Close your eyes and imagine — a piping hot, crispy grilled sandwich oozing with cheese. Seems mouthwatering? But hold on! Animal cheese does more harm than good. So, we have brought you a healthy alternative that can help your cheese cravings while taking care of your health. So, if you want to feast with something cheese-like, this delightful vegan cheese sauce recipe is for you.
People love cheese sauce because it’s so creamy, smooth, and delicious. You can use it on top of pasta, as a dip for crackers or breadsticks, or as an ingredient in soups and other recipes. On top of that, you can make this cheese sauce in a few minutes.
Easy vegan cheese sauce recipe
The vegan cheese sauce is a simple way to quench your thirst for something flavorful and cheesy. It’s grandiose but with simplicity. You can try this recipe at home to amaze your loved ones with your cooking skills.
What ingredients do you need for cheese sauce?
The Cheese sauce is the sweetheart of the culinary world. You will need the following ingredients to create this magic at your place.
Nutritional yeast flakes
Are you looking for nutty, cheesy, and savory flavors in one thing? Well, no one can fulfill your need except for nutritional yeast flakes. So nourish your cheese sauce with flaky yeast, and you will love the cheesy flavor.
Nutritional yeast flakes are dried or dehydrated yeast that solely functions as a seasoning. It gives a unique cheese-like umami zest, making it a perfect addition to your cheese sauce.
Garbanzo beans
You will witness magic in your cheese sauce when you add a bowl of mashed garbanzo beans. Adding beans makes your sauce low-fat, nut-free, and high in fiber. You need to soak the beans overnight and cook them. If cooking seems complicated, then you can use canned beans too. Give your beans a whirl in a blender or food processor to get the desirable mushy texture.
If you are thinking about taste, let me tell you that the beans will give your sauce a hearty flavor and creamy texture. Moreover, chickpeas are a rich source of soluble and insoluble fibers, good carbs, and high-quality plant proteins, which maintains your health and body shape.
Lemon juice
Squeeze some fresh lemon juice into your cheese sauce and bring music to your mouth. This particular ingredient will prevent your sauce from becoming stringy. Furthermore, lemon offers a bright flavor, and citric acid stabilizes all ingredients. In addition, no one can deny the health benefits of lemon. Lemon is enriched with Vitamin C and antioxidants, which protect you from diseases and keep your skin and gums alive.
If you are out of fresh lemons, add apple cider vinegar instead.
Paprika
Spice up your cheese sauce by adding some mellow smoked paprika into it. The paprika is the heart favorite of everyone for its vivid red color and incredible flavors. However, if you want to add subtle earthiness, chargrilled flavor, and a peppery profile, don’t forget to sprinkle some paprika powder.
Onion powder
Seasonings determine the flavors of your food. For example, onion powder adds an umami punch to your cheese sauce. The best part about using onion powder in sauces is that it disburses evenly while giving an over-onion flavor.
Being a power bank of antioxidants, onion powder is best for preventing blockage from arteries and curing heart diseases.
Garlic powder
Garlic powder is there to satisfy your spicy side. If you want intense flavors of garlic in your sauce, make garlic powder your best bet. Garlic can get along with all the savory flavors while imparting a pungent flavor to the thick sauce.
Tahini butter
The addition to tahini butter can make you feel the creamy taste and gain strength. Tahini plays the role of dairy butter in this cheese sauce wonderfully. Its creamy taste and mild flavor profile can amplify the taste of cheese sauce. Additionally, tahini butter has the goodness of ground sesame seeds which are low in saturated fats and high in fiber.
How to store the leftover cheese sauce?
This cheese sauce is a delicious way to flavor your food without using animal-based ingredients. Instead, it’s made with beans and other ingredients, making it handy for various recipes.
You can prepare a large batch of vegan cheese sauce once and save it in the refrigerator or freezer in a large mason jar for days.
Does this sauce melt at room temperature?
The vegan cheese sauce doesn’t melt at room temperature. Isn’t it interesting? The cheese sauce contains plant-based ingredients, which give it distinctive characteristics. This gives vegan cheese an upper hand. You can safely keep it in your kitchen but cover it up adequately, or else the bacteria will attack it.
What benefits do nutritional yeast flakes offer?
Nutritional yeast flakes are the showstopper of vegan cheese sauce recipes. Of course, we think that they just enhance the flavor profile, but there are bundles of health benefits of yeast flakes that you don’t know.
Nutritional yeast flakes boost energy and promote hair, nails, and skin health. It’s packed with minerals and vitamins, which can satisfy your body’s needs for micronutrients. Furthermore, nutritional yeast contains all nine essential amino acids which you can consume from animal products. They also help in tissue repair and prevent muscle loss.
Why would you love vegan cheese sauce?
The cheese sauce is naturally rich and creamy, and adding it to food makes it even more delightful. The truth is, cheese sauce is not a highly complex dish. It’s just a whirling of some ingredients, but it’s so delicious that no one can resist it. It is great when you don’t like cooking or want something light on your palate to satisfy your cravings. The cheese sauce is also great for parties because they’re easy enough to make ahead of time, and it doesn’t take too much time to prepare before serving them at your party table!
Ingredients
Vegan Cheese Sauce-Nut Free
- 1/2 cup chickpeas or garbanzos
- 1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes
- 1 1/2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder or fresh onion
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp Tahini or 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup drinking water
Instructions
- If you prefer dry beans then cook the beans the night before in your crockpot.
- Measure all the ingredients into the blender, chickpeas, yeast flakes, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, tahini butter, or sesame seeds and water.
- Blend until smooth about 45 seconds to a minute.
- Serve.
Notes
How long does vegan cheese sauce last?
The vegan cheese sauce is an outstanding treat you can relish for months. You can preserve cheese sauce in a refrigerator for a week. If you want to freeze it, place it in an airtight container. This frozen cheese sauce will be perfect in the freezer for 3-4 months.
Just defrost the cheese sauce in a microwave oven and blend it for a few minutes in the food processor to give it a fresh touch.
The cheese sauce is great for dipping bread into or drizzling over your favorite mac and cheese, baked potatoes, and rice dishes. It also makes an excellent dip for vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower! But if you want something light, take out the bag of tortilla chips, and you will find this salty cheese sauce your best bet!
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