If you’re in need of a comforting and hearty meal, look no further. You’ve come to the right place. My Vegan Potato and Leek Bake is here to warm you up from the inside out. This dish combines creamy, tender potatoes with the sweet, savoury goodness of caramelised leeks, all baked to golden perfection. It’s the ultimate plant-based comfort food that’s as satisfying as it is delicious. Perfect for cozy dinners or any time you want a little extra warmth and flavour in your life.
Can I make a vegan potato bake without dairy?
Yes, you can absolutely make a vegan potato bake without dairy! In fact, this recipe is entirely plant-based. Instead of using traditional dairy products, you’ll achieve a creamy texture by using alternatives like coconut milk, cashew cream, or any other plant-based milk or cream. These ingredients not only provide richness but also keep the dish 100% vegan and deliciously satisfying. However, we’re not using these options. This vegan potato bake is nut-free and dairy-free with a combination of soy milk, cauliflower, nutritional yeast flakes, vegetable stock and of course, sea salt!
How do I prevent my potato bake from being too watery?
To avoid a watery bake, make sure to thinly slice your potatoes and leeks for even cooking. Also, try to use a thicker plant-based milk or cream, and drain any excess moisture from the leeks before layering. When I was making this I used cauliflower as my ‘natural’ thickener for my ‘cream’ which helped a lot when it came to baking it in the oven. When I thought it could use with a touch more thickness I did then add one teaspoon of corn flour BUT to be honest, you don’t really need it if you like a creamy and somewhat ‘runnier’ cream. I really just tested this to see what I preferred but it doesn’t need it with this recipe and is completely up to your personal preference when it comes to texture.
What’s the best plant-based milk for a creamy vegan potato bake?
The best plant-based milk for a creamy vegan potato bake is typically coconut milk or cashew cream. Both options provide a rich, creamy texture that closely mimics traditional dairy. Coconut milk adds a subtle sweetness and creaminess, while cashew cream is thicker and has a neutral flavour that blends well with other ingredients. If you prefer a lighter option, unsweetened almond milk or oat milk can also work, though they may result in a slightly less rich bake. However, I think the creaminess and higher protein percentage in soy milk works beautifully in this vegan potato bake.
How do you make vegan potato bake?
To start, you’ll need to preheat your oven to 190°C. While this is heating up, wash and thinly slice your potatoes. For this I HIGHLY recommend using a food processor that has a slicing blade or a handheld mandolin slicer. Not only does this save time in making the vegan potato bake, but it creates even slices which is important in having a fully and evenly cooked potato bake.
Next, you’ll wash and thinly slice the leeks, then rinse them to remove any dirt. In a large skillet or fry pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook the leaks until they are slightly caramelised. Don’t worry if they aren’t all the way caramelised because these will cook further in the oven. This should take around 5 minutes on the stove.
Now we’re onto the sauce. You will use a high-powered blender or food processor and blend together boiled cauliflower, soy milk, vegetable stock, nutritional yeast flakes and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Next layer up your potato slices in a greased dutch oven or large oven dish with the leeks on the bottom. Once that is done, pour over the creamy sauce. Place into the oven and bake fro around 25-30 minutes or until golden on top. You also want to leave it in long enough to cook the slices depending on the thickness you slices them at and to a point that the sauce thickens to your liking. My suggestion is to check every 5 minutes or so once you get to the 20 minute mark.
Once it’s baked and golden on top, remove it from the oven and sprinkle over some fresh parsley. This doesn’t too much to the flavour with the small amount I use in this recipe – it’s more for some greenery and aesthetics. However, you could add more on top along with any other favourite herbs you have like rosemary or thyme.
Vegan Potato and Leek Bake
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Once you try my delicious and easy-to-make vegan potato and leek bake you won’t go back! It’s packed with fibre and hidden veggies and makes for a great side dish when you’re looking a dairy-free and fully vegan option.
Ingredients
1.5 kgs White Potatoes
2 cups Boiled Cauliflower
2 cups Unsweetened Organic Soy Milk
1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes
1 Vegetable Stock Cube
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tbsp Fresh Parsley
1 Large Leek
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Directions
- If you haven’t already boiled your cauliflower, start by boiling two cups worth on the stove in boiling water for 10 minutes or less, depending on your stove and water levels. Once soft drain and set aside. In the meantime, prepare your potatoes. Using a food processor or mandolin, thinly slice them and set aside. in a bowl. For this, I recommend about 1.5kgs of potatoes, but depending on your oven dish, you may find you don’t need all of this and may have a few slices of potato left over.
- Next, wash and dry your leek. Slice thinly and place into your skillet or shallow dutch oven with olive oil and sauté until caramelised. This may take up to 5 minutes over medium heat. Using this same dutch oven or skillet, start to assemble your potato slices around the edge of the pan, working your way in with each layer. This is how you create the beautiful scalloped look. But if you’re time poor or feeling like a lazy girl version, then just thrown them in.
- Next, in a high-powered food processor, blend soy milk, vegetable stock, cauliflower, salt and nutritional yeast flakes until smooth and creamy. Pour this evenly over the potato slices.
- Bake in oven at 190 degrees celsius for approximately 25-30 minutes or until your desired thickness of the creamy sauce is reached or until golden edges form on the potato slices. Remove and then serve with freshly minced parsley.
Notes
- You may find that your creamy sauce is too thin for your liking, so you can add a teaspoon of cornflour to slightly thicken in the oven. It will however naturally thicken as it cooks.
