No-Oil, No-Butter White Sauce

By the Gracious Vegan

It took a while for me to let go of the traditional roux approach to making white sauces. But finally I was convinced to give it a try, and I must say the taste and texture are just fine. This is very versatile and can be used in pot pies, various kinds of casseroles, and as the basis for garlic pizza sauce as well. See my post Vegan Pizza Like You Wouldn’t Believe for many ideas on pizza crusts, sauces, toppings, and cooking tips.

Makes about 4 cups

Soak cashews in cold water at least 2 hours, or pour boiling water over them, cover, and let them soak 20 minutes. (You can skip this step if you have a high-speed blender.)

• 3/4 cup raw cashews

Put cashews in a blender, add these ingredients, then blend until cashews are completely smooth (1-4 minutes).

• 3 cups water

• 1/2 cup any kind of tofu

• 1/4 cup any kind of flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• (optional if you want a cheesy flavor) 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Cook the mixture over the stove over medium heat, uncovered and stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. 

Timing: if you don't have to soak the cashews, this takes about 15 minutes

Gluten-free if you use gluten-free flour