Using olive oil in mashed potatoes is perfect for creating non dairy vegan mashed potatoes without butter, but keep the taste incredibly rich and buttery. A hit of roasted garlic keeps these Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes sweet and creamy without cream or milk. Use mellow, buttery Yukon golds to make these heart healthy mashed potatoes as flavorful as possible.
Using a sharp knife, trim ¼" - ½" off the top of the head of garlic to expose the cloves. Place the garlic onto a large piece of aluminum foil, then drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil. Wrap the garlic in the foil and transfer to the oven. Roast 35-45 minutes (depending on the size of the cloves) until the garlic is golden brown, soft, and very fragrant.
Remove from the oven using tongs, then rest 5 minutes. Open the foil and allow the garlic to cool at room temperature until you can handle it. Once cool, gently squeeze each narrow end to release the clove from it's papery shell.
Dice the potatoes into 1" cubes, rinse throughly under cool running water (or soak for 10-15 minutes), then transfer into a large stockpot. Add enough cold water to cover the potatoes by 2", then add a tablespoon of salt.
Heat over high to bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a brisk simmer (medium to medium-high) and simmer until potatoes are cooked through and soft, 10-12 minutes - they're ready when you can easily mash the flesh with the tines of a fork.
Drain potatoes the potatoes, then return them back to the hot pot. Gently toss to evaporate any water clinging to the potatoes.
Add the roasted garlic and olive oil to the pot. Use a hand-mixer, ricer, or potato masher to mash until the garlic cloves have been worked in, the potatoes are soft and fluffy, and the skins are mashed. If using a hand mixer, keep to the lowest setting to reduce starch activation.
Transfer the olive oil mashed potatoes to a serving bowl. Drizzle with extra olive oil and garnish with parsley and additional salt if desired. Serve immediately.
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Notes
Roast the garlic until deeply golden brown, soft, and very fragrant for the sweetest, richest roasted garlic possible.
The roasted garlic can be prepared up to a week in advance. Place the roasted garlic cloves into a small jar, cover with olive oil, then seal and place in the fridge. Strain the cloves from the oil before adding to the potatoes.
Use the right extra virgin olive oil - a good quality brand like California Olive Ranch.
Use the right potatoes - yukon gold potatoes have a naturally sweet and buttery profile, so they're perfect for these vegan mashed potatoes.
Be liberal with seasoning - potatoes need a lot of salt!