This chicken dumpling soup is the ultimate comfort meal with tender chicken, fresh veggies, and fluffy homemade dumplings all simmered in one pot. It’s easy to make, hearty, and ready in under an hour—perfect for a cozy, satisfying dinner any night of …
This chicken dumpling soup is the ultimate comfort meal with tender chicken, fresh veggies, and fluffy homemade dumplings all simmered in one pot. It’s easy to make, hearty, and ready in under an hour—perfect for a cozy, satisfying dinner any night of the week!
Comforting creamy chicken noodle soup has fresh vegetables, chicken, and pasta in a creamy broth. This soup is quick and easy to make with either raw or cooked chicken.
Comforting creamy chicken noodle soup has fresh vegetables, chicken, and pasta in a creamy broth. This soup is quick and easy to make with either raw or cooked chicken.
Fall is near, but summer veggies are still here. Enter: A cozy soup with a mix of fall and summer produce! This easy, flavorful, 1-pot minestrone is LOADED with veggies and white beans for a fiber- and nutrient-packed dish.
It’s light yet satisfy…
Fall is near, but summer veggies are still here. Enter: A cozy soup with a mix of fall and summer produce! This easy, flavorful, 1-pot minestrone is LOADED with veggies and white beans for a fiber- and nutrient-packed dish.
It’s light yet satisfying, comes together with simple ingredients and methods, and is perfect for the seasonal transition. Grab your bread because soup is on!
We’ve shared a minestrone recipe before and this one is similar…but with a twist: potatoes instead of pasta!
This Cashew Cheddar Cheese Sauce is made with just a few simple ingredients (no tapioca starch!), yet is decadent, creamy, cheesy, and packed with the perfect amount of spice! All you need is 30 minutes to make this easy recipe.
This Cashew Cheddar Cheese Sauce is made with just a few simple ingredients (no tapioca starch!), yet is decadent, creamy, cheesy, and packed with the perfect spice! All you need is 30 minutes to make this easy recipe.
Get ready for vegan gold my friends. Really – you’re going to want to put this Vegan Chipotle Cashew Cheddar Cheese sauce on EVERYTHING.
It’s made using whole foods and is just as versatile as our wildly popular Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce, but kicked up a notch with the heat of chipotle in adobo. Pair it with your favorite Crispy Potatoes, Baked Potatoes, Tortilla Chips, or anything that needs a drizzle of creamy cheese sauce.
You won’t regret having this vegan sauce waiting for you in the fridge!
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
Yukon gold potatoes: The creaminess of Yukon gold potatoes makes the best vegan cheese sauce consistency. Don’t worry, you won’t taste the potatoes at all!
Carrots: Adds color, a hint of sweetness, and additional creaminess to the sauce.
Raw cashews: Adds richness, creaminess, and a velvety mouthfeel that mimics the smooth texture of dairy cheese sauces. Just make sure to use raw cashews with no additives.
Almond milk: We like to use our Homemade Almond Milk because we find it to be more creamy than store-bought varieties, but feel free to opt for your favorite unsweetened store-bought version.
Nutritional yeast: Adds a cheesy, umami flavor and healthy dose of B vitamins without any dairy! If you’re shopping for nutritional yeast flakes for the first time, look near the spices. Our favorite brand is Bragg’s.
Chipotle pepper in adobo: Many cashew cheddar cheese sauces are plain, but we love the added kick of a chipotle pepper! Depending on your spice preference, you may prefer more or less chipotle in adobo. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
Fresh lemon juice: Adds a bright acidity that balances the creaminess and fats. Apple cider vinegar is a good alternative if needed.
Spices: A simple blend of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder tie all the flavors together!
Full measurements are listed down below in the complete recipe card.
Boil the potatoes, carrots, and cashews. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the potatoes, carrots, and carrots. Simmer for 20 minutes over medium heat or until the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender and the cashew nuts are softened.
Transfer to a high-speed blender. Once the potatoes and carrots are easily pierced with a fork, drain the excess water and transfer the potato medley to a high-speed blender.
Add remaining ingredients. Add in the unsweetened almond milk, nutritional yeast, chipotle pepper in adobo, lemon juice, sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Blend on high until completely smooth.
Serve. Enjoy this vegan cheese sauce while warm or at room temperature, as desired.
Serving Suggestions
What can’t you serve this cheese sauce with?! Add it to any meal that needs a savory, cheesy boost of flavor, or simply enjoy it as an easy appetizer or afternoon snack. If you need ideas, here are our favorite ways to use this creamy sauce:
Can I make this vegan cheese sauce recipe nut-free?
Yes! Swap the raw cashews with 1/2 cup of Great Northern white beans or cannellini beans and use nut-free plant-based milk. Unsweetened soy milk is a great alternative.
Will any potato work in place of the Yukon gold potatoes?
If you’re out of gold potatoes, swap in another peeled white potato, such as russet.
I don’t have a high-powered blender. Can I make this cheese sauce in a food processor?
A blender is best for making velvety smooth sauces and dips from scratch, but if all you have is a food processor, give it a go! It won’t be as smooth as a blender, but it will be close.
How long will leftover cheddar cheese sauce keep?
Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container, such as a mason jar or glass Tupperware.
Can I freeze this cheese sauce?
We haven’t tested it, but it would likely work well. If you’d like to give it a try, make the cheese sauce as instructed, then allow it to cool completely to room temperature. Transfer to a freezer-safe container, such as a wide-mouth mason jar, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the microwave or stovetop.
Quick Tips
Blend until just smooth! Because this cheese sauce contains potatoes, you don’t want to over-blend. Overdoing it will break down the starch in the potatoes and make the creamy texture more gluey and gummy.
Keep it in a condiment bottle. If you plan on using this vegan cheddar cheese sauce as a drizzle for all your favorite savory recipes, invest in a reusable condiment bottle. It will make it real quick and easy to drizzle it on top of everything!
Make sure your milk is unsweetened! Unfortunately, many plant-based milks sold in stores are labeled as unsweetened but still have an oddly sweet, perfume-like flavor. We recommend tasting your milk before adding it to the cheese sauce. If it has that artificially sweet flavor, it will ruin the savory flavor of your sauce.
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos!
This Cashew Cheddar Cheese Sauce is made with just a few simple ingredients (no tapioca starch!), yet is decadent, creamy, cheesy, and packed with the perfect amount of spice! All you need is 30 minutes to make this easy recipe.
Ingredients
2 cups peeled and chopped Yukon gold potatoes
1 cup peeled and chopped carrots
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 chipotle pepper in adobo
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Black pepper to taste, if desired
Instructions
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and place the potatoes, carrots, and cashews in once boiling. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain and transfer to a high-speed blender.
Add the remaining ingredients into the blender and blend until completely smooth.
Serve with your favorite crackers and veggies as a dip or use it as a cheese sauce over baked potatoes, french fries, steamed broccoli, etc.!
Notes
If you have leftovers, store them in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To make this recipe nut-free, you can use 1/2 cup of great northern white beans or cannellini beans in place of the cashews, and a nut-free plant-based milk of your choice.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional’s advice. This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!
Chicken Wild Rice Soup is a hearty and creamy meal in a bowl, loaded with earthy and savory flavors with chicken or turkey, mushrooms, veggies and wild rice.
Chicken Wild Rice Soup is a hearty and creamy meal in a bowl, loaded with earthy and savory flavors with chicken or turkey, mushrooms, veggies and wild rice.
Homemade chicken noodle casserole is a comforting dish made from scratch with tender chicken, loads of veggies, egg noodles, and a creamy, flavorful sauce. It’s perfect for family dinners and a great way to use up leftover chicken!
Homemade chicken noodle casserole is a comforting dish made from scratch with tender chicken, loads of veggies, egg noodles, and a creamy, flavorful sauce. It's perfect for family dinners and a great way to use up leftover chicken!
Ramen Noodle Salad is a potluck favorite! This easy salad has crisp cabbage and ramen noodles tossed together in a simple sweet Asian vinaigrette! Top with sunflower seeds or toasted almonds for a delicious nutty crunch!
Ramen Noodle Salad is a potluck favorite! This easy salad has crisp cabbage and ramen noodles tossed together in a simple sweet Asian vinaigrette! Top with sunflower seeds or toasted almonds for a delicious nutty crunch!
What makes this Brazilian Carrot Cake better than a regular carrot cake? The chocolate topping, of course! If you’ve never had Brazilian Carrot Cake, prepare to have your cake expectations completely redefined. Unlike the spiced, cream cheese-top…
What makes this Brazilian Carrot Cake better than a regular carrot cake? The chocolate topping, of course! If you’ve never had Brazilian Carrot Cake, prepare to have your cake expectations completely redefined. Unlike the spiced, cream cheese-topped versions that we all know and love, this Brazilian-inspired gem is a sunshiny, orange-hued cake that’s incredibly soft...
This article was written and published by Oh My Veggies. It may not be reproduce or republished without permission of the author. The original article can be found here: Brazilian Carrot Cake.
Here are the best sauteed carrots you’ll ever have! The perfect easy side dish, they’re made with just 3 ingredients…
Here are the best sauteed carrots you’ll ever have! The perfect easy side dish, they’re made with just 3 ingredients and done in 10 minutes. As cookbook authors, this is a method we turn to again and again!
Why we love this recipe
Maybe “sauteed carrots” doesn’t sound like an impressive recipe. But believe me, these really are the perfect sauteed carrots! When Alex first made these for me, and I could not believe the flavor. “What is IN these?” I kept asking.
Turns out they’re very simple. These are the most tender, buttery, savory, coins, with a hint of herbaceous fresh thyme and chives. They taste like the best carrots you’ve ever had: but they only have 3 ingredients and take 10 minutes! As two cookbook authors who have made thousands of recipes, these stand out as a fast favorite.
Ingredients to make sauteed carrots
All you need is a handful of ingredients and you’ll have the best sauteed carrots you’ve tasted! We might give up on our roasted carrots altogether, because these carrots are so fast and taste just as good—or better. Here’s what you need:
Carrots: we used medium sized carrots from a large bag, but of course you can use fancy rainbow carrots too! (More about carrots here.)
Olive oil: All you need is olive oil for great carrots—surprisingly, they come out tasting buttery!
Fresh herbs: Fresh thyme is perfect with carrots. We recommend finding fresh herbs for the flavor and beautiful green color against the orange!
Salt: Like every recipe, you’ll also need kosher salt (so it’s 3 ingredients, without the salt).
Tips for how to make sauteed carrots—perfectly
Sauteed carrots are quick and simple; here’s what to do:
Peel and slice the carrots. We like slicing them on the bias (diagonally) for a nice look.
Cover and cook for 4 minutes: no stirring! This is the step that’s different from other sauteed vegetables. For carrots, you’ll cover and cook first. This helps to keep moisture inside the pan and has an effect of steaming while you’re sauteing.
Uncover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring. Sauté comes from the French word “to jump,” so you keep the food moving as much as possible. Add the salt and fresh herbs, and you’re done!
Herbs that pair well with carrots
This sauteed carrots recipe is full of flavor from the fresh herbs, which taste much more vibrant versus dried herbs. You can truly taste a difference! The pop of the green herbs against the bright orange also looks stunning. You can usually find fresh herbs in the refrigerated section in your grocery, or if it’s the season herbs are easy to grow! You can use various fresh herbs in this recipe: here’s what we’d recommend:
Thyme: Thyme pairs well with carrots, so this is our top choice for herbs.
Chives: Chives are also a fantastic flavor combination with carrots. We happened to have some in our garden, so we used a combination of fresh thyme and chives for this recipe.
Basil: Peppery basil would also work.
Oregano: Oregano is similar to thyme, and also pairs well with carrots.
Dill: Dill has a more distinctive flavor, but it’s often paired with carrots since they’re part of the same plant family.
A few variations on sauteed carrots
The flavors of these sauteed carrots are distinctly Mediterranean. If you’d like to change them up to fit well with another cuisine, you can try:
Cumin and lime. Add ¼ teaspoon cumin and spritz with lime juice, and they work with Mexican style meals.
Soy and sesame. Swap the salt for a few shakes of soy sauce, and top with toasted sesame seeds and these carrots work with Asian style meals.
Greek seasoning. Add a few shakes of Greek seasoning instead of the herbs.
Ways to serve sauteed carrots
These sauteed carrots work well as a healthy side dish for lots of different mains! What’s nice is that they’re made on the stovetop, so you can keep the oven free for baking or roasting. Here’s what we’d pair with this tasty vegetable recipe:
Here are the best sauteed carrots you’ll ever have! The perfect easy side dish, they’re made with just 3 ingredients and done in 10 minutes. As two cookbook authors, this is a method we turn to again and again!
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or other fresh herbs — we used a combination of thyme and chives)
Instructions
Peel the carrots and slice them diagonally into rounds (on the bias).
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the carrots and cover. Cook for 4 minutes without stirring.
Remove the lid, stir, and add the ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Continue to saute uncovered 3 to 4 minutes until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh herbs and a few more pinches kosher salt to taste. Serve immediately. Leftovers store up to 4 days refrigerated; reheat gently on the stovetop.
These DIY salad bar ideas are easy to prep for a satisfying meal! Load up a plate with salad toppings…
These DIY salad bar ideas are easy to prep for a satisfying meal! Load up a plate with salad toppings for an easy dinner on a weeknight or feeding a crowd.
Not everyone loves vegetables. But almost everyone can get behind a good salad bar! We love the concept of salad bar for an easy dinner idea—something about calling it “salad bar” makes it more glamorous!
There are certain salad toppings that scream salad bar and make it even more special, like peas, hard-boiled eggs, or cottage cheese (or bacon bits!). Below, we’re sharing our favorite salad bar ideas so that you can recreate this simple weeknight dinner yourself.
Top salad bar ideas
The key to making a salad bar into a filling meal is to offer good protein options. If you’re making a vegetarian or vegan salad bar, use ingredients with plant based protein like beans, legumes, and nuts. Here are our top salad bar ideas for building your own at home (or jump to the recipe):
Greens: Romaine lettuce, spinach, and mixed baby greens.
Hard boiled eggs: With 6 grams of protein each, eggs are also one of the most nutrient-filled vegetarian protein sources around.
Chicken: Make a recipe of pan seared chicken and slice it into strips of cubes.
Cheese: Cheese is a great vegetarian protein: try shredded cheese, cheese cubes, or cottage cheese.
Legumes: Try green peas, cooked lentils (like brown lentils or French lentils), black-eyed peas, and beans, like garbanzo beans / chickpeas, black beans, lima beans, white beans, or kidney beans.
Croutons: Top it all off with crunchy homemade croutons and your salad bar will be a hit.
Tips for prep
The key to making a salad bar at home? Allow some prep time for all the vegetables; it does take a bit of time for cleaning and chopping. We like preparing extra veggies to use for lunches or dinners for days later. If you’re a hard-boiled egg fan like we are, make them in advance or leave enough time for easy prep (about 30 minutes total).
Salad dressings for a salad bar
Another key to salad bar dinner is a good salad dressing! We have a whole collection of delicious homemade salad dressings that are perfect for salad bar ideas. Honestly, we like leaning into classic salad bar nostalgia with ideas like Thousand Island and Blue Cheese! Here are some of our favorite salad dressing recipes to use on salad bar night:
Wash and chop the vegetables; place them in serving bowls.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas or beans, if using.
Make the salad dressing. Serve!
Notes
These salad bar ideas are a meal concept, not a recipe: get creative and customize your toppings based on your preferences and what you have on hand! Add cooked meat for a non-vegetarian option. For a vegetarian option, be sure to include enough protein-filled items to satisfy, like eggs, chickpeas, cheese, and nuts.
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