Raw Vegan Macaroni and Cheese

I think it’s safe to say everyone loves mac and cheese. So to make this staple cheesy comfort dish raw but also do justice to the original dish was a challenge. But, then again, I do like a challenge. After many trials with my husband being the designated taste tester, this recipe was born. This raw vegan macaroni and cheese will rock your world. The cheesy macaroni zucchini against the savory crunchiness of coconut bacon, and the burst of caramelized onion flavor from the onion flax crackers used in place of bread crumbs are surely a match made in heaven. By dehydrating the mac and cheese, you’ll be able to enjoy it warm. The two toppings I use are well worth making to complete this dish, as it kicks it up a few notches into an entirely new, pleasurable level. If you can’t make both, I suggest making at least the coconut bacon. Of course, you can do without it if you don’t have the time. But if you do have the time, please make an effort so you can enjoy the recipe as it was intended. It will most likely be the best raw vegan mac & cheese you’ve ever had.

Let’s get started. We will use the raw vegan cheese sauce I shared last week for this recipe, so prepare the cheese sauce first. As I said previously, if you have the time, please make coconut bacon and onion flax crackers ahead of time so you can use it on the day. It will make this dish phenomenal! 

Once you have the cheese sauce and the two toppings ready to go, it’s time to make the little zucchini macaronis. I will be using yellow zucchini to make it look more like regular macaroni, but you can use plain green zucchini too. I usually just use regular green ones if it’s not for pictures. Pick out skinnier zucchini as it will work better as a macaroni than the larger ones. Top and tail the zucchini and cut them in half, lengthwise. Then, take an 1/8 teaspoon or something that would work similar to it, and deseed the middle to make it hollow to resemble the elbow macaroni shape.

Then slice them into about 1/4″ thick half moon shapes. They look just like elbow macaronis!

Transfer the macaroni shaped zucchini into a bowl and add a pinch of salt and a dash of olive oil. Gently toss and let it sit for 15 minutes to let it soften. By the way, if you use regular cooked elbow macaroni instead of the zucchini, it’ll make a bomb vegan mac & cheese too, though not raw.

When ready, it’s time to toss our little zucchini macaronis with some cheese sauce! Pour in the cheese sauce and toss well. 

If you don’t own a dehydrator, it’s ready to serve! Mix in some coconut bacon and toss gently. Top it with some more coconut bacon, crumbled onion flax crackers, and some chopped parsley, Serve immediately.

If you own a dehydrator, YOU DEFINITELY SHOULD DEHYDRATE THIS DISH!! It will get warm, and the flavors and color will intensify. Spread the mac & cheese mixture thinly and evenly onto the dehydrator tray lined with a silicone sheet. Dehydrate at 115°F (46℃) for 2-3 hours until it’s warm and the cheese sauce has changed its color to a yellow Kraft mac & cheese color.

Take out the tray and mix in some coconut bacon. Transfer the mac & cheese mixture into a serving bowl. Pop the entire bowl into the dehydrator again and dehydrate for about another 20 minutes until the surface color turns once again, to the Kraft mac & cheese yellow color. 

Your mac & cheese is ready to be served! Top it with some coconut bacon and some crushed onion flax crackers in place of bread crumbs. Sprinkle some chopped parsley on top, and voila! This super yummy raw vegan mac & cheese is ready to be devoured! Serve immediately so you can enjoy it while it’s warm!

The creamy cheesiness and the burst of caramelized onion flavor from the crackers and the crunch from the coconut bacon pairs amazingly. If you love mac and cheese, you will love this dish, guaranteed. You can thank me later:)

Raw Vegan Macaroni and Cheese

 

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Prep time

2 hours

Cook time

3 hours

Total time

5 hours

 

Author: Mariko Sakata

Cuisine: raw food, raw vegan, gluten free

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

Raw vegan cheese sauce

• 1½ cups cashews
• 1 yellow or orange bell pepper (roughly chopped)
• 3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• A pinch of tumeric
• 1 teaspoon chick pea miso or white miso
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0-1/4 cup water (optional)
• 
  

Zucchini macaroni

• 4 skinny yellow or green zuchinni
• A dash of olive oil
• A pinch of salt
• 
  

Toppings

• ⅓ cup raw vegan coconut bacon and some more for garnish
• 3-5 pieces of raw vegan onion flax crackers crushed
• Some chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the toppings

1. Pre-make the coconut bacon and onion flax crackers. If you do not have time, you can omit the toppings, but they are an essential part of this recipe.

Raw vegan cheese sauce

1. Soak the cashews for the raw vegan cheese sauce for 2-4 hours. Rinse well and drain.
2. Make the raw vegan cheese by adding all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Adding the bell pepper into the blender first will help it blend better. If you have a high speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, you do not need to add any water. If you are using a regular blender, add 1 Tablespoon of water at a time. Be sure to keep it to only the minimum amount it needs to blend it into a creamy smooth sauce and no more.

Zucchini macaroni

1. Top and tail the zucchini and cut them in half, lengthwise.
2. Take an ⅛ teaspoon or something that would work similar to it, and deseed the middle to make it hollow to resemble the elbow macaroni shape.
3. Slice them into about ¼" thick half moon shapes.
4. Transfer them into a bowl and add a pinch of salt and a dash of olive oil. Gently toss and let it sit for 15 minutes to let it soften.

If you don't own a dehydrator:

1. Pour in the cheese sauce onto the zucchini macaroni and toss well.
2. Mix in some coconut bacon and toss gently.
3. Top it with some more coconut bacon, crumbled onion flax crackers, and some chopped parsley.
4. Serve immediately.

If you own a dehydrator:

1. Pour in the cheese sauce onto the zucchini macaroni and toss well.
2. Spread the mac & cheese mixture thinly and evenly onto the dehydrator tray lined with a silicone sheet.
3. Dehydrate at 115°F (46℃) for 2-3 hours until it's warm and the cheese sauce has changed its color to a yellow Kraft mac & cheese color.
4. Take out the tray and mix in some coconut bacon.
5. Transfer the mac & cheese mixture into a serving bowl. Pop the entire bowl into the dehydrator again and dehydrate for about another 20 minutes until the surface color turns once again, to the bright yellow color.
6. Top it with some coconut bacon, crumbled onion flax crackers, and some chopped parsley.
7. Serve immediately.

Notes

For a cooked vegan option, replace the zucchini with regular cooked elbow macaroni.

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