Vegan Kimchi Mac’n Cheese
This vegan kimchi mac’n cheese recipe is excerpted from Joanne Lee Molinaro’s brand-new cookbook The Korean Vegan: Homemade. Click here to order a copy.
Kimchi & Mac’n Cheese – A Match Made in Heaven
Here’s what Joanne Lee Molinaro says about this recipe in her new cookbook:
“When I asked my brother why he wouldn’t consider going vegan, his answer was simple: ‘The only thing Liam [his then three-year- old son] will eat is mac ’n’ cheese. Literally.’ I am not a parent of a toddler. While it’s easy for me to sit on my pedestal and think, ‘Well, you should teach him to like something other than mac ’n’ cheese!’ or ‘That doesn’t mean you all have to eat mac ’n’ cheese!’
I decided the simplest solution was to introduce my brother to one of my favorite recipes of all time, my vegan Kimchi Mac ’n’ Cheese. I’ve made this recipe so many times I have it memorized. Liam is still a little too young to appreciate the kimchi part of this recipe, but my brother is not! And neither are you!”
We Tried the Recipe – Here’s Our Verdict
This recipe is an absolute winner! It’s easy to make, SO flavorful and unique! This is also the perfect recipe to make to impress the most skeptical of non-vegans!
So, if you’re looking for a cozy, comforting recipe that effortlessly combines Korean and American flavors, this is it! Read on to find out more about the cookbook it’s excerpted from. For the full recipe, check out the step by step instructions, as well as the recipe card below.
The Korean Vegan: Homemade – A Cookbook That Belongs in Every Kitchen
Joanne Lee Molinaro’s debut cookbook, the James Beard Award winning and New York Times Bestselling The Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes from Omma’s Kitchen, is the perfect introduction to traditional Korean cuisine and how to veganize it without sacrificing flavor. The author’s sophomore cookbook, The Korean Vegan: Homemade: Recipes and Stories From My Kitchen, combines even more plant-based traditional Korean recipes with plenty of Korean-inspired dishes (such as this Kimchi Mac’n Cheese).
It celebrates Korean cuisine and teaches those readers who may be new to it how to identify, cook with, and ultimately master Korean ingredients like gochujang (a red chili paste), gochugaru (a type of dried chili powder), and kimchi (a side dish consisting of salted and fermented vegetables). This book is a 400+ page masterpiece that is suitable for beginners, experts, vegans and non-vegans alike.
Anyone who follows Joanne Lee Molinaro on social media knows that her ultimate superpower is her storytelling. If you love the stories she frequently shares online and the ones from her first book, you’ll absolutely love this book! For a little sneak peek into the book, enjoy this Vegan Kimchi Mac’n Cheese recipe!
Vegan Kimchi Mac’n Cheese – Ingredients You’ll Need
The following is an overview of the ingredients needed to make the recipe. For the exact measurements, please refer to the recipe card at the end of this article.
For the Vegan Kimchi Queso
- Condiments: vegetable oil, gochujang, kimchi liquid, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, maple syrup.
- Spices: gochugaru (Korean red chili flakes), ground turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin.
- Vegetables: russet potato, onion, garlic, scallion, cabbage kimchi (you can find a homemade recipe in the cookbook, as well as on The Korean Vegan’s blog (click here to view it).
- Nuts: raw cashews.
- Other ingredients: unsweetened plant-based milk, fresh lemon juice.
For the Vegan Kimchi Mac’n Cheese
- Pasta: elbow macaroni (can substitute gluten-free macaroni)
- Dairy alternatives: vegan butter
- Flour: all-purpose flour (can substitute cornstarch)
- Kimchi: chopped cabbage kimchi (as for the kimchi queso, you can find a homemade vegan kimchi recipe in Joanne Lee Molinaro’s cookbook, as well as on The Korean Vegan’s blog (click here to view it)
- Kimchi Queso: ingredients listed separately above.
Recommended Equipment & Products
How to Make This Recipe Step by Step
Step One: Make the Base for the Vegan Kimchi Mac’n Cheese Sauce
In a small pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the potatoes, onion, garlic, scallion whites, kimchi, gochugaru, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and cashews and cook until the veggies begin to brown, about 3 minutes.
Add the gochujang and stir until all the vegetables are evenly coated. Add the soy sauce to deglaze the pot and stir. Add 1/2 cup of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the vegetables until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
Step Two: Blend the Vegan Kimchi Mac’n Cheese Sauce
Carefully pour the vegetable mixture into a high-powered blender. Add the nutritional yeast, kimchi liquid, plant-based milk, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Blend on high until smooth, about 1 minute.
TIP: If you’re making this vegan kimchi queso sauce ahead of time, allow to cool for 20 minutes, then pour into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can reheat the queso in the microwave for about 1 minute before serving or using as an ingredient.
Step Three: Cook The Pasta and Bring it All Together
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
About 1 minute before the pasta is finished cooking, drain and return the noodles to the cooking pot. Add the butter to the pasta. Sift the flour over the cooked pasta (I just run it through a fine-mesh sieve right over the top) and stir until the butter is melted and the flour is well incorporated.
Add the cheese sauce and half of the reserved pasta water.
Stir the mixture vigorously. Continue to add more pasta water, as necessary, until it seems a little soupy (it will firm up before you serve).
Add the kimchi.
Stir until it is evenly distributed throughout the pasta.
Step Four: Serve & Enjoy Your Vegan Kimchi Mac’n Cheese!
Serve warm and enjoy!
TIP: Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, Reheat over medium heat, stirring in a little plant-based milk.
Vegan Kimchi Mac’n Cheese – RECIPE CARD
Use this recipe card to save, pin, or print this Vegan Kimchi Mac’n Cheese recipe by Joanne Lee Molinaro. For additional information on The Korean Vegan: Homemade, the cookbook this recipe is excerpted from, as well as step by step photos of the cooking process, be sure to read the full article above.
Vegan Kimchi Mac’n Cheese
Ingredients
FOR THE VEGAN KIMCHI QUESO
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 5 ounces russet potato - thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup onion - chopped
- 2 cloves garlic - medium-sized
- 1 scallion - white part only
- 1/4 cup cabbage kimchi - vegan, such as the Mak Kimchi included on page 87 of the Homemade cookbook
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 tablespoon gochujang
- 1 tablespoon (Korean) soy sauce
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons kimchi liquid
- 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
FOR THE VEGAN KIMCHI MAC'N CHEESE
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni - dry weight, can substitute gluten-free macaroni
- 1 tablespoon dairy-free butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour - can substitute cornstarch
- 2 1/2 cups Kimchi Queso - (ingredients included above)
- 1 cup vegan cabbage kimchi - chopped
Instructions
TO MAKE THE KIMCHI QUESO
- In a small pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the potatoes, onion, garlic, scallion whites, kimchi, gochugaru, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and cashews and cook until the veggies begin to brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add the gochujang and stir until all the vegetables are evenly coated. Next, Add the soy sauce to deglaze the pot and stir.
- Add 1/2 cup of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the vegetables until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes. (TIP: You can already start cooking the pasta at this point.)
- Carefully pour the vegetable mixture into a high-powered blender. Add the nutritional yeast, kimchi liquid, plant-based milk, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Blend on high until smooth, about 1 minute. TIP: If storing for later use, allow to cool for 20 minutes, then pour into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can reheat the queso in the microwave for about 1 minute before serving or using as an ingredient.
TO MAKE THE KIMCHI MAC'N CHEESE
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
- About 1 minute before the pasta is finished cooking, drain and return the noodles to the cooking pot. Add the butter to the pasta. Sift the flour over the cooked pasta (I just run it through a fine-mesh sieve right over the top) and stir until the butter is melted and the flour is well incorporated.
- Add the cheese sauce and half of the reserved pasta water and stir the mixture vigorously. Continue to add more pasta water, as necessary, until it seems a little soupy (it will firm up before you serve). Add the kimchi and stir until it is evenly distributed throughout the pasta. Serve warm and store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, Reheat over medium heat, stirring in a little plant-based milk.
Equipment
Notes
- The Kimchi Queso recipe is adapted from a fantastic recipe in Serious Eats, this vegan cheese sauce isn’t your typical nacho cheese. Not only is it dairy-free, it definitely has a Korean twist. It is always a HIT.
- Best of Vegan Editor’s Note: we used slightly more kimchi queso than indicated in the cookbook (2 1/2 cups instead of 2 cups, so you can can either do the same, remove 1/2 cup to use as a dip or for a different recipe, or adjust the recipe accordingly and use slightly fewer ingredients.)
Reprinted and (slightly) adapted from The Korean Vegan: Homemade (2025) with permission from the author and the publisher. Recipe by Joanne Lee Molinaro. Article & Photography by © Kim-Julie Hansen.
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