Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce

By andreajayros

Ingredients

• 1 medium white onion, chopped (make sure to measure out 1 1/2 cups of chopped onion)
• 1-2 cups low sodium vegetable broth, separated
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3-4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 heaping cup raw whole cashews (75 g, 2.6 oz) (soaked for 2-4 hours in hot water if you don't have a high powered blender)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or more to your taste, I added a little more, do not omit!)
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 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.
• Also, if you don't have a high powered blender like a Vitamix, it is crucial to pre-soak the cashews so they soften and the sauce ends up smooth and creamy, and not gritty. Drain them and rinse after soaking.

Details

Servings 3
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 20mins
Adapted from thevegan8.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Add the onion and ONLY 1 cup of the broth to a large pan over medium-low 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 several minutes, add the garlic and cook a couple of minutes more. All of the broth should have evaporated by now. If not, keep letting it cook until the broth has evaporated. You don't want any more liquid once it's done cooking, so the end result is thick and creamy.
2. Add the cooked veggies (the onion and garlic) to a blender. Start out by just adding 3/4 cup more of the remaining broth and add the remaining ingredients (salt, pepper, cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast). Blend on high for a couple of minutes until very creamy and smooth. Add any more broth to reach desired consistency, if necessary. Taste and add any more salt & pepper, if desired. If you're feeling adventurous, you can add in a tablespoon of vegan butter.

3. Serve over preferred pasta.(Trader Joes rice quinoa rotelle is amazing!) Garnish with parsley, lemon zest and salt & pepper, if desired. 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 desired.

- See more at: http://thevegan8.com/2013/12/28/vegan-garlic-alfredo-sauce/#sthash.6JQ5X1Oy.j1VPq9jD.dpuf
Here’s a little side by side nutrition for my alfredo sauce in comparison to Olive Garden’s alfredo sauce….a little shocking:

Mine per 1/2 cup serving which is a hefty serving:

125.2 calories, 7 g fat, 5.6 g protein, 11.3 carbs

and Olive Garden’s: (they use heavy cream, milk, lots of cheese and 6 egg yolks, see here)

460 calories, 43 g fat!!, 9 carbs, 8 grams protein

- See more at: http://thevegan8.com/2013/12/28/vegan-garlic-alfredo-sauce/#sthash.6JQ5X1Oy.j1VPq9jD.dpuf