How about an unconventional mash for your holiday table? Or possibly a secondary mash to serve alongside the olive oil mashed potatoes? I’m down for multiple mushroom gravy sponges at Winter holiday dinners. If you’re looking for a change of pace, this recipe might be for you! It’s incredibly flavourful on its own, but even more outstanding with some type of gravy/saucy thing in the mix.

This harvest vegetable mash includes some potatoes because I wanted that core of total fluffiness. I cook dices of parsnips and (my fave) celery root alongside while a head of garlic roasts away and sweetens up in the oven. I puree the roasted garlic with some warm non-dairy creamer and olive oil for full garlicky integration before mashing everything together by hand. I’ve added a spicy little kick of fresh horseradish as well, but you can easily leave that out.

One of my best tips for amazing mashed potatoes/vegetables in general is drying the boiled vegetables in the oven in a single layer on a baking sheet before mashing. Moisture and over-mixing are what lead to a sludgy and glue-y texture.. I know that there’s a ton of things to take care of on the days of these epic dinners, but this step is really important.

I try to ensure that everything else I’m serving is at a 75-95% completion rate before I make the mash right before serving. It’s the only thing that I make from start to finish right before the dinner. All of my side vegetables are par-roasted to about 80% doneness. Green beans are blanched and only need a quick saute with a squeeze of lemon and some salt. My salad is chopped with the vinaigrette done and nearby in the fridge. Stuffing, casseroles, and bakes are 95% done and just in need of total warming. Gravy is made ahead and staying piping hot on the stove… aaand there’s a boatload of snacks and drinks in the living room to keep everyone out of the kitchen while I complete my last, most important task lol.

I top this mash with a pumpkin seed dukkah. Dukkah is a toasted nut/seed and spice mixture that’s amazing for dunking with bread and olive oil. Here, we fry it in a bit of olive oil so that we get a flavourful drizzle and some crunch for contrast. This is an extra step that you can leave out, but it really helps this harvest vegetable mash stand alone. Plus, the smattering of pretty spices and seeds looks stunning in a pool of golden olive oil, all surrounded by creamy vegetable fluff. Hope your holiday meal planning is going well, pals. As a reminder, I’ve got all my best options for that right here.

Harvest Vegetable Mash with Roasted Garlic, Horseradish & Fried Dukkah

Harvest vegetable mash is a flavourful alternative to mashed potatoes. Featuring roasted garlic, fresh horseradish, and fried dukkah to top.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 55 minutes mins

Servings 6

Ingredients

DUKKAH:

• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 ½ teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon nigella seeds (optional)
• chili flakes, to taste
• big pinch of flaky sea salt

HARVEST VEGETABLE MASH:

• 1 medium celery root (1 ¼ lbs)
• 2 russet baking potatoes (1 ¾ lbs)
• 3 medium parsnips (¾ lb)
• 1 head roasted garlic (see notes)
• 2 inches horseradish root, finely grates
• ¾ cup non-dairy creamer
• ¼ cup olive oil, divided
• sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste

Equipment

• Food Processor
• Blender

Notes

• The Kitchn has a great tutorial on roasting garlic HERE.
• It’s very important to cut the parsnips smaller than the potatoes and celery root. They take a lot longer to cook, so by cutting them smaller, we can help them along a bit.
• This recipe makes extra dukkah. It’s amazing on top of creamy pureed soups and salads, avocado toast, on dips with a swoop of olive oil, or sopped up with fresh bread and olive oil.
• The roasted garlic and dukkah can be made 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge.

Instructions

• Make the dukkah: in a food processor, combine the pumpkin seeds, coriander, and cumin. Pulse the mixture until pumpkin seeds are finely chopped. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and stir in the sesame seeds, nigella seeds, chili flakes, and flaky salt. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat.
• Peel the celery root, potatoes, and parsnips. Chop the celery root and potatoes into 1-inch cubes and transfer to a large pot. Chop the parsnips into ½-inch pieces and transfer to the pot as well. Cover the vegetables with water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Cover the pot and bring the vegetables to a boil. Boil the vegetables until all varieties are VERY tender when pricked with the tip of a paring knife, about 12-14 minutes.
• Drain the vegetables and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Arrange vegetables in a single layer and place in the oven for 5 minutes, or until the surface appears dried out.
• Squeeze the roasted garlic out into an upright blender. Add the horseradish, non-dairy creamer, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Blend this mixture on high until completely smooth. Transfer this garlicky cream to a small saucepan and bring to a strong simmer.
• Place the dry vegetables back in the big pot and mash them up a bit by hand to break up the big pieces. Then, add all of the garlicky cream to the pot along with a lot of salt and pepper. Keep mashing until vegetables are smooth and slightly fluffy. Keep warm.
• Set a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan. Once hot, add ¼ cup of the dukkah to the pan and stir constantly until fragrant and spices appear golden brown and toasted, about 3 minutes. Spoon fried dukkah and flavoured oil over the harvest vegetable mash. Serve immediately!

Author: Laura Wright

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Plant-Based, Vegan, Vegetarian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: celery root, chili flakes, coriander, cumin, dukkah, fall, harvest vegetable, holiday entertaining, holidays, horseradish, nigella seeds, non-dairy cream, parsnips, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, winter