This is so exciting to be posting recipes again to go with the new YouTube videos! I have so many recipes that I want to film, it’s kind of crazy.
But lets start with this easy and delicious smoked gouda cheese sauce recipe. It couldn’t be simpler to make as you do it all in the blender. If you’ve been following my recipes, you know that I love to make sauces even simpler by using an instant thickener for my blender sauces. This makes it so you don’t need to cook them at all, which saves so much time!
So here’s the scoop on the instant thickeners. For years I’ve been using something called Instant Clearjel (the instant not the regular). It’s pretty amazing stuff, and is simply an instant non-GMO cornstarch. Bakeries have used it for over 50 years as an easy and much more effective thickener for pie fillings (as you don’t have to bake the pies as long, potentially burning the crust while you wait for the filling to thicken). It also works to keep your homemade cookies fresher longer, by adding a tablespoon in with your dry ingredients. You can also make amazing freezer jams (like I posted here). But these are just a few of the fun things it does, which is nothing compared to how you can thicken sauces easily in the blender!
I recently discovered a product that is very similar to Instant Clearjel, but better! It’s called E-Z Gel and is made by Cornaby’s (which is a small family-run business in Utah). It actually works better because it incorporates into your sauces better. I like to think of it as a 2.0 version of Instant Clearjel. It’s also packed in a gluten-free facility, which then makes it extra safe if you’re Celiac or sensitive to gluten (like I am).
Anyway, I can talk for hours about this stuff, but will save it for future posts. If you would like to check the E-Z Gel out, here is a link to the product on Amazon. Oh, and if you don’t know about vegan lactic acid powder, you can find it here. Lactic acid powder will give the cheese sauce some cheesy-tang in a really nice and delicious way. It’s a different flavor than adding vinegar. I really like to use this in some of my sauces.
The smoked gouda cheese sauce. It’s perfect on anything, but especially tossed with cooked gluten-free (or regular) macaroni, as the sauce in a casserole, drizzled over steamed veggies, or any place you want a smoky creamy sauce. It should last in your fridge for close to a week.
Let me know if you make it. I’d love to hear! You can also tag me on social media @julieskitchenette.
xo Julie
Vegan Smoked Gouda Cheese Sauce
This sauce makes the best mac and cheese when you toss it with cooked macaroni! It's also good on sandwiches (in place of mayo) or in any dish where you want a smoky creamy sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain, unsweetened soy milk
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup raw unsalted cashews, soak if you don't have a high-powdered blender
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 to 3 teaspoons liquid smoke, to taste
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil (not refined)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vegan lactic acid
- 3 to 4 tablespoons E-Z Gel or Instant Clearjel, depending how thick you want it
Instructions
In a blender jar, add the soy milk, water, cashews, nutritional yeast flakes, 2 to 3 teaspoons liquid smoke (it depends how smoky you want it), melted coconut oil, liquid aminos, salt, and lactic acid. Blend until super smooth and there are no bits of cashews. With the blender running on low speed, carefully add 3 tablespoons of the instant thickener through the top of the blender. Increase speed to high and blend for 10 seconds to mix. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes and blend well until smooth. If you're sauce is not thick enough, add another tablespoon of thickener and blend again until smooth.
HIP HIP HOORAY! 🙂 I look forward to seeing all of the delicious things you are going to be creating 🙂
Thank you Josh!
This sounds pretty good. I am curious to try that Instant Clearjel but I wondered about the amount of liquid smoke in the recipe – One tablespoon is very strong! Do you think it should be more like one teaspoon? I think I will start small and add it incrementally at the end to make sure it is not too strong. JD
JD Barton you can totally add the liquid smoke to taste. I will make a note in the recipe about that. It really just depends how smoky you want it.
Hi, Julie! this looks great! I found a local (well, on Vancouver island, anyway) source of Ultra-Gel for a pretty good price. Is it Ultra-Gel’s usefulness in hot liquids that makes it preferable to Instant Clear Jel, in your opinion? Or are there more benefits? I have lots of ICJ left to use up, but would get the Ultra-gel when that runs out if it’s more versatile. Also, I have seen some advice saying that you need to use twice as much Ultra-Gel as ICJ, but your recipe doesn’t indicate that– is that a myth? Thanks for your help, AND your great recipes! Cheers, Bry
Thanks Bryanna! I have been using them interchangeably, but you may need to add a little more Ultra (or E-Z) Gel than the Instant Clearjel. I actually have found that even when using ICJ I sometimes need to adjust the amount. I’ve heard that it can be from whether or not the gel has absorbed moisture from the air. So I adjust it accordingly.
I’ve also heard that the main difference is that the Ultra or E-Z Gel can be whisked into sauces easier unlike the ICJ. I still need to do a lot more playing with it in recipes. I’ve also found that both gels work really well in a tofu lasagna filling, if you don’t want it to weep water during baking. There are so many interesting ways to use it!