This vegan poutine recipe is comfort food to the max! I love to make this vegan baked fries recipe when the mood strikes…because fries smothered and cheese and gravy are always a well deserved fun meal after any long week!
Vegan on a Budget by Nava Atlas
A year ago, I had the opportunity to review 5-Ingredient Vegan by Nava Atlas. We loved her recipe for easy salsa verde quinoa so I knew we would love this new vegan cookbook that she just released!
I love that every recipe in this new cookbook, Vegan on a Budget, is both plant based and budget friendly! This book is perfect for those who want to eat plant based but do not want to spend a fortune on “weird’ ingredients that are hard to find in your local grocery store.
The book contains soups, stir-fries, cozy casseroles, comfort food dishes like these poutine fries, pasta recipes and plant based burgers and pizzas! There is something for everyone to enjoy in this book including vegan breakfast ideas and vegan desserts. Check out another recipe from the book, Curry Noodles found on Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen Blog.
How to Make Vegan Poutine Fries
The key to vegan poutine is both gravy and cheese! We loved how easy the vegan mushroom gravy was to make in this vegan poutine recipe. We used Daiya dairy free cheddar shreds for our vegan cheese; you can use whatever vegan cheese your grocer has in stock. I love how mainstream buying vegan products at bigger box grocery stores has become!
For this recipe you will be making homemade french fries! Baked fries are so easy to make. If you are in a time crunch, you can use frozen fries, but I really recommend making the fries homemade for best taste.
While your homemade fries are baking, it is time to put together your vegan gravy. This gravy comes together in only a few minutes. I love how easy this vegan comfort food recipe is to make!
When your fries are finished baking, it’s time to layer the fries with gravy and cheese! Comfort food coming right up – yum! After you layer your fries with the gravy, vegan cheese and green onions, it’s time to bake them in the oven. Baking them again, really lets the flavors sit together to make this vegan poutine delicious.
After your fries are done, dig in! This recipe is best served fresh, although my husband had no problem eating the leftovers the next day for lunch. Leftovers will not be as crisp though.
If you love loaded vegan fries, check out our Vegan Chili Fries!
If you make this recipe and share it, I would love to know! Tag @badtothebowl on Instagram.
The Best Vegan Poutine (Cheese and Gravy – Smothered Fries)
Ingredients
Baked Fries
- 2 pounds medium potatoes, preferably golden, scrubbed well
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Mushroom Gravy
- 1 large or 2 regular vegetable bouillon cubes
- 6 to 8 ounces cremini (baby bella) or white mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and sliced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 2½ tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
- Pinch of Italian seasoning, optional
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional (but highly recommended)
Toppings
- 1 to 1½ cups vegan cheddar cheese shreds, as desired
- 2 to 3 scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions
Baked Fries
- Preheat the oven to 425oF and line a baking sheet or roasting pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare and bake the fries: Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 4 wedges and place in a mixing bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then stir to coat. Transfer to the lined baking sheet or roasting pan. Bake the potatoes, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven, but keep the oven on.
Mushroom Gravy
- When the fries are nearly done, make the mushroom gravy: Combine 1 ¼ cups of water, bouillon cubes, mushrooms, and soy sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a slow boil. Turn down the heat and simmer until the mushrooms are wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch with just enough water to make it smooth and pourable.
- Slowly whisk the dissolved cornstarch into the simmering broth, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the mixture is thickened.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the Italian seasoning and the nutritional yeast, if using. Transfer about half of the gravy to a spouted container and reserve the rest in the pan.
Assemble and Serve
- Assemble and bake the casserole: When the fries are done, transfer them to a lightly oiled shallow 1 ½ –quart casserole dish. Pour the gravy remaining in the saucepan over them, followed by an even sprinkling of the vegan cheese and the scallions. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted.
- Serve at once, passing around the gravy in the spouted container.
