Soft and creamy mashed potatoes smothered in a rich brown gravy–this comforting side dish is a true American classic. Here’s how to make vegan mashed potatoes and a vegan gravy to pour on top.

Basic Vegan Mashed Potatoes

(serves 4)

Making mashed potatoes vegan is easy–you just have to sub out the milk and butter.

• Instead of dairy milk, you can use plain, unsweetened soy or almond milk. If it doesn’t say “unsweetened” it probably has sugar in it, and that will make the potatoes taste weird.
• Instead of dairy butter, you can use olive oil or a vegan butter substitute like Earth Balance.

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs potatoes (Yukon gold or red potatoes work best)
• 1/4 cup plain, unsweetened soy or almond milk
• 3 T vegan butter or olive oil
• salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Boil a big pot of water on the stove while you peel the potatoes and chop them into 3/4″ cubes. Adding salt to the water will help it keep its temperature.
2. When the water boils, add the potatoes. Let them boil until they are tender and easily pierced with a fork. (Test for doneness by stabbing.)
3. Drain the water out of the potatoes using a colander. Return them to the pot and add the olive oil, milk, and salt. Reduce heat to low.
4. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher, a slotted spoon, or any other utensil that comes in handy. Put a lid on the pot and keep the potatoes on very low heat or in a warm oven until serving.

Pro Tips:

• If you don’t have any plain, unsweetened plant milk, save a little of the potato water and use that instead.
• Add a sprinkle of garlic powder, onion powder, and/or black pepper for more flavor.
• Put the mashed potatoes in a casserole dish and sprinkle vegan cheese on top. Cover the dish with a lid or with foil. Warm it in the oven at 350ºF for ten minutes, or until the cheese melts.
• Do not use a food processor or a blender–that will make the potatoes goopy and sticky.

Basic Vegan Gravy

(serves 4)

Mystified by vegan gravy? Here’s how to make a savory gravy with a few simple ingredients that you already have in your cupboard. Start with a simple flour roux, add a few seasonings and some veggie broth, and you’ve got yourself a gravy.

Ingredients:

• 2 T vegan butter or olive oil
• 2 T all-purpose flour (unbleached)
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1 – 2 cups veggie broth
• black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Start by making a roux. In a saucepan, melt the butter/heat the oil over medium-low flame. Add the flour, whisking constantly until it forms kind of a paste.
2. Add the soy sauce and seasonings, whisking whisking whisking until they’re incorporated into the roux. Then add the veggie broth and keep whisking.
3. The gravy will thicken as it cooks. Whisk in more broth if it’s getting too thick. If you want it to cook faster, use broth that’s already heated.
4. Garnish with fresh cracked black pepper and serve immediately. (Like any gravy, it will get a skin on top if it sits too long.)

Pro tips:

• Measure out your flour and seasonings
• You can buy a carton of vegetable broth at the store, make your own vegetable stock from scraps, boil water with a vegetable bouillon cube, or whisk some miso paste into hot water to make a broth.
• Trader Joe’s “Mushroom Umami” seasoning works really well in this gravy. You could also use a basic “poultry seasoning” blend or make your own copycat Old Bay Seasoning.
• I use this gravy to make veggie pot pie. Just fill a pie crust with par-cooked veggies (like carrots, potatoes, onions, and peas) and pour the gravy over them. Seal the top crust and bake at 400ºF for about 45 minutes.