Vegan "Cheese" Sauce- Makes Vegetables Taste Special

Sometimes a simple healthy vegetable side dish needs a little something extra to perk it up and make it more interesting. Sautéed broccoli is delicious on its own, but I often like to dress it up with a creamy, flavorful vegan "cheese" sauce that I make.

I save jars and fill it with the sauce that lasts for about 4 days.

As you probably know by now, I follow a plant-based diet and don't eat regular cheese. But I still enjoy finding creative ways to add flavor to vegetables, and this creamy, orange-colored sauce is one of my favorites. 

It's smooth, savory, and surprisingly simple to make with a handful of everyday ingredients. This type of sauce is very popular in plant-based circles. 

I'm not suggesting this is just like real cheese, if that is what you prefer! I'm saying that it is a nice sauce without the heavy saturated fat. This recipe is simply another option for anyone who follows a plant-based diet, avoids dairy, or wants to try a creamy sauce made without the added fat of a traditional cheese sauce. I like having recipes like this on hand because they make it easy to enjoy vegetables in a new way.

Have You Heard of “Nooch”?

If you've spent any time exploring plant-based recipes, you may have come across the word nooch. It's the nickname for nutritional yeast, a pantry staple in many vegan kitchens.

Nutritional yeast is different from the yeast used in baking bread. It comes in flakes or powder and has a savory flavor that's often described as tasting nutty or cheesy. You can find it at stores such as Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, as well as online.

Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor to sauces, vegetables, and other plant-based dishes. In this recipe, "nooch" helps give the sauce its familiar cheesy taste, while cooked potatoes and carrots create a smooth, creamy texture and that lovely orange color.

The best part? It's easy to make.

Ingredients for Vegan “Cheese” Sauce

• 1 cup almond milk or your favorite plant-based milk

• 3–4 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

• 2 tablespoons potato starch mixed with 1/3 cup of additional plant based milk in a cup .

• 1 cup diced potatoes

• 1 cup diced carrots

• ½ teaspoon salt

How to Make Vegan “Cheese” Sauce

1. Cook the vegetables. Place the diced potatoes and carrots in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, or until both vegetables are fork-tender. Drain well.

2. Add the remaining ingredients. Add the plant-based milk, potato starch mixed with plant based milk, and salt to the saucepan with the cooked potatoes and carrots. Stir to combine.

3. Heat the sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and stir in the nutritional yeast.

4. Stir until creamy. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens and becomes smooth and creamy. If you'd like a completely silky texture, you can blend the mixture until smooth.

5. Serve and enjoy! Spoon the warm sauce over steamed broccoli and serve immediately.

More Ways to Enjoy This Sauce

Although broccoli is a natural choice for this creamy sauce, I don't stop there! I also like serving it over a combination of broccoli and cauliflower or any vegetable I happen to be making. 

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In the past, I made another variation of this tasty cheese sauce  made with soaked cashews and a squirt of hot sauce. It's a little richer and perkier.

My favorite way to eat this "cheese sauce" is on a baked potato with broccoli and jarred black bean dip that I get from Whole Foods. Yum! It's a meal in itself for lunch!!!

Sometimes, all it takes is a good sauce to give familiar vegetables a whole new appeal!

I'm in Florida, but my next door neighbor sent me this photo of the trees on our street in Pennsylvania from two weeks ago. So beautiful.

Two weeks later at my friend's house in Cape Cod leaves are falling!!

How about you? Do you like your vegetables plain or do you like to add a dressing or sauce to them? What is the fall like where you live?