if you are looking for a creamy vegan sauce that doesn’t use any cashews or nuts, and packs in lots of veggies, look no further! this recipe was made for you.
the inspiration
I love a creamy vegan sauce. There are so many ways to make them but one of my favorite ways it to use tofu. There are a ton of reasons why I love to use it but the main reason being tofu gets in some extra protein.
On weeknights when I am super tired and don’t feel like cooking up an extravagant meal, this creamy vegan sauce can pack in lots of nutrients and fiber. I make this very often and it is great for freezing as well.
It is just something I started doing I wouldn’t say there’s any true point of inspiration other than just initially trying to get in some more protein!
the ingredients
- Carrots: carrots add the sweetness to our creamy vegan sauce.
- Celery: the celery adds in sodium and an extra vegetable.
- Garlic: the garlic will also add in flavor and nutrition.
- Onion: the onion of course also adds in lots of delicious flavor. You can use any onion you want, I just had a red onion to use up so that is what I went with.
- Firm Tofu: the star of the show to help make our sauce creamy!
- Non-Dairy Milk: we will blend up the veggies and tofu with the non-dairy milk. I like to use Ripple Pea Protein milk for extra protein.
- Tomato Sauce: you can use a can of tomato sauce or I actually like to cheat and use some Rao’s. A good store-bought sauce adds in lots of flavor.
- Nutritional Yeast: I like to add in a little nutritional yeast for some extra B12 and umami.
- Seasonings: of course we need to add in some extra flavor with garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
why are we using firm tofu?
I personally like firm tofu for this recipe because it has more protein and it creates a bit of a thicker sauce than silken tofu. Because firm tofu has less water in it than silken tofu but more water than super firm, it creates a nice thick texture.
Also, firm tofu is pretty easy to find so it makes a much more accessible recipe for everyone. If you would rather use silken tofu you can.
making the creamy vegan sauce
This creamy vegan sauce is so easy to make. First, you will need to cut up all your veggies. They don’t need to be cut up super small just a rough chop. Then, you wil add all the chopped up veggies into a big pan.
From there you will add in the tofu. I just break it up with my hands and you don’t need to press it. You will also add in the tomato sauce and some water. Let this cook on the stove for 30 minutes over a low to medium low heat.
This is so important for letting the veggies soften and letting all the flavors develop. Our creamy vegan sauce has a lot of depth and flavor because of the slow cooking.
blending up the creamy vegan sauce
Once all the veggies and tofu are done cooking it is time to blend! Into a high speed blender you will add in everything we’ve cooked down. Then, you will add in some non-dairy milk, the seasonings, and nutritional yeast.
Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until everything is broken down. If you need to add in an extra tablespoon of water to help break everything down that is totally fine.
Then, once it is all blended up you are basically good to go! Our sauce is all done and we can either eat it or store it for later.
storing the creamy vegan sauce
I like to always keep my glass pasta jars after I have finished using all of them. It makes it great for storing homemade pasta sauce. I usually just store them it in there, in the fridge. The creamy vegan sauce will last in the fridge for up to 5 days.
However, you can also freeze the sauce. I bought some large silicone freezer containers and they work great for making large soup cubes or sauce cubes with. I love to keep the frozen sauce cubes on hand for busy weeknights.
All I need to do is cook up the pasta 1 to 2 minutes shorter than you would. Leave a little pasta water in there and then add in the frozen cube of sauce. The warmth will melt it and coat the pasta beautifully.
ways to enjoy the creamy vegan sauce
Of course the most common way to use this would be on pasta. But there are so many fun ways to use this sauce! You can use it to make a vegan tofu parm, use it on sandwiches, on pizza, or even use in soups!
There are so many fun ways to use this sauce. It is so delicious and just great for keeping on hand.
vegan creamy sauce faq
- Is this recipe soy free? No, it does use firm tofu. However, if you want to swap it out for a soy free tofu you can.
- Is this recipe nut free? Yes.
- Is this recipe gluten free? Yes.
- How long does this sauce last in the fridge? Up to 5 days.
- How long does it last when frozen? Up to 2 months.
- Can I add more veggies to this? Sure, I love adding in bell pepper, cauliflower, whole tomatoes, or zucchini. I would advise against using something very dark green as it will change the color.
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Creamy Vegan Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 2 carrots peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 celery rib roughly chopped
- ½ Vidalia or sweet onion roughly chopped
- ½ block firm tofu broken into pieces with hands
- ⅓ cup non-dairy milk unsweetened and unflavored
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons agave optional
Instructions
- In a large pan add the chopped carrot, onion, celery, garlic, tomato sauce, tofu, and 1 cup (250ml) water. Let it cook on the stove for 30 minutes over low heat. If you are seeing too much water be cooked out and it looks dry add another ¼ cup (60ml) of water.
- After cooking transfer it into a blender. If using glass be careful as to not add in hot contents, let everything cool. Then, add in the non-dairy milk, seasonings, and nutritional yeast. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until creamy and smooth.
- After blending give it a taste and I like to add in agave for additional sweetness.
- You can then transfer into a jar and store in the fridge, store in cubes in the freezer, or use right away!
Video
Notes
- Nutrition facts are based on my gram measurements put into Cronometer. Yours may vary, they are to help you get an idea.
- Please do not repost recipes without my permission. Sharing a direct link is always highly encouraged and appreciated.
- If when blending you need to add in additional 2 to 3 tablespoons of water at a time to help the blender that is okay.
- For the tomato sauce you can use pretty much any form of tomato sauce you like. Whether is tomato sauce from a jar, canned tomato sauce or tomato puree/passata as well. You can also use crushed tomatoes or even whole grape tomatoes and tomato paste. This recipe is very flexible.
When do you add the tofu???
Hi Ilem, I apologize thank you for catching my mistake. In the beginning in step 1.
I’m needing to have limited or no tomatoes in my diet. Are they essential to this? Anything I could substitute.,
Hi Debbi, well it is a creamy tomato sauce recipe. But if you would to omit the tomato sauce and add in a chopped bell pepper with some extra water and then blend that would make a delicious creamy pepper sauce.