Vegan Macaroni Cheese (with peas!)

This recipe for vegan macaroni cheese (The Simple Veganista) is a cholesterol-free and plant-based version of everyone’s favourite comfort food! And for added bang for your buck, it adds peas (if you don’t have fresh, look in stores for Pack’d frozen petit pois – organic and in paper packaging).

Also look in stores for Biona macaroni pasta (this also organic and in sustainable packaging – the brand is gradually going plastic-free).

Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets (leeks, onion and garlic are unsafe near animal friends).

Just bin allium scraps (leeks, onion, garlic, chives, shallots), as acids could harm compost creatures (same for citrus/tomato/rhubarb).

How do you make macaroni cheese without cheese – and why would you? For the ‘why’, it’s because nearly all dairy in England is now from factory farms (which means male calves are shot at birth, as they provide no financial value). And carbon emissions from livestock farms contribute to climate change.

This recipe uses soaked cashew nuts (very good results, but takes a bit of while and not good if you’re forgetful!) If you want to ‘cheat’, you can make vegan cheese sauce (or even buy it), which greatly simplifies this recipe.

If making the homemade cheese sauce with nuts and cheesy nutritional yeast (rich in vitamin B12), avoid miso (unpasteurised) for pregnancy/nursing or weak immune systems).

You can also vary this recipe with Julie’s other recipes: