Vegan Cashew White Sauce, added protein!

This Vegan Cashew White Sauce is just a variation on a basic white sauce.  However, by adding the cashew nuts you are adding flavour and protein to this tasty sauce.

It’s just as easy to make as a basic white sauce, but it does need extra time to soak the cashew nuts. And the reason for this is so the cashew nuts will blend to a smoother consistency in the milk.

Having been a vegan for well over 20 years, I had to learn how to make a lot of things that most people could buy ready-made in a jar or packet. Not that I am complaining as I love making sauces because it’s an opportunity to experiment and add flavours you like.

Ingredients for Vegan Cashew White Sauce

So with ingredients that most people will already have in their cupboards, you can create a super tasting sauce that beats anything in a jar, hands down!

Cashews add plant-based protein to this sauce and have many other benefits – see the article written for healthline in June 2020.

And I like to use Gram (Chickpea) Flour so this sauce can be gluten free too! (Please note – most Soya Milks are gluten free, as Soy is naturally gluten free, but some brands add gluten-containing ingredients to the milk.)

Once you have soaked the cashew nuts and blended them, this sauce is really quick and easy to make.

Start by melting the vegan butter in a pan over a low heat and add the flour. I use quite a large pan because when whisking the milk into the flour it can splash a little. Thus a large pan stops it from going everywhere.

Allow the flour to cook in the pan for 1-2 minutes before adding any milk. The reason for this is to stop the floury taste in the sauce and provide a smoother, creamier texture and flavour. However, this Vegan Cashew White Sauce will have more texture because of the blended cashew nuts.

It will be lumpy at this stage but don’t worry. By adding a small amount of milk (about 30 ml / 2 tablespoons) at a time, you can whisk the lumps out.

Just continue to add small amounts of milk between whisking into the flour mixture and it will become smooth.

When you have added all the milk you can increase the heat to thicken the sauce.

You will be able to see the bottom of the pan when stirring the sauce when thickened.

Now is the time to season well with freshly ground salt and black pepper.

Then allow the sauce to simmer over a very low heat for 2-3 minutes.

Your sauce is now ready to use in whatever recipe requires it. However, this sauce is great over roasted vegetables or anything you fancy it with! It’s so versatile and can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for a day or so. Please note that it will thicken when cold but will thin out again when reheated.

If you are reheating, do it over a low heat and stir occasionally until it reaches temperature.

Please comment below and let me know what you serve this delicious Vegan Cashew White Sauce with.