The Best Vegan Poutine (Cheese and Gravy - Smothered Fries)
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 300kcal
Ingredients
Baked Fries
- 2 pounds medium potatoes, preferably golden, scrubbed well
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Mushroom Gravy
- 1 large or 2 regular vegetable bouillon cubes
- 6 to 8 ounces cremini (baby bella) or white mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and sliced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 2½ tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
- Pinch of Italian seasoning, optional
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional (but highly recommended)
Toppings
- 1 to 1½ cups vegan cheddar cheese shreds, as desired
- 2 to 3 scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions
Baked Fries
- Preheat the oven to 425oF and line a baking sheet or roasting pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare and bake the fries: Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 4 wedges and place in a mixing bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then stir to coat. Transfer to the lined baking sheet or roasting pan. Bake the potatoes, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven, but keep the oven on.
Mushroom Gravy
- When the fries are nearly done, make the mushroom gravy: Combine 1 ¼ cups of water, bouillon cubes, mushrooms, and soy sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a slow boil. Turn down the heat and simmer until the mushrooms are wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch with just enough water to make it smooth and pourable.
- Slowly whisk the dissolved cornstarch into the simmering broth, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the mixture is thickened.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the Italian seasoning and the nutritional yeast, if using. Transfer about half of the gravy to a spouted container and reserve the rest in the pan.
Assemble and Serve
- Assemble and bake the casserole: When the fries are done, transfer them to a lightly oiled shallow 1 ½ –quart casserole dish. Pour the gravy remaining in the saucepan over them, followed by an even sprinkling of the vegan cheese and the scallions. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted.
- Serve at once, passing around the gravy in the spouted container.
Notes
- Cutting 2 pounds of potatoes into fry shapes isn’t a whole lot of work, but if you’d like to skip this step you can use two 16-ounce bags of all-natural frozen fries.
- To make this more of a protein dish, add an 8-ounce package of baked tofu (cut into strips) or an 8- to 10-ounce package of your favorite plant-based meat alternative. Vegan chick’n strips, beefy tips, or sausage all work.
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal