Vegan Mashed Vegetables

Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner, I think this is a great time to finish planning your holiday menu. I always love to make creamy mashed potatoes on the holidays because everyone loves them (especially kids!), and they’re so easy to veganize. In fact, so many other types of mashed or pureed vegetables are delicious, and could be prepared instead of your basic white potatoes. Some of these vegetables include cauliflower, celery root, sweet potatoes, and rutabagas. I thought it would be a great idea to provide you with some fabulous recipes for different types of mashed vegetables, in addition to a yummy recipe for vegan garlic mashed potatoes. I know you will love them!

5 ESSENTIAL VEGAN MASHED VEGETABLE RECIPES:

Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes

From The Candle Cafe Cookbook

Serves 8 as a side dish

Ingredients:

6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup plain soy milk (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, place the potatoes and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, oil, and salt and pepper to taste, then add them to the potatoes. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher to make a fairly smooth purée. If a creamier texture is desired, add the soy milk. Serve immediately.

Variations: For wasabi mashed potatoes, omit the garlic and add a teaspoon of wasabi paste. For rich, buttery mashed potatoes add a few tablespoons of Earth’s Balance buttery spread.

Vegan Mashed Cauliflower With Chives

From Cooking the Whole Foods Way by Christina Pirello

Makes 3 or 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets

1/8 cup unsweetened soymilk

3 tablespoons vegetarian buttery spread (like Earth Balance)

Sea salt

Cracked black pepper

Small bunch chives, finely minced

Directions:

Place cauliflower in a steamer basket above a pot of boiling water. Cook, uncovered, until fork-tender, about 12 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9-inch baking dish and set aside. Transfer cauliflower to a food processor or blender. Add soy milk, the spread and salt and pepper to taste and puree until smooth. Spoon into prepared baking dish and bake, uncovered, about 8 minutes, until bubbly. Fold in chives and serve hot.

Braised Celery Root And Red Bliss Smash

Recipe by Myra Kornfeld, from the Natural Gourmet Institute For Food & Health, NYC

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound celery root, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (3 cups)

1 pound thin skinned potatoes, such as red bliss, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (2 cups)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Black pepper

1 cup water or vegetable stock

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon butter, optional

Directions:

1. Warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add the celery root and the potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. You may have a lot of brown bits sticking to the pan at this point. Add the water or stock to the pan, then scrape up any bits that have stuck.

2. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are completely tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Mash the vegetables, stirring to soak up the pan juices. Stir in the lemon juice and the last tablespoon of oil. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired and an additional splash more lemon if necessary. Stir in the butter if using.

Variation:

Make crispy shallots and use the shallot oil for the recipe. Stir in half the crispy shallots and sprinkle the rest on top.

Crispy Shallots:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup shallots, cut into thin rings (from 2 medium shallots)

Directions:

Warm the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the shallots and sauté until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Immediately strain the shallots, reserving the shallots and the oil separately.

Vegan Mashed Spiced Sweet Potatoes

From Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 pounds sweet potatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or other light vegetable oil (but not olive oil)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the sweet potatoes directly on an oven rack (no tray is needed and no need to poke holes in them).

Depending on the size of the sweet potatoes, the cooking time will vary. An average-size sweet potato takes about 45 minutes but large ones can take longer, sometimes up to 75 minutes if they are the giant kind.

Once you can easily poke through the potatoes in the center, they are done. Remove from the oven and split them lengthwise; leave them opened to speed up cooling.

When still warm but not too hot to handle, scoop out the sweet potatoes with a spoon and place in a large bowl. Discard the skins.

Add the remaining ingredients and mash everything with a strong fork. Serve warm.

Rutabaga Puree (With a Thai Twist)

From Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds rutabaga, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch chunks

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 cup coconut milk

2 teaspoons agave syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Place the rutabaga in a medium-size lidded saucepan and cover with water. Put on the lid and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, until the rutabaga is tender.

Drain and transfer to a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth. Serve immediately, while still warm.

Variation:

Cilantro-Pureed Rutabaga: Add 2 loosely packed cups of chopped fresh cilantro to the food processor and blend until the rutabaga is bright green.

These delicious and simple recipes for vegan mashed vegetables are perfect for the holidays and for any time too. Give them a try, and you won’t be sorry.

Click here to see Roasted Root Vegetables…Perfect For Thanksgiving.