Easy Vegan Bechamel Sauce (White Sauce)

A close up of the vegan bechamel sauce on a spoon showing the smooth saucy texture.

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5 from 7 votes

Easy Vegan Bechamel Sauce (White Sauce)

A basic white sauce made with simple ingredients that is perfect for adding to casseroles, baked pasta and lasagnes.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: main

Cuisine: French, Vegan

Servings: portions

Calories: 88kcal

Author: Louise-Claire Cayzer

Equipment

1 Medium saucepan

Ingredients

Basic Recipe

2 tablespoon plain flour
2 tablespoon olive oil or butter
236 ml plant milk
Salt & Pepper to taste To keep the sauce a pretty white, use white pepper

Classic white sauce option

1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon nutmeg

Cheese Sauce option

1 tablespoon white miso
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoon nutritional yeast

Metric - American

Instructions

Gently heat the oil or butter in a saucepan
Add the flour and toast in the butter until it gently bubbles and becomes slightly browned.
Bit by bit add in the plant milk and whisk. Keep whisking and adding the plant milk until you have a thickened white sauce.
Season to taste.

For classic white sauce

Gently pre-heat the plant milk with a bay leaf. Whisk in as per the usual steps.
Sprinkle nutmeg in to taste.

For Vegan Cheese Sauce

Once the bechamel sauce is thickening whisk in miso, mustard and nutritional yeast.
Taste and add more seasonings as you like.

Notes

This whole recipe yields about 1- 1 ½ cups sauce

VARIATIONS

For classic bechamel /white sauce- Simmer the plant milk with a bay leaf and a grating of nutmeg before adding it into the sauce.
Cheese sauce- miso, dijon mustard and nutritional yeast.
Spicy cheesy sauce- miso, nutritional yeast and a few drops of your favourite hot sauce.

STORAGE:
The bechamel sauce will store for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, put back in a pot and add some more plant milk. Stir until it is heated through and thick and creamy again.

Nutrition