Servings
Font
Back
0 from 75 votes

Healthy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce (Vegan, No Cashews)

This healthy vegan Alfredo sauce contains no cashews, is cheesy, lusciously creamy, and surprisingly light! It's oil-free, gluten-free, and made with creamy, steamed cauliflower. It truly is impossibly delicious to be so healthy. Ready in 30 minutes!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 270 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • ⅓ cup vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons Tahini
  • 1 small/medium head cauliflower, cored and cut into equal-size florets Approx. 6 to 7 inches in diameter.
  • 1 pound Dry pasta of choice
Other sauce ingredients:
  • 1¼ cups plain, unsweetened soy milk or other non-dairy milk
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 teaspoons White miso paste
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground mustard powder, optional
  • tiny pinch of ground nutmeg or just a few passes of whole nutmeg over a microplane, optional
  • Black pepper to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Whisk together the tahini and broth. Preheat a sauté pan over medium-low. Add the garlic and tahini-broth mixture to the pan. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a blender.
  2. Rinse out the sauté pan. Add the cauliflower florets and about an inch of water. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until fork tender, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cauliflower to the blender.
  3. Add the other sauce ingredients to the blender (1 ¼ cups milk, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ cup nutritional yeast, 2 teaspoon miso, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ⅛ teaspoon mustard powder, tiny pinch of nutmeg, black pepper, to taste). Blend until velvety smooth, stopping as needed. Note: if your blender has a vent/spout in the lid, remove the cap to allow steam to escape.
  4. Cook pasta in generously salted water according to package directions then drain in a colander. Pour the alfredo sauce into the pot, return the pasta to the pot, and stir to coat. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley, lemon zest, and vegan parmesan, if desired.

Notes

  • Substitutions
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Pasta doesn't always freeze well, but the alfredo sauce can be frozen.
  • Tahini - if you don't have any or don't care for tahini, cashew or macadamia butter are good substitutes, though not nut-free. Other nut or seed butters will alter the flavor and color, though I suspect sunbutter could work!
  • Miso - since this sauce is so low in fat, miso does help to add a certain oomph and umami quality. If you don't have miso, increase salt to taste

Nutrition Information

Calories 270kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 49g (16%) Protein 13g (26%) Fat 4g (6%) Cholesterol 0mg (0%) Sodium 375mg (16%) Fiber 9g (36%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 270

% Daily Value*

Calories 270kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 49g 16%
Protein 13g 26%
Fat 4g 6%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 375mg 16%
Fiber 9g 36%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.