This delicious potato dish is just as creamy as the traditional version but entirely plant-based. The cream sauce is made with roasted leeks, imparting a delightful flavor that perfectly complements the potatoes.
On the Ingredients:
- Leeks are an allium related to garlic, chives, and onions. They are a long white stalk that turns into green leaf sheaths. Leeks have a sweet, mildly onion-like flavor, which pairs well with potatoes, dairy, eggs, fish, and poultry. If you can’t find leeks in stock, you can substitute with green onions, white onions, or shallots. Like dill, leeks have flavonoids (antioxidants) that have anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anticancer properties (more on health benefits).
- Oat milk is a popular dairy substitute and great for people who are allergic to nuts or soy. The flavor is mild, making it great for cooking (it makes a great béchamel). The consistency is also very similar to cow’s milk, which might be a bonus to some. It’s creaminess and higher fat content makes it well-suited for hot chocolate, lattes, cappuccinos, and other coffee drinks. Another thing to note is that oat milk is one of the most sustainably grown plant-based milks. As it’s made from a grain, oat milk is high in carbs and a high glycemic index. If you can’t have gluten, make sure you buy a oat milk marked “gluten-free” as oats can sometimes contain gluten.
- Nutritional Yeast is a type of yeast known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is the same type of yeast used for bread or beer. However, it’s inactive, making it suitable for seasoning. Because of its delicious umami flavor, it’s popular in vegan cooking, especially for cheese flavor replacement. Nutritional yeast is an excellent plant-based protein with all nine essential amino acids. Fortified Nutritional Yeast is especially rich in B vitamins, including thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), and B6 and B12. There are also trace minerals, including zinc, selenium, manganese, and molybdenum. (more on health benefits).
Recipe Notes and Substitutions:
If you want to make this recipe vegetarian but not vegan, you can use milk and butter instead of vegan butter. Then top with liberal amounts of gruyere.
Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
Servings
8
servingsPrep time
15
minutesCooking time
40
minutesTotal time
1
hour55
minutesThis delicious potato dish is just as creamy as the traditional version but entirely plant-based. The cream sauce is made with roasted leeks, imparting a delightful flavor that perfectly complements the potatoes.
Ingredients
2 leeks
3 lbs golden potatoes
1/4 cup vegan butter
2 cloves garlic (grated)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups oat milk (or other plant-based milk)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Directions
- Start by roasting the leek. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Trim the green stalks from the leeks, leaving the white sections. Be sure to thoroughly wash the leeks, as dirt can get into the areas where green meets white. Place the leeks on a baking sheet and bake for 35-45 minutes until the outsides are charred. Remove and let them cool.
- While the leeks cook and cool, peel the potatoes and cut into slices about 1/8” thick. Put the slices in a bowl of cold water to keep them from oxidizing.
- Slit the leeks down the center lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the soft interior. Discard the charred outer layer. Chop the leek interior into small pieces.
- In a saucepan, melt the vegan butter over a medium-low flame. Add the garlic and let it sauté until fragrant. Add the flour and combine it with the butter using a whisk. Cook for a few minutes, continuously stirring, until the flour is browned. Start adding the oat milk a little bit at a time, stirring to combine in between each addition so no lumps form. When the oat milk is all incorporated, bring to a simmer and add the nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9x13” or similarly sized baking dish. Drain the water from the potato slices and pat dry with a clean towel. Arrange 1/3 of the slices in the bottom of the dish. Pour 1/3 of the sauce over the potatoes. Repeat with the remaining two-thirds.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 35 minutes. Test the potatoes with a fork to ensure they’re tender, then remove them from the oven. Serve hot.
