Pretty Good Poutine

You can’t got to Quebec and even most parts of Canada without seeing poutine on the menu. What is poutine, you ask? Well it’s quintessential comfort food! French fries drowning in savory gravy and topped with cheese curds. But for those of us who avoid dairy and/or animal products, enjoying a serving of poutine may not be easy but with my vegan poutine recipe, you can enjoy this scrumptious dish at home!

Fries

• 4 russet potatoes (cut into 1 cm sticks)
• 1/4 C sunflower oil
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika

Pre-heat the oven to 425F. Place the sliced potatoes in boiling water and par boil for 10 minutes, strain the potatoes and place them back into the empty pot. Toss them in the oil, pepper, salt, and paprika and place evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for 55 mins being sure to watch and flip about every 15 minutes.

Gravy

• 1 1/2 C mushrooms, minced
• 1 tbsp safflower, sunflower or grapeseed oil
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 3 tbsp vegan butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (gluten free, if desired)
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard (add more if you want a tangier gravy)
• 1 teaspoon minced thyme
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp tamari (soy sauce or liquid aminos)
• 2 tsp molasses
• 3/4 cup water

Heat  oil in deep pan over medium heat and stir in the mushrooms and onion. After 5 minutes stir in the garlic and let brown for another 5 minutes. Meanwhile in a smaller pan prepare a roux which is done by melting vegan butter and gradually adding in the flour. Stir the mixture over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes until thickened and then set aside.

Go back to your browned mushroom pan and gradually add in vegetable broth. This will help lift up all of the delicious brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the roux mixture to the pan stirring with a whisk and reduce to low heat. Whisk in onion powder, tamari, mustard, thyme and molasses. Then slowly incorporate the water, about a 1/4 cup at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved.

To assemble poutine:

The assembly is simple! Just lay out fries in a bowl and crumble 1/4 of a brick of vegan cheese of your choice over the fries and smother with gravy. Enjoy!