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These French Onion Mashed Potatoes are a delicious twist on the classic dish that incorporates the rich savoriness of French Onion Soup with creamy mashed potatoes! It’s the perfect dish for your Thanksgiving table or any weeknight meal that needs a creamy, cheesy side dish.
Table of Contents
Finding new and creative ways to enjoy potatoes is one of our favorite things to do and these French onion soup-inspired Mashed Potatoes don’t disappoint! They’re ultra rich and cheesy, and absolutely delicious topped with caramelized onions.
If you love our Traditional Mashed Potatoes, Creamy Caramelized Onion Dip, and French Onion Dip, you’re going to want to make these potatoes filled with French onion flavor ASAP!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Potatoes: Similar to our Classic Mashed Potatoes and Vegan Potatoes Au Gratin, we highly recommend using Yukon gold potatoes. They have a higher starch content which makes them creamier than russet potatoes or waxy potatoes like red potatoes.
- Vegan cream cheese: Our favorite store-bought cream cheese is Kite Hill, but our homemade vegan cream cheese would work really well in these mashed potatoes, too!
- Non-dairy milk: Any unsweetened plant-based milk will work well in these potatoes, but creamier milk is best.
- Vegan cheese: French onion soup is traditionally made with melty Gruyère cheese, a type of Swiss cheese. If, you have access to vegan Gruyère cheese, feel free to use it. Otherwise, we recommend a combination of vegan mozzarella cheese shreds and vegan parmesan cheese. If you prefer homemade versions, our vegan parmesan cheese and stretchy vegan mozzarella cheese are delicious and easy to make!
- Vegan butter: Any unsalted or salted vegan butter sticks or spreads will work well here. Feel free to opt for your favorite!
- Onions: Yellow onions or sweet onions are our favorite when making caramelized onions because they have a higher natural sugar content which makes them great for caramelizing. They also have a higher moisture content, which helps keep the onions from burning as they cook.
- Sugar: Adding a small pinch of sugar can help speed up the cooking process and encourage the caramelization process.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic enhances the savoriness in the caramelized onions and helps to balance the sweet and savory flavors. If needed, opt for a 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Thyme: Adding fresh thyme to the caramelized onions helps mimic the aroma of French onion soup and is delicious here! If needed 1/2 teaspoon dried will work well as a substitute.
Equipment Needed
How to Make French Onion Mashed Potatoes
- Boil the potatoes. Place potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat, then boil for 15-20 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain the excess water from the potatoes and set aside.
- Caramelize the onions. While the potatoes cook, prepare the caramelized onions (this is similar to the method we use to make our Oil-Free Caramelized Onions!). Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once warm, add in the butter and let melt. Add the onions, salt, and sugar, and mix everything together to evenly coat the onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are sufficiently browned, reduced, and golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Finally, stir in the garlic and thyme, and cook for another 2 minutes before removing from the heat.
- Slowly mash the potatoes. Place the cooked potatoes back in the pot over low heat, along with the vegan cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and non-dairy milk. Slowly mash the ingredients together with a potato masher until smooth.
- Add 1/2 of the caramelized onions. Add 1/2 of the caramelized onions to the mashed potatoes and gently fold to combine.
- Serve. Season the potatoes with salt and black pepper to taste, then serve with the remaining caramelized onions on top. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
These potatoes are delicious as a hearty side dish with any weeknight meal, a date night, or as a side dish on holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas! They pair perfectly with a glass of red wine, vegetable sides, and hearty mains.
Give them a try with one of our fall classics, such as Vegan Vegetable Wellington, Vegan Holiday Roast, Vegan Lentil Meatloaf, or these Portobello Mushroom Steaks!
If you’re planning a complete holiday menu, make sure to check out our favorite Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas recipes!
Recipe FAQs
For the best creamy texture, we do recommend peeling the potatoes first. However, the skin on Yukon gold potatoes is very thin and edible, so if you prefer to keep the skin on, feel free to!
Absolutely. Both the mashed potatoes and caramelized onions will freeze well for up to 3 months. Let the potatoes and onions cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Make sure the container is airtight and sealed well to prevent any freezer burn.
This dish can be made 1-2 days in advance, but store the potatoes and remaining caramelized onions separately. Upon reheating, you may want to add additional vegan butter or non-dairy milk, to help make the potatoes creamy again.
Storage Instructions
Leftover mashed potatoes will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Quick Tips
- Mash the potatoes slowly and gently. Since potatoes are high in starch, they can be overworked and will result in a gummy, gluey texture. To prevent this, mash by hand (don’t use an immersion blender, hand mixer, or stand mixer!), and mash with a light hand.
- Thinly slice the onions. Not only will this help the onions caramelize faster, but will ensure they cook evenly. If you like, you can use a mandolin or food processor fitted with the slicing attachment to help with this!
- Deglaze the pan, as needed. When making the caramelized onions, the onions may start to stick to the pan. If this is the case, loosen up any caramelized brown bits with water, vegetable broth, or vegan beef broth.
More Potato Recipes You May Enjoy:
Appetizers and Sides
Fondant Potatoes
Appetizers and Sides
Vegan Potatoes Au Gratin
Appetizers and Sides
Easy Vegan Mashed Potatoes (Only 5-Ingredients)
Appetizers and Sides
Crispy Garlic and Herb Smashed Potatoes (7-Ingredients)
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos!
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Vegan French Onion Mashed Potatoes Recipe
- Total Time: 75 minutes
- Yield: ~6 servings
Description
These potatoes are a delicious twist on the classic dish that incorporates the rich savoriness of French Onion Soup with creamy mashed potatoes! It’s the perfect dish for your Thanksgiving table or any weeknight meal that needs a creamy, cheesy side dish.
Ingredients
- 5 medium (1.5 lbs) yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut in half
- 4 ounces vegan cream cheese
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- ½ cup dairy-free mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup dairy-free parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
Caramelized onions
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)
Equipment Needed
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes. Place potatoes in a large pot of cold and salted water. Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat, then boil for 15-20 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain the excess water from the potatoes and set aside.
- Caramelize the onions. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once warm, add in the vegan butter and let melt. Add the onions, salt, and sugar, and mix everything together to evenly coat the onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are sufficiently browned, reduced, and golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Finally, stir in the garlic and thyme, and cook for another 2 minutes before removing from the heat.
- Slowly mash the potatoes. Place the cooked potatoes back in the pot over low heat, along with the vegan cream cheese, vegan mozzarella cheese, vegan parmesan cheese, and non-dairy milk. Slowly mash the ingredients together with a potato masher until smooth.
- Mix in the caramelized onions. Add 1/2 of the caramelized onions to the mashed potatoes and gently fold to combine.
- Serve. Season the potatoes with salt and black pepper to taste, then serve with the remaining caramelized onions on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage Instructions: Leftover mashed potatoes will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Deglaze the pan, as needed. When making the caramelized onions, the onions may start to stick to the pan. If this is the case, loosen up any caramelized brown bits with water, vegetable broth, or vegan beef broth.
- Peeling potatoes: The skin on Yukon gold potatoes is very thin and edible, so if you prefer to keep the skin on, feel free to.
- Freezing: Both the mashed potatoes and caramelized onions will freeze well for up to 3 months. Let the potatoes and onions cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Make sure the container is airtight and sealed well to prevent any freezer burn.
- Prepare in advance: This dish can be made 1-2 days in advance, but store the potatoes and remaining caramelized onions separately. Upon reheating, you may want to add additional vegan butter or non-dairy milk, to help make the potatoes creamy again.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 miuntes
