Simple and Easy Vegan Poutine
If you happen to be Canadian like this girl, you know that poutine is right up there with maple syrup, hockey and the Tragically Hip as a rite of passage for anyone Canadian.
It’s hard to really explain what’s so great about fries swimming in thick, rich gravy and blobs of melted cheese, except to say it’s chips swimming in rich gravy with blobs of melted cheese. And a bucket load of memories stretching back to childhood that wrap you like a warm blanket. Oh comfort food at it’s best.
When going vegan, this was one of my top meals I had to work out a substitute for. I used to make my own cheese with nutritional yeast, and sometimes still do, but find it so much quicker using vegan mozzarella these days.
The gravy, however, is one thing you have to make yourself. If you have the time then blend my ingredients below with slowly sauteed mushrooms for extra depth, but if you want to get at the poutine as quickly as possible then this gravy recipe will hit the spot.
Oh Canada! Oh poutine!
A simple and easy vegan poutine to celebrate Canada Day, every day!
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 tbsp vegan butter (ie. Earth Balance)
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp soy or tamari
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 5 fluffy baking potatoes
- 1 cup vegan mozarella (I use Follow My Heart)
- A sprinkle of dried parsley (if you're fancy)
-
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. While oven is warming up, peel potatoes and cut into poutine wedges - no thin french fries please!
-
Boil a pot of salted water and reduce to a low rolling boil then throw in wedges. Boil to soften for 8 minutes then set aside to steam dry for 4 minutes before patting away excess moisture.
-
Lay wedges on a slightly oiled baking tray in a single layer and season with salt. Shake around so all the potatoes are oiled and salted then place in the oven for 25 minutes or until browning, turning once halfway through.
-
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the gravy. Heat a medium sized pan and add the vegan butter. Cook the onion in the butter slowly until translucent and caramelizes (the slower you go, the fuller the taste).
-
Add flour to the onion cook for a minute or two before adding the broth. Whisk to thicken for 30 seconds then reduce heat and add other ingredients. It should all start turning a rich, creamy, poutine brown!
-
When ready, remove the poutine fries and scatter with blobs of cheese and pour over gravy.
