Try this Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 medium white onion chopped (make sure to measure out 1 1/2 cups of chopped onion)
- 1-2 cups low sodium vegetable broth separated
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3-4 large garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 heaping cup raw whole cashews (75 g 2.6 oz) (soaked for 2-4 hours in hot water if you don't have a high powered blender)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or more to your taste i added a little more, do not omit!)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (use less if pref
- it is not recommended to sub or eliminate any of t as i cannot vouch for the results if any are changed. the lemon juice is crucial, as it eliminates any cashew flavor.
- also if you don't have a high powered blender like it is crucial to pre-soak the cashews so they soften and the sauce ends up smooth and creamy, and not gritty. drain them and rinse after soaking.
- Carbohydrate 5.30712625 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0635575 g
- Fiber 1.00456252622604 g
- Protein 0.63374375 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0256725 g
- Serving Size 1 1 1/2 cups (5 servings) (57g)
- Sodium 583.6855 mg
- Sugar 4.30256372377396 g
- Trans Fat 0.0157675 g
- Calories 23 calories
Step-by-step
- Add the onion and ONLY 1 cup of the broth, salt and black pepper to a large pan over medium-low heat. Cook for about 8 minutes until the onion is very tender. (Add a tiny bit more broth if it is cooking too fast or turn the heat down, so the onions don't burn) After several minutes, add the garlic and cook a couple of minutes more. All of the broth should have evaporated by now. If not, keep letting it cook until the broth has evaporated. You don't want any more liquid once it's done cooking, so the end result is thick and creamy.
- Add the cooked veggies (the onion and garlic) to a blender. Start out by just adding 3/4 cup more of the remaining broth and add the remaining ingredients (salt, pepper, cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast). Blend on high for a couple of minutes until very creamy and smooth. Add any more broth to reach desired consistency, if necessary. Taste and add any more salt & pepper, if desired. If you're feeling adventurous, you can add in a tablespoon of vegan butter.
- Serve over preferred pasta. Garnish with parsley, lemon zest and salt & pepper, if desired. Store leftovers in the fridge. The sauce will thicken up even more overnight, which you can thin out a little with a touch of broth when reheating, if desired.
Why does the sauce taste grainy instead of silky? Achieving a completely smooth consistency without dairy relies entirely on proper equipment and preparation. Soaking raw whole cashews in hot water for two to four hours softens the tough cell walls of the nuts so the blade can shear them into micro-particles. Skipping this hydration step leaves microscopic grit suspended in the liquid, ruining the mouthfeel.
Processing cooked aromatics alongside the soaked nuts requires careful liquid management during the initial simmer. Cooking one and a half cups of chopped white onions in one cup of low-sodium vegetable broth over medium-low heat for eight minutes steams the vegetable until it collapses. Adding minced garlic during the final two minutes prevents the alliums from burning and turning bitter. Evaporating all the cooking liquid before blending ensures the final mixture remains thick rather than watery.
Nutritional yeast and fresh lemon juice supply the savory depth and sharp acidity that mimic traditional cheese sauces. Lemon juice masks the residual nutty flavor of the cashews entirely, making its inclusion mandatory rather than optional. Exact measurements for nutritional yeast matter because excessive amounts introduce a metallic bitterness that overpowers the garlic.
Reheating leftover sauce requires adding a splash of vegetable broth to counteract the thickening that occurs overnight in the refrigerator. Adjusting the consistency this way prevents the starch from binding too tightly upon cooling. Storing the sauce in an airtight container maintains its texture for subsequent meals.
