My creamy and fluffy olive oil mashed potatoes are naturally vegan and perfect as a dairy-free side dish. No milk is needed in this flavorful mash with roasted garlic, a hint of lemon, and fresh herbs. It’s the ideal thing to serve alongside mains for a holiday dinner, or just anytime you’re looking for a cozy veggie side. The olive oil is infused with lemon peel and herbs, then combined with vegetable stock for extra depth and a lusciously creamy but still fluffy texture. Serve it with vegan mushroom gravy for the full holiday effect.
The nutty and fruity qualities of good olive oil make it a great substitute for butter. It’s rich and silky mashed up with the potatoes, so you can make mashed potatoes without milk and not miss a thing. One reader said: “As a dairy lover who is now dairy free due to a family member’s intolerance, I was impressed that I loved these as much or more than mashed potatoes with butter and cream.”
The primary flavor enhancers of this olive oil mashed potatoes recipe are the olive oil itself, hardy herbs, roasted garlic, and lemon. I infuse the olive oil with lemon peel and also add lemon juice to the mash at the end. I know that sounds strange! Mashed potatoes need an acid lift to shine in my opinion. You see this in traditional recipes with buttermilk or sour cream. Lemon juice gets the job done here without the end result tasting overly lemony.
Time and again, I use a 50/50 mix of Yukon Gold potatoes and Russets. Yukon Golds are creamy and buttery. Russets have a higher starch content and a more airy/fluffy texture when cooked (plus they absorb fat nicely). This is exactly what you want for fluffy mashed potatoes.
The best mashed potatoes are freshly made ones. If you want to make them ahead of a feast, keep the mash in a slow cooker set to low. They will stay warm for a few hours without scorching or notable changes in texture. It’s one of the most dependable vegan side dish recipes I know for a big holiday table.
Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 small head garlic
- ⅓ cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 2 strips lemon peel
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 ½ lbs (680 grams) Russet potatoes
- 1 ½ lbs (680 grams) Yukon Gold potatoes
- ¾ cup vegetable stock
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
Notes
- I recommend using a fruity and mild olive oil; not a peppery one. You should love the flavor of the oil on its own.
- I can’t stress this enough: one of the main keys to mashed potato success is using enough salt. I have you salt the potato cooking water, as well as add salt during the mashing process.
- Yes, small potato dices cook faster. But they also get more waterlogged, which is not ideal here! The extra boiling time for big chunks is worth it.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven (or a toaster oven) to 450°F
- Cut the top quarter off of the garlic head to expose the cloves. Place the garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle olive oil on top and wrap it up in the foil. Roast the garlic until cloves are tender and caramelized on the top, about 45 minutes.
- Infuse the olive oil. Pour the olive oil into a small saucepan and add the lemon peel strips, thyme, and rosemary. Bring the oil up to a light simmer over medium heat and cook for a minute. Remove from the heat and discard the herbs. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the oil for garnish, and the lemon peels if you like. Set the remaining oil in the saucepan aside.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters. Rinse the peeled and cut potatoes in a colander under cold water to wash off excess starch.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add about a teaspoon of salt to the water. Cover and place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes. A chunk should mash under a fork very easily. Drain the potatoes and return them to the warm pot to dry off completely.
- Add the vegetable stock to the saucepan with the infused olive oil. Bring this mixture up to a simmer over medium heat.
- Squeeze the roasted garlic into the pot with the potatoes. Add big pinches of salt and pepper. Using a masher, mash the potatoes until no big chunks remain. Pour in the hot olive oil and vegetable stock mixture. Keep using the masher or switch over to a rubber spatula to stir the olive oil and stock into the potatoes.
- Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to the potatoes and stir. Check the potatoes for seasoning, and adjust if necessary (more salt, pepper, lemon). Serve the olive oil mashed potatoes warm with the reserved infused olive oil on top, the reserved lemon peel, and a few fresh thyme/rosemary leaves if you like.
I substituted sage for rosemary and only used Russet potatoes as that is what I had on hand. I also used a slotted spoon to drain and transfer the potatoes to a ricer before incorporating everything with my stand mixer. The result was silky smooth and delicious potatoes. As a dairy lover who is now dairy free due to a family member’s intolerance, I was impressed that I loved these as much or more than mashed potatoes with butter and cream.
“Wow, these mashed potatoes are incredible! Creamy, flavourful, and made a perfect match to my ratatouille. I followed the recipe exactly, and it turned out perfectly. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe Laura!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
So glad you enjoyed them, Zuzana! Sounds sooo good with the ratatouille :)
-L