With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought I'd share with you probably one of my easiest recipes yet. My Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes, dairy-free of course. It's a staple for the holidays, and I wanted to show you how easy they are to make.
I know what you're thinking, do I REALLY need a recipe for mashed potatoes? Well, you'd be surprised how many people have asked for one.
I get it - this way of eating is brand new to many of you, and learning how to cook mashed potatoes without all the traditional ingredients like milk and butter might seem impossible.
And I also know there are others who are just now learning how to cook - period - and there's no shame in that either.
So I wanted to show you how easy it is to make light, fluffy, super-creamy mashed potatoes, with tons of flavor, without using any dairy products at all.
You can make these on your stovetop, or you can use your Instant Pot like I did. Either way this recipe is pretty-much foolproof.
So without further ado......
Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes
First, we need to select our potatoes. In this recipe, I used about 3 pounds, which came out to about 6 medium-sized potatoes.
If you want super light and fluffy potatoes, use Russets. They are the starchiest of the potatoes and practically fall apart in the pot when you cook them. I would not use waxy potatoes like Reds. They are great for potato salads because they hold together so well, but not so great for mashed.
Yukon Golds are kind of in-between. They are not as starchy as Russets but do have a great buttery flavor. If you go with ALL Yukons (which is fine) just bear in mind they may need more work to get them fluffy and creamy when we mash.
For this recipe, I actually did half Russets and half Yukons. The best of both worlds.
Wash your potatoes and remove any eyes or bad spots. I personally never peel my potatoes but if you want to, do that now. Then cut them into ½" rounds and drop them in a pot (or your Instant Pot) and cover with water. Using my 6 qt Instant Pot, that came out to be about 5 cups of cold water.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt - you really want to add a good amount of salt now while cooking. We'll do our final taste and seasoning adjustment later.
And finally, add your garlic. I used 3 HUGE cloves of garlic (thanks Dora) and they came out perfect. If you are using those little heads of garlic from the store you may need quite a bit more - like 6-7 cloves.
It's your garlic mashed potatoes - use as little or as much as you like.
Now we boil. Or in my case with my Instant Pot, I added my lid, set it to the STEAM setting, and set the timer for 12 minutes. We basically want to cook these until they are done all the way through and practically falling apart. So bring them to a boil if you're doing this on the stove, then reduce the heat and cover, and let them simmer/steam for about 20-25 minutes.
When they are done: if you're using your Instant Pot, we can carefully do a Quick Release to release the pressure. And then regardless of the cooking method - using hot pads - carefully drain the water but be sure and save a little bit - like ½ cup as we may need some shortly.
With the water drained, we can now mash. I have this potato smasher and love it, actually use it a LOT. If you have the old-fashioned kind, it will work fine but it may take a bit longer.
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I add ½ cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk and start mashing. How much you mash depends on what consistency you like your mashed potatoes. I know some people will even use an electric mixer - it's totally up to you.
Now we can taste and adjust for seasoning. I added an additional ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and a tiny bit of that potato water I saved to make them creamier. Be careful you don't add too much water here or you'll end up with potato soup instead of mashed potatoes.
Finally, our last and secret ingredient - and I want to thank my dear friend Trish over at https:///www.yourmomsvegan.com for turning me on to this - I added 2 Tbs of white Miso and stirred that in until it was very well blended.
The miso adds just enough of that extra oomph we miss by not using butter. It was perfect. Obviously, if you're not a Miso fan or can't find it locally you can skip this part - but I highly recommend you try it.
You now have a big bowl of perfect, Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes, ready for a nice big ladle of my super-quick, super-tasty, fat-free Vegan Gravy.
Hope you enjoy.
Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Potatoes, Holiday
- Method: Instant Pot or Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Vegan
Description
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought I'd share with you probably one of my easiest recipes yet. My Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes, dairy-free of course. It's a staple for the holidays, and I wanted to show you how easy they are to make.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs potatoes (about 6 russets, yukons, or a mix of both)
- 5 cups of water (or until potatoes are covered)
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
- ¼ tsp pepper (or to taste)
- 2 Tbs white miso (or to taste)
Instructions
- Clean potatoes and peel if desired. Cut potatoes into ½" rounds and place in a large pot or your 6 qt instant pot.
- Add enough water to cover, which was about 5 cups in my IP.
- Add 1 teaspoon salt and garlic cloves.
- If using IP: attach the lid and using the STEAM setting - cook for 12 minutes. Use the QR method to remove the pressure.
- If using STOVETOP: bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook until soft, about 20-25 minutes.
- Carefully drain the water, reserving about ½ cup for later
- Add almond milk and mash until smooth and creamy
- Season with salt & pepper.
- If the potatoes seem too dry, add a little bit of the reserved potato water until you reach your desired consistency
- Stir in miso and mix well. Whip with an electric mixer if desired and serve with your favorite gravy.
- A sprinkling of paprika or chopped chives makes a nice garnish.
Barbara
I am not experienced at making mashed potatoes, vegan or otherwise. When I made these, they were a nice consistency initially, but as they cooled they turned runny. Does this mean that I added too much of the potato water? Do I need to leave the potatoes in what seemed to me to be ‘too dry’ because more water will be released as the potatoes cool? Is there any way to fix runny mashed potatoes? Thanks!
Barbara
I’ve been eating this as a potato soup. It’s delicious, even though I wasn’t able to serve as mashed potatoes.
Barbara
I tried a different mashed potato recipe and had no issue with the potatoes turning runny. I think the issue may have been that I over stirred the potatoes after adding the miso, because it was hard to get the miso paste mixed in. If I make this recipe again, I will try adding the miso at the same time as the milk (before the potatoes are mashed). The masher should help to get the miso worked in.
Ken
I made these mashed potatoes to go with some broccoli for breakfast this morning. I'm thinking ahead to Thanksgiving, and I want a couple of dishes to take to our families' houses that I can eat. I have a lentil loaf that is very good, and I thought mashed potatoes would make a good addition. These potatoes are very good. I will use them at Thanksgiving. I'm also going to try your Southern Vegan Cream Gravy recipe to go with the potatoes.
Shereen
Both times I made these they seemed great immediately after cooking but were a soupy soggy mess the next day. I tried heating the excess liquid out on the stove but I’d didn’t work I also tried reducing the liquid added but it was just as soggy. Never had this happen before but I’ve also never made mashed potatoes with anything but russet. help!
Julie
Oh my goodness my mouth was watering just reading your recipe. I love potatoes and i am certainly going to try these...miso! Brilliant!
Kristen
I have to say I no longer boil my potatoes, I steam them. They're much more nutritious and much stiffer and I always leave the peels on!
Susan
Let me try to help someone - if you are using fewer potatoes, be sure to reduce the liquid. Yes, embarrassed to admit that I spaced out and put in all of the milk with just two russets. However, the flavor is fabulous - what a great idea to use the miso. Thanks so much Chuck!
Nancy
What about using a plant-based “butter”? Would that be a good stir in?
Chuck Underwood
I personally do bot use any plant-based butters. They are still 100% fat and full of unhealthy oils.
H.A.
Hi! What did you use for the gravy? Gravy is my favorite part of mashed potatoes, but I struggle to find a good vegan homemade one.... My current go-to is a vegan gluten-free one from a packet (Mayacamas brown gravy or savory herb gravy).
Chuck Underwood
My own Fat-Free Vegan Gravy you can find on my blog.
Debbie
I boil my potatoes in my homemade broth with the garlic and that come out great.
Sue R
Miso sounds great. Nutritional yeast should work well instead too.
Linda
See you at Remedy at Skanania!
Chuck Underwood
Absolutely!
Brooke
Do you crush the garlic?
Chuck Underwood
You mash it with the potatoes after adding the almond milk
Paula
Do you keep the garlic cloves in the potatoes when you mash them?
Chuck Underwood
Yes