Sunny Mac & Cheese (plant-based, gluten-free)
Sunflower seed cheese, you ask? Don't laugh. Even our most serious mac & cheese lovers went back for multiple helpings of this rich and delicious dinner treat.It's very easy to blend and boil the ingredients, then scoop it all into a bowl. Ultimate comfort.For today's inspiration, here is a quote from Audre Lorde:"Nothing I accept about myself can be used against me to diminish me."In other words, if you accept yourself, it's a lot harder for other people to hurt you. Wishing you self-acceptance and a big hug today.
Ingredients
Sunflower cheese sauce
- 1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked and drained
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- ½ cup carrots or orange peppers, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp salt
- 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups vegetable broth or water
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Other ingredients
- 1 pound gluten-free pasta: elbows or small shells work nicely
- Cauliflower or green beans
Directions
- Cover the sunflower seeds in water and soak overnight at room temperature in a small bowl, or soak them in really hot water for 10 minutes, and then drain.
- In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the carrots, onions, and salt together for about 10 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Scoop the carrot-onion-garlic mix into your blender and add the sunflower seeds, broth, cornstarch, nutritional yeast, and tomato paste. Blend until it’s very smooth, then transfer it back to your pot.
- Cook the sauce for about 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring often, until it’s nice and thick. Add in the lemon juice and adjust salt/pepper as needed.
- While the sauce is thickening, bring a large pot of water to a boil, then cook your pasta with the cauliflower or green beans together (a nifty pro tip!) for however many minutes the pasta package says.
- Drain the pasta and veggies, then mix in all of the sauce to create a thick, cheesy, delicious dinner. Serve your sunflower mac & cheese hot in your favorite bowl. It’s also wonderful as leftovers the next day!
Notes
Did you make this? Tag @maitricooks on Instagram and leave a rating in the comments below. Lots of love!
One of my favorite mac & cheeses!