DAIRY-FREE BUTTERNUT-CHEESE SAUCE, dairy-free. fodmap friendly options, lower-fat cholesterol

 Fabulous dairy-free Butternut Cheese Sauce ...so good many prefer it!

first posted 2020; updated 10/2024

Brown Rice & Butternut Cheese Sauce, mini beef meatballs & green of spring onion 

Going dairy-free with cheese sauce isn't easy but with so many decent-tasting vegan dairy products available now your taste buds will consider it worthwhile.

After all, less dairy is better for your cholesterol levels and overall health.  If you can reproduce the richness and flavour of a proper cheese sauce with vegan products, why not?  Even better if you can do it without any E-numbers!

Cheese Sauce enhanced with Butternut Squash is surprisingly easy to prepare. The previously posted recipe with dairy is here

Obviously the no-dairy option costs more but the recipe makes enough for several servings and leftovers freeze well.  If you're vegan anyway the cost-quantity ratio works out fine. 

The sauce goes beautifully with pasta (photo below), rice (as in  photo above), cauliflower, baked potatoes, cheesy dips, bread-bowl appetisers, omelette fillings and Welsh rarebit.

One note of caution: Cathedral City vegan cheese replaced conventional cheese in this recipe and really does taste like proper cheddar.  Our tester liked the fact that the sauce wasn't overwhelmingly cheesy but some might want an extra few handfuls of cheese in the sauce or scattered over the top for a deeper cheesy flavour.  

Cost: £5.50'ish

Makes: 5 cups or 7-8 x 2/3 cup portions

Ingredients:

   1 medium butternut squash (5'ish cups)

   1 large brown onion, about 100g/3.5oz (fodmap: replace with equiv trimmed fennel) 

   2 cloves garlic, peeled (fodmap: roast garlic & squeeze out puree OR leave out)

   1.25 cups vegetable broth (granules ok)

   min 1 cup-max 1.5 cups plant milk (67 used 1 cup almond milk)

   

   2-3 tsp Dijon mustard   

   1.25 tsp celery salt

   1/2 tsp salt

   1.25 tsp pepper

   1/4 tsp turmeric

   1.25 tsp smoked paprika

   1/2 tsp cayenne powder

   1.25 tsp nutmeg

   2 tbsp lemon juice

   113.5g/4oz vegan cream cheese 

   min 141.75gm/5oz plant cheddar (67 used Cathedral City plant cheddar) 

   3g/1oz grated dairy/plant Parmesan

scant cup of packaged breadcrumbs OR pulse stale bread in food processor until coarse crumbs form (opt))

   

Method:

1. Peel squash; remove seeds, cut into small'ish chunks.  
2. Peel onion/fennel: (if fennel has tough outer leaves. remove; break fennel into leaves and place in a 1-9 solution of white wine vinegar and water; drain, clean leaves thoroughly) 
3. Place with broth and garlic if using in a large, heavy bottomed pan; bring to a boil; reduce heat to med; partially cover; bubble gently 10-15 mins until squash is soft (could take up to 25 mins) 
4. Take pan off heat but leave it on; add plant milk, mustard and spices; place back on med heat. Add vegan cheeses; when melted, stir in lemon juice.
5. Turn off heat; move pan; process sauce with stick blender or, in stages, bowl blender until smooth and pourable  
6. If sauce is too thick, add more milk tablespoon by tablespoon until desired consistency is achieved.  If too thin, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch or rice flour with a tablespoon cold water; pour in bit by bit until the desired thickness is reached
7. Taste; adjust seasoning if needed (if using vegan cheddar, you may need  an extra 1/4 cup cheese to deepen flavour)
8. Crispy Breadcrumbs: Pour a generous tablespoon veg oil or a couple of tablespoons melted dairy or plant butter over crumbs; mix thoroughly; scatter over pasta before baking

Comments:

'The Butternut Squash Cheese Sauce over brown rice was lovely; sort of fluffy & light and definitely not stodgy.  I liked the fact that it wasn't too cheesy.  I suppose more cheese sprinkled on top might have made a difference but frankly I wasn't bothered.  I'm looking forward to trying it on other things.'  Retired writer

 

Tips:

• Leftovers: Store in one-or-two person portions (see below)
• Mac & Butternut Cheese Sauce: Portion dried pasta per person 75-85gm/2.6-3oz; pre cook pasta until just done; drain, then either:
• stovetop mac'n cheese: fry breadcrumbs until buttery and crisp; pour enough hot sauce over cooked pasta to coat, scatter breadcrumbs over 
• 
• 
  
• 
  
oven-baked Mac & cheese; pour scant 2/3 cup sauce per person over drained cooked pasta, top with breadcrumbs; bake at 200C/400F 20'ish mins or until sauce is bubbling and breadcrumbs are crisp

• Mac & Cauli Cheese: measure 2/3 your usual amount of pasta per person plus the final 1/3 in cauliflower florets the same size as pasta pieces; add pasta to a opan of boiling water, adding the cauli during the last 7-8 mins of cooking; when both are al dente, drain and continue as with Mac & Butternut Squash Sauce above.  

If using storage bags for freezing: 

• Place empty bag in a mug, open bag, fold opposite sides over lip
• Pour in sauce; generous 2/3 cup for 1 portion; 1 & 1/3 cup for 2 etc.; seal
• Freeze flat for easier storage 
• Defrost at least overnight; reheat slowly until bubbling gently; whisk if necessary; simmer 5 mins, add a little plant milk or stock if sauce is too thick  
• If sauce is too thin, mix a tbsp of rice flour or corn flour with a tablespoon cold water and pour slowoly into sauce, stirring continuously until it thickens  
• Check seasoning; add more cheese if you like; for a bit of spice, add 1/8 tsp cayenne OR a tiny amount of Chilli Crisp

Storing liquids in a sealable bag

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.