Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese
A savory and creamy chili mac n cheese that is ultra cheesy and meaty without the meat or cheese. This vegan chili mac and cheese is simple and easy to make and will win any vegan or non-vegan over.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp neutral-flavored oil
- ½ red onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 16 oz. vegan ground beef such as Beyond Meat
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp coriander
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- One 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
- One 15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 12 oz. pasta
Cashew Cheese
- ¾ cup cashews soaked in boiling water for 15 min.
- 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp miso paste
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
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In a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes until onions are translucent and veggies are soft. Crumble in the vegan ground beef. Cook for 3-4 minutes until beef starts to brown. Add tomato paste, cumin, paprika, coriander, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for 5-6 minutes to allow flavors to mend. Tomato paste should get deeper in color as well.
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Pour in diced tomatoes and kidney beans. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook for 8 minutes. While chili is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. About 1 minute before pasta is done cooking, add chopped carrot. Drain pasta and add carrot to a high-powered blender.
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Add cashews, non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, miso paste, and salt into the blender along with the carrot. Blend until thick and creamy. Pour pasta into the chili along with the cashew cheese. Stir to combine. Season with salt and/or pepper if desired. Serve with fresh parsley and black pepper.