Potatoes are often overlooked by the vegan community. Many people forget that potatoes quite literally sustained civilizations in times past. Throughout history, potato famines have wreaked havoc in communities. That’s how important they used to be.
Today, one of the most popular foods in the world is French fries. Don’t get me wrong, I love some great-tasting fries, but potatoes can be so much more.
How about vegan Hasselback potatoes? Chickpea potato curry, anybody? One of my favorite potato dishes is vegan scalloped potatoes!
If you’ve been looking for new and creative meals to add to your vegan recipe list, then you’ve come to the right place!
Below, I’m about to show you some of the best vegan potato recipes that I’ve been whipping up in the kitchen lately. By the end of this post, I promise that you’ll have a whole new appreciation for potatoes!
You Should Start Cooking With Potatoes More: Here’s Why
Potatoes are a near-perfect root vegetable. They’re hardy, easy to grow, grow quickly, are filling, are a great source of natural carbs, and are loaded with essential and non-essential amino acids!
This is the main reason why they’ve been regarded as such a vital vegetable throughout history.
Here’s another great reason to start cooking with potatoes more often:
Potatoes are cheap and affordable.
The cost of food has been skyrocketing due to inflation and all of us are getting hit with higher grocery costs. Thankfully, the cost of potatoes hasn’t risen anywhere near as much as the cost of some of my favorite vegan proteins.
There are multiple varieties of potatoes as well. If you ever get bored of plain old-fashioned Idaho potatoes, you can choose from russet potatoes, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, and more.
You can also cook potatoes in hundreds of different ways. Since they’re a neutral-tasting veggie, they pair wonderfully with a wide variety of seasonings, protein, sauces, and other vegetables.
You barbecue them, bake them, fry them, boil them, or put them in a stew. Simply put, you’ll never get bored of potatoes.
Last but not least, potatoes are filling.
Compared to most other veggies, potatoes have a lot of fiber and starch. These two compounds make them very filling, so you don’t need to eat a lot before you’re satisfied.
Are Potatoes Healthy?
Sadly, potatoes get a bit of a bad rep… This is mostly due to the fact that they’re used a lot by fast-food restaurants. French fries, hash browns, loaded potatoes, and the like are all delicious but fatty meals. They’re usually deep-fried in oil and aren’t all that healthy.
However, that’s not the whole story.
Potatoes, by themselves, are actually quite healthy. Sure, they do contain carbs and starch, but gram-for-gram eating potatoes is a healthier alternative to grain. Here are some of the top health benefits associated with eating potatoes:
- High in fiber, which helps keep you full and supports digestion.
- Full of disease-fighting antioxidants.
- Full of healthy vitamins.
- Contain healthy minerals that support vital bodily functions.
- High in potassium, which can prevent cramps and improves muscular healing.
Of course, you should always eat potatoes as part of a balanced diet. Eating a pure-potato diet isn’t healthy. However, when combined with a side of greens or your favorite vegan protein, they make for a near-perfect meal!
17 Awesome Vegan Potato Recipes To Try This Year ([currentyear)
Alright, now that I’ve got you excited about cooking with potatoes, it’s time to show you some of the best vegan potato recipes to try at home.
All of these recipes are relatively simple and easy to cook, and require very few ingredients. As long as you have some good seasoning and herbs, you’re good to go!
1) Vegan Chickpea Potato Curry
If you like Indian and Thai food, then you’ll love this delicious chickpea potato curry recipe. It has the ultra-savory flavor of yellow curry mixed with the warm goodness of steamed rice, crunchy chickpeas, and soft potatoes. It’s also surprisingly easy to cook!
Overall, it’s a simple recipe that you can cook in a single pot. The only complicated part of the recipe is making the curry sauce, as it involves a number of seasonings and spices. Aside from that, though, anybody can easily cook this meal.
It’s delicious as a main course or as a side to your favorite vegan “meat” dish.
2) Vegan Potato Cakes
These vegan potato cakes are kind of like the ultimate hash brown. They have the crunchy consistency and soft, warm interior of a crabcake, but they’re 100% vegan and meat-free. They’re also super simple and easy to cook and make for a great breakfast snack or as a side to your dinner.
The simple recipe starts with a mash made from potatoes, carrots, onions, rice, and parsley (or cilantro). If you want to make them extra flavorful, you can add in some of your favorite spices as well. I always make mine with a bit of cayenne pepper and chili powder!
3) Vegan Potato Flatbread
Flatbread is an excellent dish to eat as a side to a salad or another fresh light summer dish. It can also be used as a wrap to make your own vegan gyros, burritos, or raw wraps!
Unlike traditional wheat flatbread, which is light and airy, these are thick, filling, and you’ll only need to eat one of them to get full.
The recipe is simple and requires only mashed potatoes, all-purpose flour, baking powder, a bit of oil, and your favorite seasonings. It’s so easy that your five-year-old could probably bake it!
4) Vegan Potato Salad
Usually, potato salad is off-limits for vegans, as it contains dairy-based mayonnaise. So, I was super excited to try this vegan potato salad recipe that’s made with vegan mayo instead. It turned out light, flavorful, and is delicious when eaten cold, making it the perfect side or meal-prep dish.
It’s made using yellow potatoes, red and green onions, celery, and dill. The sauce is made from mustard, vegan mayo, and dill pickle, and the entire dish is seasoned with salt and pepper. As always, I like to throw a bit of hot sauce or cayenne pepper on top to give it the perfect kick!
5) Stuffed Potato Cakes
These stuffed potato cakes are to die for! They’re made using a similar recipe to Venezuelan arepas, a small cheese, and meat-stuffed potato cake. However, these cakes are 100% meat-free and plant-based.
The outside is a slightly crispy potato cake while the inside is a soft, gooey mixture of vegan cheese, mushrooms, and veggies.
You can dip it in your favorite ketchup, or vegan BBQ sauce, or eat them straight-up by themselves. They’re also incredibly filling, so don’t be afraid to bring them as a main dish!
6) Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
Like potato salad, scalloped potatoes are typically off-limits for vegans, as they’re loaded with cheese and dairy. So, these vegan scalloped potatoes were a breath of fresh air! Instead of dairy and cheese, they’re made with a creamy cashew sauce that tastes very similar to cheese.
The recipe itself is fairly simple, so I spiced it up by adding some fine-chopped cilantro, onions, and some spicy buffalo sauce on top.
This dish makes an excellent side to some grilled tempeh or a vegan veggie burger!
7) Vegan French Potato Salad
This French potato salad is 100% dairy-free, delicious, and is a bit different from the traditionally-made American potato salad that I listed above. The flavor is reminiscent of the French countryside and uses fresh herbs and a homemade dijon mustard sauce that’s exploding with flavor.
To start with, you’ll boil some Yukon gold potatoes with salt and fresh herbs, peel them, and chop them into small slices. Then, you’ll toss them in the homemade Dishon sauce and serve them as a delicious side. Once, I even made a sandwich out of this potato salad, and it was the bomb!
8) Vegan Hasselback Potatoes
If you’ve never had Hasselback potatoes, then you’re missing out. This is, by far, one of my favorite ways to eat potatoes, and the recipe is surprisingly simple, so that’s a plus as well!
What makes this dish different from other potato recipes is that the potatoes are only partially sliced. This allows the toppings and juices to fall into the potato, resulting in explosive flavor.
The potatoes are cooked in a skillet and are topped with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, salt, and carrots. I like to drizzle a bit of my favorite vegan cheese sauce on top as well to make them taste a bit like loaded potatoes.
9) Potato Wedges
If you’re looking for a healthier (and tastier) alternative to traditional French fries, then these potato wedges are simple, delicious, and easy to cook!
Basically, you’ll cut your potato into large, thick wedges, season them, and then lightly fry (or bake) them until the outside is crispy and golden brown.
From here, you can do whatever you like with them! Personally, I like dipping them in a bit of ketchup. However, you can get fancy and use special dipping sauces or turn them into a loaded fry dish.
10) Vegan Bombay Potatoes
These vegan Bombay potatoes are a traditional Indian dish that’s made using a slightly spicy Indian red masala sauce. The recipe is actually quite simple, despite the complex flavors.
To start with, you’ll need small gold potatoes, onions, tomato, lemon, garlic, ginger, a bit of salt, tomato paste, and a few seasonings.
The only ingredient that you may have trouble finding is the masala spice. However, this can be purchased at most Indian grocery stores or can be found online from Amazon. I’ve also found it at health food stores, such as Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s!
11) Vegan Sweet Potato Sushi
I absolutely love vegan sushi, so this recipe caught my attention immediately. As long as you’re comfortable rolling your own sushi rolls and learn how to cook the sticky rice correctly, then they’ll turn out perfectly.
When I first saw the recipe, I thought it was your usual salmon roll. Then I looked closer and saw that it uses small cubes of chopped sweet potato in place of fish, so it’s 100% vegan. Other than the sweet potato, this dish also includes a bit of cucumber to give it a nice satisfying crunch.
It’s drizzled with a bit of vegan white sauce and can then be dipped in your favorite soy sauce and topped with a bit of wasabi (if you’re looking for a super-spicy kick).
12) Vegan Potato Leek Soup
I love making homemade soup in the fall and winter months. It’s a great way to warm up after you’ve been walking around in the cold all day. This vegan potato leek soup is incredibly delicious, warm, and satisfying. It’s also very easy to make!
The base of the soup is made with vegetable broth, russet potatoes, leeks, garlic, coriander, celery, and bay leaves. Then, it’s topped with some sea salt, pepper, and chopped cashews.
You can eat the warm soup by itself, but I prefer to dip a bit of my favorite vegan bread into the soup and eat it French-style.
13) Crispy Vegan Potato Tacos
You can’t hate on tacos! They’re the ultimate comfort food and they’re super simple to make. They’re a great dish for friends and family, as you can prepare the main ingredients and let everybody else top off their tortillas with their toppings of choice.
To start with, you’ll need to cut your potatoes into small cubes and pan-sear them. They’re going to be your meat replacement, so make sure to season them exactly how you want. Then, warm your tortillas, stuff them with the potatoes and top them off with a bit of cilantro and red onion.
The recipe calls for cotija cheese, which is dairy, but you can leave this off or replace it with your own vegan shredded cheese.
14) Potato Hash Breakfast Skillet
Breakfast skillets are usually loaded with eggs, meat, butter, and other non-vegan ingredients. Not this one! This potato hash breakfast skillet is filling, delicious, and makes for the ultimate breakfast. You can also modify it with whatever additional veggies or seasonings you desire.
This particular skillet calls for potatoes, black beans, kale, onion, red bell pepper, and garlic. Then, it’s topped with sliced avocado, cilantro, old bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. You can eat it as is or serve it with a side of warm toast!
15) Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl
Buddha bowls are a great meal to add to your vegan routine, as they’re fresh, healthy, and filling. This sweet potato Buddha bowl is made with fresh avocado, chickpeas, kale, red onion, and sweet potatoes.
It also contains quinoa, a healthy ancient grain that’s healthier and more filling than rice.
Then it’s topped off with a delicious lemon tahini sauce that really brings out the flavors in the fresh veggies. As far as seasonings go, this dish features cumin, nutritional yeast, and salt. You can always add more seasoning or hot sauce, though, if you need a spicy kick!
16) Vegan Potato Jackfruit Stew
If you’ve never cooked with jackfruit before, I highly recommend it. It’s a large Indian fruit that’s known for its fibrous inside that has a faint yet savory taste to it.
Jackfruit is mostly used to make vegan “pulled pork.” Once you add enough BBQ sauce and seasoning to it, it’ll taste just like pork!
This vegan potato jackfruit stew tastes just like a traditional pork and potato stew, except it’s 100% plant-based and absolutely delicious. It’s the perfect stew for a cold evening or if you’re looking for an ultra-filling vegan meal that’ll satisfy everybody.
17) Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie is a traditional Irish pie that contains fresh veggies, rice, potatoes, and usually meat. However, this particular shepherd’s pie uses lentils instead of meat. It’s crispy on the outside and soft and savory on the inside. It’s also pretty healthy too!
This particular recipe calls for cauliflower, garlic, lentils, potatoes, coconut milk, vegetable broth, onions, and a number of herbal seasonings. It’s a perfect main dish that’ll feed the entire family (or leave you with plenty leftover for meal prepping).
Conclusion – What’s The Best Vegan Potato Recipe?
Out of all of these great-tasting vegan potato recipes, I’d say that my favorite is the Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie. It has so much flavor and it’s the perfect blend of a crispy pie crust mixed with a soft, hearty interior. Plus, you can switch up the veggies you put in it to keep it different.
Shepherd’s pie pairs perfectly with a side of simple asparagus. Be sure to check out my list of the best vegan asparagus recipes next!
