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Doesn’t »Au Gratin« sound super posh and sophisticated? It does to me. I think we could say that these vegan cashew au gratin potatoes are a tasty bridge between posh and homey.
Cashew cream makes everything better
For this recipe, I didn’t want to go all »casual Vita« style and make it with oat cream as I normally would. No, no, I needed to make it better than that. Cashews in this case are a *perfect* solution.
You’ve heard of cashew cheese, cashew milk, cashew cream before, right? I know it seems hard to make it at home, but it’s actually super simple. Maybe not as smooth as the store-bought options, but here in Slovenia, you don’t really have any cashew options in the store.
Therefore I have to make it myself and I don’t mind it. Blending soaked cashews is a pleasure, a delight, a bliss! All jokes aside, it’s simple and really tasty. Recreating vegan cashew au gratin potatoes at home, you can show off a little and make *everything* by yourself.
Vegan cashew au gratin potatoes 101
You don’t need to cook those potatoes. Some recipes say you do, but you don’t. Cooking potatoes beforehand means the baking time becomes shorter, but it also means that you have more dirty dishes. Your choice.
Soaking cashews allows them to absorb water slowly. It makes them softer and easier to blend. A quicker way to do it is to cook them. Boiling water, raw cashews, 5 minutes – that’s all you need.
Cashew cream is a simple blend of cashews, liquid, and spices. I love using oat milk for everything and anything (almost). That’s why I always buy the barista edition, which is creamy and flavourful. I decided upon this one after trying many brands and their editions. If I can’t get Oatly (which I can’t get here, except for chocolate taste), then I have to be happy with a random barista edition. Which is not that bad, actually!
I have a secret I don’t like to share: I don’t really like nooch. It has too much of a distinctive taste for me. I added it to spreads and butter and cheeses a few times and it doesn’t feel good. But I have to tell you that in this »au gratin«case, it’s marvelous.
NOW, are we ready to knock our families’ socks off with some gorgeous vegan cashew au gratin potatoes?
Vegan Cashew Au Gratin Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1000 g potatoes
- salt for potatoes
- 120 g cashews
- 500 ml oat milk or water
- 1 tsp granulated onion
- ½ tsp granulated garlic
- 2 tsp salt for sauce
- pinch nutmeg
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Soak cashews overnight or for at least 6 hours. Or cook them, it's up to you. They do turn out better soaked, though.
- Peel and clean potatoes. Cut them in 2mm thick slices. Keep them in water until you have to use them.
- Strain cashews. Add milk and spices and blend them well, using a high-speed smoothie-maker or hand blender. Pour that mixture into a pan and cook it for a few minutes so the sauce thickens a bit.
- Grease your baking tray with coconut oil or olive oil. Place sliced potatoes on the bottom of the tray, creating the first layer. Place slices one next to another so there's only one layer of slices. Season it with a little bit of salt. Pour a bit of sauce over this layer. Create a second layer and a third one. Don't forget the salt and the sauce! This should be it, but if you have a few more potatoes, then place them around the top layer. On the very top, there should be a layer of sauce.
- Bake this whole thing in a preheated oven at 180°C for 1hour and a half. First, bake au gratin potatoes without aluminum foil. They should be starting turning brown now. For the last 30 minutes, cover the tray with aluminum foil so potatoes have enough humidity to soften up well.
- Serve as a main dish, or as a side dish next to a sauce, tofu, tempeh, salad, grilled veggies, etc. Bon appetit!
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