This vegetable and protein-packed Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese recipe is a clean version of one of those less-than-healthy, meat-filled noodle meals from a box. It’s completely plant-based, but will fool even the most stubborn of meat eaters.
Hello, I’m Morgan from Shupe’s Soups. Food is my everything – you could say I am a little obsessed. I write recipes and share information about food to help readers make the best choices possible when it comes to food. I believe everyone should know how to make a healthy meal from scratch and know where their ingredients come from. Check out more of my recipes on my website – Shupe’s Soups – or follow me on Instagram for daily healthy-ish eating inspiration.
Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese Recipe
Eating more plant-based is quickly becoming more and more popular. I believe that even if you are not vegan or vegetarian – I sure am not – you should still try to incorporate more plant-based meals into your diet. Hearty dishes like this Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese makes it easy and can fool even the pickiest of meat eaters.
The “cheese” sauce is made out of squash and nuts, but actually tastes like cheese! It’s nuts, I know. The addition of nutritional yeast, lemon, and dijon is what gives the creamy squash and cashews their umami “cheese-y” flavor. If you desire a more orange cheddar-like color to your cheese sauce, choose a squash that is more orange in color like a butternut squash.
The Bean and Vegetable Chili is a quick and easy vegetarian chili with the addition of my secret ingredient, balsamic vinegar. A small splash of balsamic vinegar at the end of cooking brings a little added sweetness and tartness that makes the chili spices shine.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 jalapeños, diced
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 2 tbsp chili powder (or to taste)
- 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 cups black beans, cooked
- 1 cups cannellini beans, cooked
- 1/4 cup frozen corn
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- A splash of balsamic vinegar
- 2.5 cups uncooked macaroni noodles
- 1 cup cooked squash, any variety of squash works
- 1/3 cup cashews, soaked overnight and drained
- ¼ cup neutral oil, like olive oil or grapeseed
- 1/3 cup water (more if needed)
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ jalapeño
- Salt, to taste
- Vegan sour cream
- Sliced jalapeño
- Cilantro
- Green onions
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat oil. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in mushrooms and sauté until they start to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add in cumin, coriander, oregano, and chili powder. Toast for 2 minutes, continually stirring.
- Add in the remaining Bean and Vegetable Chili ingredients, except the balsamic vinegar. Bring to a simmer.
- Cook for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you have time allow to cook at a low and slow pace for about 2 hours.
- At the end of cooking, add a splash of balsamic vinegar. Test chili and adjust seasoning as needed.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season water with salt. Cook macaroni noodles until al dente. Drain and lightly rinse.
- Combine remaining Vegan Mac and “Cheese” ingredients in a high-powered blender. Blend until very smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Combine cheese sauce with noodles and top with Bean and Veggie Chili. Garnish with vegan sour cream, cilantro, jalapeño slices, and green onions.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: If you don’t have time to soak your cashews overnight, cover them in boiling water and let sit for 30 minutes. This allows them to soften enough to be blended smooth, but does not improve the digestibility like soaking overnight.
We hope you love this Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese recipe from SoFabFood Contributor, Morgan from Shupe’s Soups, as much as we do. If you enjoyed this recipe, you can find more like by visiting our Vegetarian section. For daily recipe inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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