Description
These are the smoothest and fluffiest mashed potatoes ever! Made creamy by using cashews, this delicious side dish is packed with buttery flavor and seasoned to perfection. Plus, they can easily be made in advance, making it convenient to serve for both a holiday meal or just a busy weeknight!
Ingredients
- 10 cups filtered water for boiling the potatoes - before draining the potatoes, reserve 2 cups of this cooking water at the end of the boiling process
- 4 pounds Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon salt (for boiling the potatoes)
- 1 teaspoon salt (for seasoning the potatoes after cooking and draining)
- 1/2 cup vegan, soy-free butter
- 2/3 cup homemade vegan cashew cream
- 1 head roasted garlic (roast in the air fryer or the oven) OR 1-2 large raw peeled garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press (not minced)*
- ground black pepper to taste (I usually do 1/2 teaspoon black pepper)
Garnish Ideas:
- caramelized onions (next level amazing!)
- fresh thyme sprigs
- diced fresh chives
- diced fresh Italian parsley leaves (large stems removed)
- a pat or two of vegan, soy-free butter
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes. Fill a 5.5 quart dutch oven or large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the peeled and chopped potatoes. Return the water to a rolling boil and boil for 10 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water and drain the potatoes in a colander. Set aside.
- "Rice" the potatoes. Working in batches, push the drained potatoes through a potato ricer and place directly back into the dry dutch oven once "riced." Alternatively, you can mash the potatoes in the dry dutch oven with a potato masher. The potato ricer makes them smoother, creamier and fluffier, whereas the potato masher method yields chunkier mashed potatoes.
- Season the potatoes. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup of the reserved cooking water, vegan butter, cashew cream, garlic and black pepper to taste. Stir all ingredients together well with a wooden spoon. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
- Make it creamier, if desired. Add in more of the reserved potato water for more creaminess.
- Garnish and serve. Serve with 1-2 pats of vegan butter as garnish and a sprinkle of diced chives, fresh parsley or thyme. I love to serve caramelized onions overtop as well.
Notes
I have made this recipe with both Yukon Gold and russet potatoes and both work great. The Yukon Gold have a slight yellow color and are creamier in my opinion. The russet potatoes yield a whiter mashed potato dish and they may take a bit longer to cook. Overall, I prefer the Yukon Gold potatoes.
For raw garlic: I love garlic and typically add a second large clove. If you are not a garlic lover, go with one clove to start. I find the raw garlic flavor mellows out once mixed into the mashed potatoes as the heat of the potatoes start to "cook" the garlic. The flavor will also mellow out if you make the mashed potatoes in advance. If you are making these potatoes just before serving then you can briefly sauté the pressed garlic in olive oil before adding to the mashed potatoes. This will help the flavor mellow out.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Side
- Method: Stovetop
