Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese

This recipe is so delicious and satisfying, especially if you love mushrooms with your macaroni and (not) cheese!

Cheese Base:
1/2 cup cashews, soaked - These can be roasted or raw and soaked for about 15 -30 min
1 cup cashew / oat / soy milk
4 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp miso paste
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Sauce:
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion
mix of different mushrooms - shiitake, portobello, regular button, oyster, chanterelle - whatever you like
½ tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
gluten free pasta (224g // any shape you like) - rice pasta is nice
3 cup vegetable broth or make your own miso broth by adding 2 tbsp of miso into the boiling water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Blend the cheese sauce ingredients together until smooth. Set aside.
Over medium high heat, add the diced onions and garlic and cook until lightly browned (2-3 minutes).
Add in the sliced mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper, oregano and cook until the mushrooms shrink and the liquid has cooked off (7-10 minutes)
Combine the blended cheese sauce and then reduce heat to medium.

In a separate pot, bring the generously salted water / miso broth (or vegetable stock) to a boil.
Once boiling, add in the pasta cook for approximately 5 minutes until pasta is al dente
Combine the broth, noodles and sauce together in one pot.

Stir while cooking together for 8-10 minutes over medium heat, until the noodles are to your liking, and a little broth has evaporated. If at any point the liquid has cooked off too much, add in the extra 1/4 cup of broth as needed. Add salt, pepper, chili pepper to taste before serving.

Garnish with chives, scallions, or parsley.