Description
Indulge in the ultimate comfort food experience with this delectable Vegan Mushroom Spinach Mac and Cheese Skillet!
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients:
- 6 to 8 oz. elbow macaroni
- 1 ½ cups diced yellow onions (1 large yellow onion)
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 16 oz. mushrooms, sliced (+/-) *
- 2 Tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari *
- 3 to 4 cups chopped fresh baby spinach (lightly packed)
Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 cup [raw] cashews *
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth (divided) *
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ume plum vinegar *
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard *
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ to 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt (+/-) *
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
Other Ingredients:
- ½ to 1 teaspoon dried crushed thyme leaves *
Instructions
- Place the cashews into a small bowl, cover with boiling water, allow to sit for 15 minutes, then drain off the water (and discard). Set the soaked cashews aside until Step 7.
- Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions, shake well to remove any excess water, set aside to drain until ready to use in Step 8.
- In a large, deep skillet, sauté the diced onions over medium-high heat for 6 to 7 minutes until softened, add a splash of water to prevent burning, if needed.
- Add the minced garlic to the skillet, stir constantly for 30 seconds, remove the skillet from the stove and then dump the sauteed onions and garlic into a high-speed blender, set aside until ready to use in Step 7.
- Add the sliced mushrooms to the now empty large, deep skillet along with the tamari, sauté for approximately 8 minutes or until the mushrooms have reduced in size and have released their liquids.
- Add the chopped baby spinach and ¼ cup veggie broth to the skillet along with the sliced mushrooms, sauté over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the spinach has significantly reduced and cooked.
- Add all the Sauce Ingredients, including the soaked cashews, (remaining 1 ¼ cup veggie broth), into the high-speed blender along with the sauteed onions and garlic from Step 4; blend on high for one minute or until smooth and emulsified, then place the sauce into the large, deep skillet along with the cooked mushrooms and spinach, stir well. Add the dried crushed thyme leaves at this time, stir to incorporate. Bring to a boil, then immediately lower to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked elbow pasta to the large skillet, mix well to thoroughly coat the cooked pasta, simmer for several minutes to heat through. Remove from the stove, allow to sit for 3 minutes to allow the pasta to soak up some of the sauce.
- Top with freshly cracked black pepper and chopped fresh parsley (if desired), enjoy!
Notes
*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Serving: 4 to 6