The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes

Step 1

Make roasted garlic: Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Peel any loose outer layers from the garlic and discard. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/4 to a 1/2 inch from the top of cloves, to expose the individual cloves of garlic. Place onto tin foil and drizzle with avocado oil. Wrap tin foil entirely around to close, and bake for 40 minutes.

Step 2

Wash potatoes well and toss into a pot (optional to peel potatoes first, but I prefer the skins in my mashed potatoes for extra flavour). Fill pot with water to be 2-3 inches above your potatoes. Sprinkle generously with salt and bring to boil. Cook potatoes for 30 minutes, or until you can insert a toothpick into the centre of your potatoes with ease. Strain, pat dry as best you can, and add back to pot.

Step 3

With a knife cut potatoes into large chunks (this will help with mashing). Squeeze the head of roasted garlic into the pot so that the roasted cloves pop out, add melted vegan butter, coconut milk, sea salt and pepper. Mash potatoes using a hand blender on pulse, or using a potato masher or a fork. Be sure not to over mash as the potatoes or they will get gummy. Instead mash until just combined, (I like to finish any last forgotten large pieces by mashing with a fork).

Step 4

In a small skillet add 2 tsp avocado oil and bring to medium high heat. When hot, add sprigs of rosemary and thyme and fry herbs until crispy and perfumed (a couple seconds each side for the thyme and a bit longer for the rosemary). Lay on paper towel to absorb any excess oil and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt.

Step 5

Transfer mashed potatoes to a serving bowl and top with fried rosemary and thyme. And a dollop more vegan butter and more sea salt and pepper.