Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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Hi friends!
I've got five words for you today: Vegan creamy garlic mashed potatoes
Sounds amazing doesn't it?! Well, it is!
These mashed potatoes are vegan, plant based, whole foods, gluten free, oil free, butter free. Okay, I'll stop!
Basically, this could be one of the healthiest mashed potato recipes out there.
And they still taste so deliciously creamy.
I even surprised myself. And the rest of the non-vegan fam!
And the garlic! Let's talk about the garlicccccc!
These babies are so garlicky, you won't even miss the butter, or the milk, or the oil. Or any of those other not-so-nice ingredients that we usually put in our beautiful mashed potatoes. Whyyyyy do we do this to ourselves?!
Well, not any more. Those days of unhealthy, cholesterol-inducing, bad for you mashed potatoes are gone.
Because you're gonna fall in love with this much lighter, better-for-you version.
And also the vegetable broth gives these creamy mashed potatoes a slight hint of yellow. You know, like that same yellow color that butter gives to mashed potatoes? Yea, so it'll trick your mind into thinking that it has butter, but it doesn't!
mashed potatoes in three steps
Also, these are super easy to make. Like superrrr easy.
All you have to do is:
- Wash and boil potatoes
- Prepare garlic
- Mash the potatoes and add said garlic
Ta - da! Ready to serve.
Okay, there's a little more to it but that's the general idea 😉
to peel or not to peel the potatoes
I don't like to do extra work unless I absolutely have to. So, no, I don't peel my red potatoes. But I also buy organic and I do wash them very well before using.
I have always read that you don't have to peel red potatoes, and that as a matter of fact, a lot of the nutritional value of the red potatoes, is actually, guess where? On the skin! And they actually have a lot more antioxidant power than their white potato relatives, hence the red skin.
Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes for the win
These vegan creamy garlic mashed potatoes are a perfect side dish for any occasion, especially the holidays, and cold winter days, and lazy Sundays...
okay maybe on Sundays they aren't as much of a side dish and are more of a "whole dish, main entree" kinda situation, because why not?!
If you are setting up your holiday menu, these are a perfect addition. And they pair up very nicely with my favorite roasted butternut squash with zucchini and yellow squash. The roasted veggies will give every dish a nice pop of color next to the pale mashed potatoes.
Garlickyyy Benefits
Let's talk about garlic breath for a sec...
Did you know that garlic breath is caused by the compounds absorbed by your blood stream after eating garlic?
The smell actually comes from your lungs when you exhale and then goes into your breath (garlic breath).
But that's not a bad thing. You see, these compounds are actually health-promoting!
So next time someone complains about your garlic breath, let them know you're actually doing something good for your body 😉 Ha.
And that's another reason why you need to go make yourself this creamy garlic mashed potatoes, like right nowww. Because it's good for you. And it tastes amazing.
P.s. I made this recipe using 12 potatoes because it was for Thanksgiving Dinner and I needed to feed around 10 people. However, if you need this for a much smaller gathering, or for yourself, feel free to cut the recipe in half.
Also, let's be friends on Instagram: @sproutingzeneats
Vegan Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Vegan Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes made using only plant based ingredients. No refined oil. No butter. But still soooo creamy and tasty!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Vegan Sides
Ingredients
- 12 medium-sized red potatoes
- 5 big garlic cloves (or about 8 – 10 tiny/small cloves)
- 1 to 2 cups of unsweetened plant milk (I used unsweetened Almond Milk)
- 1 to 2 cups of boiled potato water (save water after boiling!)
- 1/2 cup to 1 cup of vegetable broth (mainly for sauteing)
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- 1 tsp of Himalayan salt or to taste
- dash of black pepper
Instructions
- Wash potatoes and cut into halves. I leave the skins on but feel free to peel if that’s your jam. Place potatoes in a large pot over medium to high heat, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook potatoes until soft and tender. Usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, let’s get the garlic ready. Peel and mince garlic and saute over medium heat in a small saucepan with veggie broth. I use about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of veggie broth instead of oil. Works out great. Plus, the yellow color of the broth helps turn the mashed potatoes slightly yellow which makes you feel “like” it has butter, but it doesn’t! 😉
- Once potatoes are soft, remove from heat and drain the water (but save 1 to 2 cups of it in a separate cup), and mash potatoes with an electric hand mixer, or with a potato masher like this one off of Amazon and works great!
- Once potatoes are nice and mushy, bring back to the stove top over low heat, and add 1 cup of that potato water I told you to save! Continue stirring.
- Add sauteed garlic, salt, pepper, and 1 tsp of garlic powder. Stir to combine.
- Here is where you can decide whether you want to continue adding more potato water or add 1 cup of plant milk. I used 1 cup of almond milk to achieve a creamier consistency. Stir until you achieve a consistency that you like.
- It’s ready to serve! Enjoy. 🙂
Notes
- I used 5 rather large garlic cloves. If your garlic cloves are small use a bit more. You can also start small, say 2 to 3 garlic cloves and then add more as needed depending on how strong you want the garlic taste to be.
- To reheat – If your potatoes have been in the fridge and they look quite dry, go ahead and add about 1/2 cup of water or plant milk, stir and reheat on stove top.
- If you want a smaller yield, or you are making this for yourself only, feel free to cut the recipe in half. Use 6 red potatoes instead of 12. And half of the amount of garlic.
I’ve always been a fan of garlic mash. Can’t get enough of the stuff! This looks deeeelish!
Same here girl! Such a yummy dish and totally comfort food in my eyes! 🙂