This is the best vegan cauliflower cheese in the universe – no joke, it’s too good to be true, and extra moreish. You can also use a little mustard, and dip your cauliflower in it (I love Frenchs American Classic) – I will leave you be the judge of these. Feel free to substitute broccoli instead of cauliflower. Serve with your favourite salad, or as an accompaniment for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a special dinner.
INGREDIENTS FOR ‘CHEESE’ SAUCE
2 cups (625 mL) soya milk, or other non-sweetened milk
2 Tbsp purpose plain flour (for a very thicker sauce, use 3 Tbsp) – (can also be made gluten-free by using all purpose GF flour (available in the US from here, and in the UK from here)
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast (available in the US from here, and in the UK from here)
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp fine garlic granules
salt (don’t omit)
a knob of vegan butter
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp vegetable stock powder or granules (try Kallo – from here in the US, and here in the UK)
a little water if needed
1 cauliflower, cut into florets
chives, chopped, for garnishing
extra olive oil
METHOD :-
- First steam your cauliflower until tender, but be careful not to overcook.
- Then place the cauliflower in a dish, and set aside whilst you make your ‘cheese’ sauce.
- Preheat your oven to 440ºF (225ºC).
- Place all the ‘cheese’ sauce ingredients in a ‘milk’ pan and whisk.
- Heat the mixture up, mixing virtually non-stop, until you have a thickish consistency.
- Lower the heat, and continue cooking for a further minute or so.
- Take off the heat, and pour your sauce over the cooked cauliflower, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with chives, and place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the dish is golden on top.
All recipes and content © Miriam Sorrell www.mouthwateringvegan.com 2010
This looks good! Do you think cheese sauce would turn out ok without the oil? I don’t use oil in my cooking. Thank you !
Can you tell me how much a knob of butter is? I would also like to know if it could be made without the extra oil.
This recipe looks terrific. Thanks!
Hi Anita, just a heaped teaspoon of vegan butter. Also a little drizzle of olive oil is enough. Hope you make and enjoy it ! 🙂
Hi Miriam, My wife and I made this dish tonight. Excellent!! We add sautéed mushrooms and vegetarian sausage with extra vegan cheese on top to eat as a main dish.
Hi Michael – that sounds awesome ! A main course made out of this is so ideal and I’m sure would have made a hearty and delicious meal. Best your way and I look forward to your future comments on my blog ! 🙂
Hi Miriam, first of all, i really love your recipes and your site. Is there any substitute for chasewnuts. My son is allergic to them. Can i use almonds or walnuts. Thank you for your answer. Regards Boris
Boris Hi, you can use raw almonds instead, but please be sure to soak them overnight if so as they will need to soften a little prior to processing. Hope you enjoy it ! 🙂
Love the looks of this recipe. I’ve been vegan for a couple of months. And I feel great eating this way. Excited to try this. Thanks.
Hi Laura and welcome here. Congrats on your vegan choice and hope you enjoy this and many other recipes from here. Let me know how it goes as and when ! 🙂
My husband and I just went vegan a little over a week ago and I have been testing out new recipes. We made this to go with dinner tonight ~ it was fabulous!
Thank you for sharing , I look forward to trying plenty other recipes! 🙂
Hi Jeannette and welcome here. A huge kudos to you and your husband for choosing vegan ! So glad you enjoyed this and I hope you enjoy many more of my recipes. I look forward to your future comments on my blog ! 🙂
P.S. We have launched a New Vegan Magazine, feel free to check it out http://veganforlifemagazine.com full of vegan news and recipes, have a browse.
Tried this last night with cauliflower and broccoli – so tasty – and lovely to eat cauliflower cheese without any vegan cheese for a change as I don’t always have in stock. Think I’ll use this recipe instead from now on as was tastier than how I normally make it. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
You are welcome dear Jenny, and so glad you made and enjoyed it ! 🙂
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i thought i couldnt make it cause we dont have nutritional yeast but my sistren found it at her herbalist doctor!!!! Im gonna get me some and try this it looks soooo tasty!
Hopefully you will love it Shinelle ! 🙂
Hi Miriam your cauliflower golden cheezy meal sounds wonderful and I would love to try it asap. However I noted in the comments someone wrote “is there a substitute for cashews?” I know most vegan cheese sauces use cashews which I love, but I just can’t see them mentioned in your recipe. Are cashews supposed to be part of the recipe or have I gotten a wee bit confused. Looking forward to your reply so I can make this dish. Cheers Vicki
Hi Vicki – no cashews in this recipe. If it’s mentioned here it would be for those who do not wish to take/use soya, so cashew milk would be substituted for the soya milk. Follow my recipe and let me know how it all goes, remember to taste it for salt. 🙂
Hi Miriam, this looks great as I’ve always been a fan of ‘real’ cauli cheese and would like to try a vegan version. As an all-in-one meal with fried onion and mushroom and pasta or potatoes it is also great.
I’ve never bothered with the Roux method of making white sauce and make it with cornflour instead, just because I find it easier. Should cornflour work just as well with soya milk as with cow’s milk? I can always melt some vegan marge in after I’ve made the sauce if it needs it.
Hi there Simon and thanks for dropping by here. Yes, sure by all means use the cornflour, it should work just as well. Enjoy, and let me know how it all goes as and when ! 🙂
I’ve just finished eating this.
It worked well making the sauce with cornflour and adding new potatoes, onion and mushroom to the mix.
The sauce was more flavoursome than I imagined possible without milk and cheese and I enjoyed it. Nutritional yeast is a wonderful thing.
Hi there Simon, so glad you enjoyed this, it is a very ‘cheezy’ and delcious dish and so versatile too, as you can use whichever veggies take your fancy – a mixture of cauliflower florets and broccoli florets with sliced mushrooms also works well ! Nutritional Yeast is a must in our household, and I use it in many recipes ! Cheers your way, and I look forward to your future comments on my blog. 🙂
Thank you, I made this recipe (and made extra sauce) a few months ago and it was great. I froze the extra sauce. Tonight I reheated the frozen sauce in the microwave and poured it over some cauliflower I roasted (also from frozen) tonight. Absolutely amazing. With some fresh spinach underneath, that was my dinner. We’re not completely vegan at the moment and the other day I served broccoli with real cheese on top — your vegan cheezy sauce is much more delicious than that dairy cheese on broccoli was!
Lyd Hi, your comment and feedback is much appreciated. I always say that is not difficult to go vegan in particular if what you make and serve tastes great – the aim of my blog and the recipes created are designed to do this, so please take your time, browse and enjoy the recipes on my blog. I very much look forward to your future comments on my blog ! Best your way in the meantime. 🙂
Are there cashew nuts in this recipe? Some of the comments mention cashews but they’re not listed among the ingredients. Thank you.
Hi Beverley – no cashews in this recipe. If it’s mentioned here it would be for those who do not wish to take/use soya, so cashew milk would be substituted for the soya milk. Follow my recipe and let me know how it all goes, remember to taste it for salt.
Oh my- I just ate half a pan of this with your diner style meatloaf ,which was leftover from the other night. Each of them is fabulous and together devine. I am a fan of Grey Poupon but you’re right- French’s american works so well with the meatloaf but I did prefer the Grey’s for the cauliflower- both paired with my wine – Monday evening decadence.
Hi Dani, sounds perfect, so glad you enjoyed this ! 🙂
Brilliant recipe! Used it today and it went down really well, best vegan cauliflower “cheese” I’ve made, thanks!!
That’s great super news there Jo, so glad you made and enjoyed it ! Cheers ! 🙂
Hi I have just made this and it is delicious, thank you 🙂 I was just wondering if it would be ok to make a big batch of the sauce and freeze in portions? Just to save time when I am working late.
Many thanks
Donna Hi there – I am not sure if the sauce would freeze well, but there’s no harm in trying. Here is one of the best cheese sauces you will find online and a huge hit with many worldwide visitors from my blog and one that was created subsequent to this recipe : http://www.mouthwateringvegan.com/2012/11/13/golden-cheddard-potatoes/ the sauce can be used on a variety of different recipes. May be it can be frozen too. Hope you make and enjoy them. Best.
Still making this cheezy sauce recipe 2 years after my original comment, still love it and my husband says it is good too! 🙂
Hi Lydia, so glad to hear this. Basically when a recipe works so well and yields a taste you love – it’s yours forever ! Hope you enjoy many more recipes from my blog too ! 🙂
What would you serve this with
Hi Jennifer, you can serve this with a green salad, or steam your favourite greens. Or if you wish to serve it with a rich carb you can try this simple-enough recipe : http://www.mouthwateringvegan.com/2013/01/17/mammas-greek-style-orzo-with-mushrooms/ 🙂
I notice lots of vegan recipes require nutritional yeast, which I happen to be allergic to. Is there anything you know of which will work as a substitute? Thanks so much.
Carmel Hi. If you are making ‘wet’ food as opposed to dry (eg grated vegan cheese) then you could try a light coloured miso. Hope this helps !
Hi Miriam, is it possible to make the sauce a day ahead then reheat and use on day of serving?
Hi Samantha, I don’t see why not, you may need to add a tiny bit of vegan milk to loosen it up whilst heating. Enjoy !