The Best Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce
Brandi Doming
2 cups sauce
Ingredients
- 1 medium white onion, diced -1 1/2 cups
- 1-2 cups low sodium vegetable broth, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 x-large (15g) minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 heaping cup (75g) raw unsalted cashews (see NOTE)
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (start with just 1 and taste after blended!)
- 2-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast I like KAL Nutritional Yeast Flakes which are fortified and unsweetened. It is gluten free and non-GMO. You can usually find nutritional yeast in the bulk section of your co-op.
Note:
- It is not recommended to sub or eliminate any of these ingredients, as I cannot vouch for the results if any are changed. The lemon juice is crucial, as it eliminates any cashew flavor.
Note:
- Soak the cashews overnight in a bowl of water, drain and rinse. Otherwise, your result will be gritty and NOT creamy. A food processor usually works better with soaked cashews versus a blender that isn’t very powerful.
Instructions
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Add the onion and 1 cup of the broth to a large pan over medium to medium-high heat. Cook for about 8 minutes until the onion is very tender. (Add a tiny bit more broth if it is cooking too fast or turn the heat down, so the onions don’t burn) After 8 minutes, add the garlic and cook a couple of minutes more, stirring often. All of the broth should have evaporated by now. If not, keep letting it cook until the broth is GONE. You don’t want any more liquid once it’s done cooking, so the end result is thick and creamy.
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Add the cooked veggies (the onion and garlic) to a blender. Start out by adding JUST 1/2 cup more of the remaining broth and add the remaining ingredients (salt, pepper, cashews, starting with JUST 1 tablespoon lemon juice, nutritional yeast-starting with just 2 tablespoons yeast). Blend on high for a couple of minutes until very creamy and smooth. Add any more broth to reach desired consistency, if necessary. I did not. If you don’t add more broth, you would likely not need any more yeast. Taste and add any more salt & pepper or lemon, if desired.
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Serve over preferred pasta. Garnish with parsley, lemon zest and salt & pepper, if desired. Add any veggies you like. I like to add broccoli or peas. Store leftovers in the fridge. The sauce will thicken up even more overnight, which you can thin out a little with a touch of broth when reheating, if necessary.
Here is a side by side nutrition for this Alfredo sauce in comparison to Olive Garden’s version:
1/2 cup serving (which is a hefty serving):
125.2 calories, 7 g fat, 5.6 g protein, 11.3 carbs
Olive Garden’s: (they use heavy cream, milk, lots of cheese and 6 egg yolks)
460 calories, 43 g fat, 9 carbs, 8 grams protein
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