We enjoyed a vegetarian poutine in Montreal a couple of years ago, but a vegan version? We had fun creating  these vegan “cheese” curds and a recipe that is a delicious and relatively healthy take on the Canadian classic dish of french fries and gravy.

Vegan Poutine with Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients

Cheese Curds

• 1 cup almond blanched almonds, soaked overnight (this is an ideal use for the pieces left over from making almond milk)
• 8 ounces extra firm tofu
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Gravy

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 1/4 cup non-margarine vegan butter substitute
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 2 cups vegetable or mushroom broth, warmed
• salt to taste

Fries

• 1 pound sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch thick fries
• 1 pound yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch thick fries
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• salt to taste

Preparation

1. To make the cheese curds, combine almond curd, tofu, nutritional yeast, turmeric, and salt in a food processor until smooth. Spoon 1-teaspoon-sized balls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until firm, about 20 minutes. Set baked cheese curds aside to cool.
2. Place the sweet potatoes and Yukon golds in a roasting pan. Drizzle with vegetable oil and bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Stir gently then return to the oven until sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
3. While the potatoes are baking, prepare the gravy. In a large skillet, saute onion and mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat until the mushrooms are soft and flavorful, about 15 minutes. In another pan, melt the butter substitute over medium-low heat, then whisk in the rice flour to form a roux. Add the roux to the sauteed onions and mushrooms, then gradually whisk in the warm broth, making sure to break up any chunks of flour. Heat to simmer, turn off heat, then cover with a lid to keep warm.
4. Assemble the poutine by putting a serving on a plate, adding a few cheese curds, and generously smothering in gravy

Note: I also like to garnish with additional roasted vegetables and fresh peppers. It adds some texture and color making it a more complete meal.