Description
It can’t get any better with these Easy Vegan Mashed Potatoes. You only need 3 ingredients and 15 minutes to make this simple, healthy side.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 3 pounds potatoes, chopped (gold or red are best)
- Water to cover potatoes by 1 inch
- Salt to taste
Additional herbs or spices as desired
For super rich and creamy mashed potatoes, add:
- Unsweetened "original" flavor cashew milk (or a similar thick non-dairy milk)
- A few tablespoons of vegan butter
Instructions
- Chop the potatoes: Cut your potatoes all roughly the same size to allow for even cooking. I do about a 2-inch dice.
- Boil the potatoes: Place your potatoes in the pot first, then cover them with water by about an inch. After the water comes to a boil, check them frequently. Use a fork to pierce a cube or press one of the potatoes against the wall of the pot. If it easily pierces or smashes the cube of potato, they’re done. Do not over boil the potatoes.
- Drain the potatoes: Place a large bowl in the sink and position a colander over it. Empty the pot and set aside. Place drained potatoes in another large bowl and reserve your cooking water for the mashing process.
- Mash the potatoes: Use a good potato masher (I like this OXO potato masher or a fork to mash your potatoes. Start by mashing just the potatoes in a large bowl. Add in the starchy boiling water a few tablespoons at a time and mash or mix in between. It’s easy to add more water, but hard to deal with mashed potatoes that are too liquidy. If you do make them too liquidy, add a little nutritional yeast, instant mashed potato flakes, or turn it into potato soup. I like to leave my mashed potatoes with a few tiny chunks, but you can easily make these smooth. However, be careful not to over mash as it can ruin the texture and make them kind of gummy. Taste as you go.
- Spice It Up: Add salt to taste and whatever else you like: pepper, garlic, herbs, etc. Chives or dill are great.
- Serve: Serve your mashed potatoes with your favorite gravy, I love this mushroom gravy but I’ve also been experimenting with a simple 5 minute gravy. Highly recommend serving mashed potatoes and gravy with this mushroom lentil loaf!
- Store: Refrigerate your mashed potatoes in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Note 1: By far, the creamiest potato is the gold potato. Doesn’t matter whether it’s a baby gold, a fingerling gold, or a grown-up gold, they’re just the creamiest. Next up is the red potato. Actually these are REALLY delicious in mashed potatoes, but I used gold because I just can’t find anything that competes. Finally, before going for something like a russet (I don’t really love them as mashed potatoes, but they’re great for baked potatoes!), I would pick white or new potatoes, which do work fairly well as mashed potatoes.
- Note 2: I know it seems weird to use the boiling water as the mashing liquid, and no butter or milk. When you boil potatoes, much of the starch is released into the water. I strain that water into a boil when the potatoes are done. For some ridiculously awesome reason, adding a little bit of that water in while mashing them just makes them ultra creamy and delicious, and I think they’re great without any vegan butter or non-dairy milk, but by all means, add that if you wish.
- Note 3: If you’re using a power burner, the size and thickness of your pot, and the size of your cut up potatoes will ALL play a factor in how long you should boil your potatoes. The easiest answer is just to test them with a fork. As soon as the fork can easily pierce or crush the piece of potato, it’s done! Drain them! For me, I use a large, somewhat thick pot, but I also use my power burner, so it takes me 8-10 minutes to boil my potatoes. I keep the flame at medium high and I do not cover the potatoes. I also start the potatoes in the pot while I bring the water to a boil (so as not to splash myself with boiling water--been there, done that, no thanks).
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side-Dish, Ingredient
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Vegan, Oil-Free, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Sugar-Free, Soy-Free, plant-based, vegan mashed potatoes, vegan potato recipe