A dairy free scalloped potatoes recipe that is sure to impress! Blend a quick creamy sauce using cashews and plant milk. Add smoked tofu for a little something extra. And, arrange the potatoes in a spiralled pattern for a side dish with some wow factor. (But it will still be equally delicious in a rectangular dish)!
Delightfully creamy despite being free of dairy
Rich in flavour
Melt in your mouth texture
And beautiful to boot!
Ingredients For Dairy Free Scalloped Potatoes
Typically, yellow potatoes (like the Yukon Gold variety) are great potatoes to use for scalloped potato recipes. Yellow or red potatoes tend to have thin enough skins that you can wash them well and proceed straight to slicing them without needing to peel them. You could use russet potatoes but I would suggest peeling them and they may not hold their shape quite as well.
In addition to the potatoes, I use:
- Red onion (but you could use yellow onion)
- Minced garlic
- Smoked tofu for a bit of smokey flavour and extra protein
- And rosemary or chives to garnish
For the creamy sauce I use:
- Raw cashews, soaked
- Coconut milk
- Soy milk (or your favourite unsweetened plant milk)
- Nutritional yeast for cheesy flavour
- Salt & a pinch of nutmeg
Method For Dairy Free Scalloped Potatoes
The only bit of preparation to be done for this recipe is to soak the cashews. You can utilize the quick soak method and simply pour boiling water over raw cashews in a heat proof bowl. Allow the cashews to soak for 15-20 minutes and then drain and proceed with the recipe. Alternatively, you can soak the cashews overnight in the fridge in cold water.
If you want to slice the potatoes in advance you can do so but make sure to add them right away to a large bowl of cold water. Adding a splash of lemon juice to the water will be extra protection against oxidation. Refrigerate the potatoes for no longer than 24 hours.
Even after draining and drying the potatoes they will be a little more water logged. For this reason, it's best to place a sheet pan under your baking dish while the scalloped potatoes bake. The liquid will be more prone to spilling over if the potatoes were soaked in water.
- Sauté the sliced red onion for about 5 minutes until beginning to caramelize. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from the heat.
- Blend the creamy sauce by adding the soaked and drained cashews to a blender with the plant milk, nutritional yeast, salt and pinch of nutmeg. Set aside.
- Wash and slice the potatoes as thinly and uniformly as possible. Using a mandoline or similar kitchen slicer is very helpful.
- Pour 1 cup of the creamy sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish. Add half of the sautéed onion and garlic. Then arrange the sliced potatoes in a spiralled design.
- Scatter the slices of smoked tofu between the potato slices.
- Cover with the remaining cream sauce and sprinkle the remaining onion and garlic overtop.
- Bake, covered, at 400 F for 1 hour. Prick the potatoes with a fork after 1 hour and if they are still too firm, leave them covered for another 5-10 minutes as needed.
- Remove the foil and broil for 3-5 minutes until the top is golden.
*If you think the potatoes are still just slightly too firm after being under the broiler you can cover them again with the foil. Turn the oven off but leave the covered dish in the oven for another 10 minutes or so. The residual heat and steam should finish cooking the potatoes.
Recipe Cost
This recipe serves at least 8 and costs me just under $14 Canadian. If I omit the smoked tofu my cost decreases to $10 for this dish. This is one of the more rare occasions where my vegan recipe is more costly than the traditional dish.
The cashews, canned coconut milk, and smoked tofu bring the cost of this side dish up a bit BUT it's so delicious that I will make it anyway!
Let me know in the comments if you try these ultra creamy dairy free scalloped potatoes. I have a hunch that you will love my Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Dip as well!
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Dairy Free Scalloped Potatoes with Smoked Tofu
- Total Time: 90 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The creamiest dairy free scalloped potatoes! Simple to prepare but the spiralled design will ensure this vegan side dish stands out!
Ingredients
- 3 lbs yellow potatoes, thinly sliced*
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 400ml coconut milk, full fat
- 1 cup soy milk (or unsweetened plant milk of choice)
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- 150g smoked tofu, thinly sliced (can omit)
- Rosemary or chives, to garnish*
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
*To “quick soak” cashews add them to a heat proof bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 15-20 minutes. Drain the water and proceed with the recipe. Alternatively, “long soak” the cashews by covering them in cold water and refrigerating them overnight to soften.
- Sauté the onion in a bit of olive oil or broth for 3-5 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Add the minced garlic for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant and remove from the heat.
- Blend the creamy sauce by adding the soaked (and drained) cashews to a blender with coconut milk, soy milk, nutritional yeast, salt and nutmeg. Blend until the cashews are fully broken down, stopping the machine and scraping the sides as needed. Set aside or refrigerate until you’re ready to compile the scalloped potatoes.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Wash and slice the potatoes as thinly and uniformly as you can. (For a spiralled design it is helpful to choose smaller potatoes that are similar in size).
- Using a large baking dish (mine was 12 inches round) pour in 1 cup of the creamy sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle half of the onion and garlic into the sauce and then arrange the potato slices in a spiral pattern.
- Scatter the thin slices of smoked tofu between slices of potatoes in a way that ensures each scoop of potatoes will have 2 or 3 slices of tofu.
- Pour the remaining cream sauce over top and sprinkle the remaining onion and garlic.
- Bake, covered with foil, at 400 F for 1 hour. Remove the foil and broil for 3-5 minutes until golden on top. (If you prick the potatoes with a fork and they are still too firm after 1 hour leave them in for an extra 5-10 minutes or as long as needed. If they are only slightly firm after being under the broiler you can turn the oven off and place the foil back on the potatoes. Leave them in the oven for another 10-15 minutes and they will likely soften enough).
- Serve warm and garnish with chopped rosemary or chives.
- Reheat, covered with foil, in the oven at 350 F for 30 minutes or longer as needed for the potatoes to warm through again. For best results do not freeze this dish. If frozen, the potatoes will soften and lose their texture and the cashew cream sauce will separate a bit. If you need to freeze it, defrost in the fridge overnight and then bake, covered, for 60-90 minutes at 350 F.
Notes
Approximate Cost: $13.80 Canadian. If I omit the smoked tofu my cost decreases to $10 Canadian. This dairy-free version is one of my rare recipes that is more costly than a traditional scalloped potato recipe but... it's worth it!
If using russet potatoes it will be best to peel them. They may not hold their shape quite as well but should still be tasty.
If you want to slice the potatoes ahead of time, immediately add them to a large bowl with cold water and a splash of lemon juice. Refrigerate the submerged potato slices no longer than 24 hours. Make sure to drain and dry the potatoes off before baking. Placing a sheet pan under your baking dish while the scalloped potatoes bake might be a good idea if you have stored your sliced potatoes in water. They tend to get a little more water logged and will release more liquid as they cook. There is potential for a bit of overflow so it's best to be prepared.
To make this dish in advance; I suggest you fully bake the scalloped potatoes, allow them to cool, cover with an airtight lid and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat at 350 F for 30-45 minutes until warmed through.
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