Vegan Kimchi Mac n Cheese
Mac and cheese is an elite comfort meal however it can be even better with an upgrade.
I really love making mac n cheese flavour editions. This version is Korean kimchi flavour.
The kimchi brings a slight spice and tang to the usually creamy and mild pasta dish giving it a real kick.
As usual it has a thick, creamy cheesy sauce but with the addition of the kimchi juice into the sauce and the kimchi pieces mixed into the pasta.
It’s the perfect fusion dish that will become your new favourite comfort meal.
Vegan mac n cheese with kimchi ingredients and substitutes-
- Macaroni- Macaroni does work well to capture the sauce but you could use any pasta for this recipe.
- Kimchi- The best kimchi is always found refrigerated. Kimchi is a fermented and the jarred version is usually heat treated to keep it shelf stable but causes the kimchi to lose health benefits and flavour. Also some kimchi is made with shrimp paste so if you want to keep it vegan be sure to check out the ingredients list.
- Cheese- For this recipe I used a melty vegan cheese to ensure cheesy, stretchy goodness. I also like a stronger flavoured cheese in my mac n cheese so I chose my cheese accordingly.
- Milk- To make the sauce a good consistency I used an unsweetened soy milk. I find soy milk the best for cooking savoury dishes as it’s the least sweet and doesn’t have a strong flavour. You can use any milk you like.
- Butter- I use nuttelex buttery to add another layer of richness to the dish and to form the base of the roux. You can also use oil for the base of the roux.
- Nutritional yeast- Nutritional yeast is the savoury, cheesey powerhouse of vegan cooking and if it belongs in any dish a mac n cheese is it. I’ve added nooch measurements here but honestly just go crazy with the nooch and taste the sauce as you go. I want my mac n cheese as cheesy as humanly possible ha!
- Salt- As there is a lot of savoury going on in here already be sure to season and taste before adding more.
FAQ-
- Can I add protein to this?- Sure, I would recommend a tempeh or tofu crumble on top, just food process tempeh or tofu, season and bake to crispy crumble topping perfection.
- Can I reheat this?- This kimchi mac is best served fresh, I am usually queen of taking leftovers but it really doesn’t reheat too well so get ready to eat it all up in one night! It wont be hard as I think you’ll be wanting second portions anyways!
Kimchi mac n cheese
Creamy, cheesy macaroni pasta with a spicy Korean kimchi kick. The prefect fusion dish that will become your new comfort food obsession.
Ingredients
- 150 g Macaroni dry weight
- 200 g Kimchi
- 200 g Cheese
- 500 ml Milk
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Plain flour
- 3 tbsp Nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
Instructions
- Boil the macaroni to packet instructions.
- Squeeze the juice out of the kimchi and set aside.
- Chop up the remaining kimchi.
- In a sauce pan on low heat melt the butter and then add the flour.
- Slowly add the milk small amounts at a time an continuously whisk.
- Once a thick sauce has come together add the kimchi juice, cheese, kimchi, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Spice- If you don’t like really spicy foods you can just add a little kimchi, the flavour of kimchi still works really well in this in small amounts.
Sauce consistency- The amount of milk listed in the ingredients is just a guide as different flours vary in absorbency so be sure to add the milk bit by bit to ensure your mac n cheese sauce consistency is perfect!
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