Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes are luxuriously creamy without any milk or butter. This easy Mediterranean inspired recipe is the ultimate side dish for holidays or any night of the week!
Looking for a pressure cooker recipe? Check out Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.
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It simply isn’t Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes.
Oddly enough, my mom never served them at our holiday meal, even though we ate plenty of potatoes in other forms like baked and boiled throughout the year.
In fact, I never saw a potato masher until I moved away from home.
But once I had them at my relatives’ house one November, I knew Thanksgiving would never be the same without the mighty mashed potato!
And if you’re a bit of a food nerd like I am, I recommend reading some mashed potato history in Tedium’s Smashing Potatoes.
Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes
Some people think you need butter and milk to make creamy mashed potatoes, but olive oil is a delicious alternative.
Not only is olive oil the preferred fat on the Mediterranean diet, it gives the spud the perfect rich and velvety texture.
In addition, using olive oil instead of dairy makes this recipe vegan and allergy-friendly, so all of your guests can enjoy it.
Flavoring options
For this vegan mashed potato recipe, I keep it simple and use fresh garlic, salt, and pepper for seasoning.
I also love topping them with fresh chives for a pop of vibrant green color.
But you can take this simple recipe and customize it to suit your taste by stirring in any of the following:
- Caramelized onions or shallots
- Roasted garlic
- Minced herbs such as rosemary and thyme
- Pesto sauce
- Vegan cheese
How to make Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
I like to peel the potatoes for this recipe to achieve an ultra smooth texture.
But feel free to leave the skin on for a more rustic dish.
- Add the potatoes and garlic to a large pot of salted water. Simmer over medium heat. Cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Reserve about a cup of the cooking water. I like to dip a coffee mug into the pot to collect the liquid. Then drain the cooked potatoes and garlic.
- Return the drained potatoes and garlic to the pot. Using a potato masher, start mashing the potatoes and garlic.
- Pour in the olive oil. Continue to mash, adding a little of the reserved cooking water at a time, as needed, to thin out the potatoes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, and continue to mash until you reach your desired consistency of the potatoes.
Serving suggestions
Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes compliment all of your Thanksgiving dinner favorites.
Whether or not you’re serving a vegan dinner, you can’t go wrong with these treasured family recipes:
Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Cover and store any leftover olive oil mashed potatoes in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Leftover mashed potatoes can be reheated in the oven in a covered baking dish at 350 degrees until heated through. Or cover and reheat in the microwave.
Not sure how many servings of mashed potatoes to make?
A good rule of thumb is to allow half a pound of potatoes per person.
If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars!
Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds yellow potatoes (Yukon Gold) peeled and quartered
- 4 cloves garlic peeled (keep cloves whole)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh chives minced, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Add the potatoes and garlic to a large pot of salted water. Simmer over medium heat. Cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Reserve about a cup of the cooking water. I like to dip a coffee mug into the pot to collect the liquid. Then drain the cooked potatoes and garlic.
- Return the drained potatoes and garlic to the pot. Using a potato masher, start mashing the potatoes and garlic.
- Pour in the olive oil. Continue to mash, adding a little of the reserved cooking water at a time, as needed, to thin out the potatoes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, and continue to mash until you reach your desired consistency of the potatoes.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and top with minced chives, if using.
Linda
I made these today, together with your recipe for oven roasted mushrooms and pine nuts. Both were amazingly good! That and a salad was our dinner! Super easy to make and so delicious. They will be used as sides for holiday dinners as well! Keep these wonderful recipes coming.
Amy Katz
What a wonderful meal! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipes, Linda!