound shell pasta
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 3 cups broccoli florets
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until warm. Add in nutritional yeast, mustard, tomato paste, garlic, salt and turmeric and cook until mixed though, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in the almond milk, then bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add in the cauliflower florets and cashews and let simmer until cauliflower is very soft, about 20 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower-cashew mixture to a blender or food processor along with the vinegar and puree until very smooth, working in batches if needed. Depending on the power of your blender, this could take anywhere from 1-2 minutes. You don’t want any grainy pieces of cauliflower or cashews, so make sure it’s creamy and smooth before proceeding.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot filled with salted water and able to be fitted with a steamer basket to a boil. Add the shells and cook, stirring often, until just tender, according to package time. Remove the shells with a slotted spoon (to keep the cooking water) along with 1/2 cup cooking water. Place the shells without the cooking water in a large bowl.
- Bring the water back to a boil and fit with a steamer basket. Add the broccoli and cover, cooking until bright green and not overly tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Toss the hot macaroni with the cashew-cauliflower sauce until well coated. Season with salt and pepper, if needed/desired. Add in the broccoli and toss again, adding in any remaining cooking water to thin sauce, if needed. Serve hot.