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one green planet

Making vegan cheese sauce is so easy. Just melt some vegan butter and then mix an equal amount of flour into it. Add plant-based milk, let it thicken. Add the cheese and whisk it all together. Spice it up – I like mustard, hot sauce, paprika, nutmeg plus salt and pepper. That's it! This baked cauliflower and cheese was creamy and delicious. The cauliflower was tender with some bite for texture and it was so good, no one missed the pasta.

Pasta-Free Baked Cauliflower and Cheese With Peas [Vegan]

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Ingredients

For the Cheese Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 2 tablespoons chickpea flour
  • 2 cups non-dairy milk
  • 4 ounces shredded vegan cheddar cheese
  • 2-3 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
  • 1 teaspoons hot sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • A pinch of nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the Dish:

  • 2 large heads cauliflower
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups green peas
  • Gluten-free bread crumbs
  • Cooking oil spray

Preparation

  1. Heat a saucepan and melt the vegan butter. Add the flour and whisk until the flour is thoroughly incorporated. Allow the flour to cook for a minute. Add the milk to the roux, slowly, whisking continuously. Let cook for 2 minutes as it starts to thicken. Add the Teese Vegan Cheddar Cheese and whisk as it melts. Whisk in the mustard and hot sauce. Add the paprika, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Continue to let the sauce cook until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is thicker, about 3 minutes. Keep the pot covered and set aside.
  2. Cut the cauliflowers into florets and cut the cores into bite-size pieces. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a few tablespoons of salt and carefully add the cauliflower. Let it cook for 5-7 minutes until just about to get tender. It will cook more later so you want it a bit undercooked. Reserve a cup of cooking water. Drain and rinse the cauliflower with cold water and return it to the pot.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower and toss to coat. You want the sauce to be pourable because it will dry up a bit as it bakes. If the sauce is too thick, mix in a few spoons of the reserved cooking water. Stir in the peas.
  4. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and transfer the cauliflower and cheese to the baking dish. Sprinkle some bread crumbs on top and spray the top with cooking oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the top is browned. If you want it browner, put it under the broiler for just 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the dish to cool for at least 15 minutes (I know, it’s hard) so it can set before serving.

Nutritional Information

Total Calories: 1580 | Total Carbs: 181 g | Total Fat: 71 g | Total Protein: 57 g | Total Sodium: 3126 g | Total Sugar: 55 g Note: The information shown is based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.


About The Author

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Rhea Parsons

See My Recipes

When Rhea became vegan, there were no places in her Bronx neighborhood to eat, so she learned to cook, mostly by watching TV cooking shows, especially Christina Pirello and Rachael Ray.  That led to the creation of The "V" Word website, which focuses on vegan versions of favorite, familiar foods. In addition, Rhea has written several e-cookbooks, which are available on her website. Rhea hopes to spread the "V" Word to bring more compassion into the world, and it is her dream to become the vegan Rachael Ray.

Comments

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  1. How do you know if it is a large head of cauliflower? do you know how many cups I need to make this? In a regular recipe it called for a large head of cauliflower; I did 6 cups of small florets and It could of used another cup. I want to make this, but need an exact amount on the cauliflower. Please.