Vegan mashed potatoes

So I was in a cooking class yesterday and we were making mashed potatoes to go with a roasted turkey. Some one asked how do you make a vagan mashed potatoes because one of their friends was a hardcore Vegan. Everyone was stumped. So what say you? Any ideas?

UD

You use a non-dairy milk and vegan butter.  Doesn't seem like a brain-stumper to me.

Vegan butter? Haven't heard or seen it anywhere. As for milk... What kind? Soy, almond all have this destinct taste and not as "creamy" as regular milk. I don't think it will turn out the same.

Probably would need to go to a store that sells v*gan products .. most regular grocery stores don't carry a large selection or variety of products.

It won't turn out the same necessarily. It's not made with the same products. But I'm not seeing how that's a bad thing.

Never said it was a "bad" thing, just different. I guess the implication of the original question was how to make them so they taste similar. As I said I was just curious.

UD

Earth balance spread, which can be found at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and many standard grocery stores in the natural foods section, depending on what kind of area the store is in, tastes so much like butter. It has more fat than regular margarine, which helps get rid of that awful margarine taste, and can be used as a vegan butter replacement in baking, mashed potatoes, etc. I like it as much as butter, and I've used it in baking before. And obviously you could use plain soymilk, veggie broth, or water for a liquid to thin the mashed potatoes.

I use plain soy milk and vegan margarine.  Earth balance is a good one.  You can also use smart balance light.  Be careful though, I've heard that some times Smart Balance changes ingredients and is not vegan. 

There are a lot of vegan replacements nowadays. As previously mentioned, soymilk, almond milk, rice milk... hemp milk...other milk works. Margarine works too! I love Earth Balance! No hydrogenated oils, too! Also, they even have soy creamer and I think even rice creamer now?? In case you use cream in mashed potatoes. There really isn't much difference in ingredients between "regular" mashed potatoes and "vegan" mashed potatoes, just subsitute with a non-dairy version. And I must say, people don't know any different when I make mashed potatoes for others. :D

I'd use vegetable stock instead of the milk/butter.  Mashed potatoes made with chicken stock are yummy.  I see no reason why veggie stock mashed potatoes wouldn't be equally yummy.

I've gotten Smart Balance in two different packages - one is vegan and is clearly marked.  It's good.

I agree, I like to make them with the Light Smart Balance and Plain Rice Milk or plain Silk creamer if you want them extra rich on a special occasion.

I also really like them whipped with sea salt and cracked pepper with a little extra virgin olive oil. They still have a really buttery taste, especially if you use the Yukon Gold potatoes which have a great flavor to start with.

My mom is vegan and she uses either PLAIN soymilk (unsweetened) or Rice milk...She makes sure she buys the VEGAN marked Smart Balance butter..I've eaten her mashed potatoes and they are the bomb.

I use Earth Balance spread, plain soy milk, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Yum!

About the Smart Balance, I thought it was vegan, but the last time I read the label it said it contained fish oil.

Editing again...apparently what I saw was the Omega kind. But, wouldn't the lactic acid in the Smart Balance Light be dairy derived?

I can't believe how you can be stumped for that. :) Use soy milk instead of cow milk, salt, pepper, and margarine instead of butter!

hi umneydurak

i really appreciate your question and was a bit dismayed to read some of these posts as they came across in a less-than-positive way. i'm new to these forums, and if people are going to be mean, i will probably not continue here.

but, i appreciate your comment because, as a vegetarian who lives and works with "carnivores," there is tremendous misunderstanding ("we have a vegetarian option - can't you see the iceburg lettuce salad?") -  if someone cared enough to try to accomodate by even asking the question, i think we'd all be better off.

i'd like to have thanksgiving at your house!