Gluten-Free Vegan Turmeric and Black Pepper Mashed Potatoes

This Gluten-Free Vegan Turmeric and Black Pepper Mashed Potatoes recipe is a healthy plant-based side dish that's so easy to make with an Instant Pot and only 9 clean, real food ingredients. They're made without any dairy such as butter or cream, are Medical Medium compliant and ready to enjoy in under 30 minutes!

Upgrade your plain mashed potatoes with a healthy combination of turmeric and black pepper!

Here's Why This Recipe Works

Here's why this recipe works - my top 3 reasons:

1. Uses an Instant Pot to shorten cooking time
2. Can be made with a food processor or mixing bowl
3. Made with only 9 clean, real food ingredients

Uses An Instant Pot To Shorten Cooking Time

I used an Instant Pot to prepare the potatoes and it only takes a total of 20 minutes.

The first 10 minutes is to allow the potatoes to pressure cook and the remaining 10 minutes is for them to steam release cook.

Not to worry if you don't have an Instant Pot - just boil them on the stovetop until they are soft.

Can Be Made with a Food Processor or Mixing Bowl

There are two different ways you can make the mashed potatoes.

For example, you can mix them in a food processor or in a mixing bowl using a fork.

Make sure you read a little further down where I go into more details about the pros + cons of both methods.

Made With Only 9 Clean, Real Food Ingredients

We all know traditional mashed potatoes are made with butter, milk and sometimes cheese, sour cream and even cream cheese.

My healthier plant-based version is made with clean, real food ingredients like almond milk, tahini, and lemon juice to give it a dairy-free creamy texture.

Then, to give them their unique flavor, they're seasoned with turmeric, ground black pepper, smoked paprika, freshly crushed garlic, and Himalayan pink salt.

You can enjoy this healthy recipe because it's plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, and Medical Medium compliant. 

How To Make This Recipe: Step-by-Step Instructions

Here is how to make this recipe and I'll show you with step-by-step instructions below.

Step 1: Prepare the Potatoes

Firstly, wash the potatoes and then quarter each one into (4) pieces. This will help them cook quicker and evenly in the Instant Pot.

Step 2: Pressure Cook the Potatoes

Secondly, add (1) cup of filtered/purified water to the bottom of your Instant Pot. Another option is to add organic vegetable broth.

Place the quartered potato pieces into the Instant Pot and spread them on the bottom as evenly as possible.

Some of them will be stacked on top of each other, but that is fine.

In addition, it is not necessary to use the wire rack before adding the potatoes to the Instant Pot. 

Set the Instant Pot on these settings:

• Pressure Cook
• High Pressure 
• 10 minutes
• with the vent closed

Once they are finished pressure cooking for 10 minutes, allow an additional 10 minutes steam cooking with the vent closed.

When the potatoes are ready, remove them from the Instant Pot with a slotted spoon. 

Be careful when removing the lid because there will be a tiny amount of steam that is released through the vent.

Don't worry if the potatoes break apart or don't stay in one piece because you are getting ready to mash them together.

Step 3: Gather and Measure the Ingredients

Thirdly, once the potatoes are ready, gather and measure all the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe so you can mix everything together quickly.

Step 4: Mix All Ingredients Together

Fourthly, you have two options to mix everything together:

• Food Processor - Transfer the cooked potatoes to a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and process until all ingredients are well combined and the potatoes are the consistency you prefer.

• Mixing Bowl - Transfer the cooked potatoes to a large mixing bowl and using a fork or potato masher, mash the potatoes to the consistency you prefer. Stir them together until they become creamy and smooth. Then, add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.

Next, taste the potatoes and adjust the seasonings to your preference.

Using 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk will give the potatoes a "thick" consistency. Add additional milk if you prefer thinner mashed potatoes.

Step 5: How To Store The Mashed Potatoes

Lastly, store the potatoes in an air-tight BPA-free container in the refrigerator.

Expert Tips and Ingredient Substitutions

Here are some expert tips to make this recipe perfectly:

Potatoes. In this recipe, I used (10) small organic gold potatoes. The size of each potato was about 2 1/2 inches which yielded right at 3 cups of mashed potatoes. Keep in mind the average size of gold potatoes should vary between 2 1/2 inches to 3 1/2 inches, so you may need more or less than (10) potatoes to yield 3 cups. In addition, having a couple extra or larger potatoes will mean you will need to adjust the seasonings a little bit. 

Water. I highly recommend using filtered/purified water to cook your potatoes instead of tap water. For example, I use a Berkey water filter system when cooking in all my recipes.

Garlic. I recommend using fresh garlic that has been crushed with a garlic crusher which will give you the most garlic flavor.

Non-Dairy Milk. My milk of preference is homemade almond milk, however, feel free to use your favorite non-dairy milk. Just make sure it's unsweetened. In addition, if you like mashed potatoes with a thinner consistency, you can add additional non-dairy milk until you get it to your liking.

Ground Turmeric. If you are new to using ground turmeric, please be aware that it STAINS EVERYTHING so be careful about what it comes into contact with and make sure you rinse your bowls + utensils as soon as you are through. In addition, if you use a food processor to mix the potatoes, it will stain any white parts.

Tahini. I added this to help make the potatoes extra creamy. You can use homemade tahini or an organic store-bought brand.

Lemon Juice. Using freshly squeezed lemon juice will give you the most nutrients and best lemon flavor, but feel free to use organic store-bought if you don't have fresh lemons on hand.

Smoked Paprika. This ingredient gives the mashed potatoes a "smoky" flavor, but it can be omitted if you prefer.

Ground Black Pepper. Turmeric works best when combined with black pepper, so it's a key ingredient in this recipe. Therefore, I recommend it not be omitted.

Himalayan Pink Salt. This is my salt of preference, however, you can always substitute it with sea salt.

Using a Food Processor vs. a Mixing Bowl

The texture of your mashed potatoes will depend on which method of mixing you use.

Food Processor.

• Pro: Will yield ultra-smooth mashed potatoes with little to no skins remaining. Mixing them is a breeze with just a touch of a button on your food processor.
• Con: The turmeric is very likely to stain any white parts of your food processor.

Mixing Bowl.

• Pro: Easy one-bowl clean up with no worries about turmeric staining.
• Con: Will yield slightly "lumpy" mashed potatoes with obvious pieces of potato skins mixed in.

It really just depends on the potato texture and clean-up as to which method to use so the choice is yours!

Want More Healthy Plant-Based Potato Side Dish Recipes?

Check out these:

• Roasted Smashed Potatoes with Smoky Paprika Habanero Sauce
• Vegan Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
• Garlic and Shallot Fingerling Potatoes