These Vegan Roast Potatoes are fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside without the need for any animal based fats. Find out how to make them below.
How to make crispy roast potatoes
Roast potato "purists" will tell you that the only way you can get super crispy, flavourful roast potatoes is to cook them in beef dripping or goose fat but I'm here to tell you they are wrong!
Since going vegetarian (and subsequently vegan), I've been making delicious roast potatoes without the need for any animal based fats. And you know what? It doesn't require any weird ingredients.
All you need are potatoes, sunflower oil, salt, pepper and some fresh herbs.
Which potatoes are best for roasting?
Potatoes generally fall into 3 categories: (1) waxy potatoes; (2) floury potatoes; and (3) all-rounders.
Waxy potatoes are smooth, rather dense potatoes that hold their shape well when cooked. Think new potatoes or boiled potatoes.
Floury potatoes on the other hand have a fluffy, almost dry texture when cooked which makes them perfect for mashed potatoes, chips, and of course these Vegan Roast Potatoes!
And all-rounders have been bred to fall somewhere in the middle making them a good potato to have on hand if you're not entirely sure what you're going to end up doing with them!
Floury potatoes are the best for roast potatoes because of their soft, dry texture. This helps create the crisp outside when they are roasted which contrasts so well with the fluffy middle.
Varieties like Desiree, King Edwards and Maris Piper are ideal for my Vegan Roast Potatoes recipe.
Should I parboil my potatoes before roasting?
The short answer is yes!
This is the best way to make sure you get a super soft, fluffy inside to your roast potatoes.
Add them to a pan of lightly salted water for at least 15 minutes until they are soft but not completely falling apart.
The important thing is that they should be cooked through. We roast them in the oven to get perfect crispy skins, not to cook their middles.
How do I make sure I get crispy edges on my roast potatoes?
Some people recommend adding flour, pollenta, even oatmeal to the potatoes to get a crisp crust.
I don't add anything to my potatoes. After parboiling and draining them, I sit the colander back over the hot pan. This means that the potatoes steam dry. (Don't be tempted to skip this step!)
I then give them a good shake around the colander which fluffs up their edges and creates a rough texture. This rough texture allows the oil to cling to the potatoes making them super crispy!
I also find that leaving the potatoes alone helps to create an even, crisp outside. It also helps stop them sticking (more on that below...)
How do I stop my roast potatoes sticking to my pan?
Roast potatoes sticking to the pan is usually because there is excess starch on the potatoes or because there wasn't enough oil in the pan.
You can rinse the potatoes to get rid of starch. I always recommend adding the oil to the pan to heat up before adding the potatoes. I also toss the potatoes in a little oil before adding so that you can be sure they are well coated and avoid any stickiness.
You should also avoid turning your potatoes. Some people like to keep turning them in the oil but I find this only risks bits sticking to the pan.
Which oil is best for roasting potatoes?
Out of all of the vegetable oils I've tried, sunflower oil always works best. Rapeseed oil and ground nut oil also give fantastic results. They can withstand a high temperature meaning you get super crispy spuds without causing any bitterness or other nasty flavours in the oil.
There are some oils you should absolutely avoid when roasting potatoes. Extra virgin olive oil for example has a really low smoking point and should only really be used for dressings.
The recipe
We've talked enough theory... let's cook some Vegan Roast Spuds!
Vegan Roast Potatoes
Ingredients
- 500 grams potatoes
- 50 ml sunflower oil
- 0.5 teaspoon sea salt
- 0.25 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon thyme fresh, leaves only
Instructions
- Put a roasting tin in the oven (one big enough to take the potatoes in a single layer) and heat oven to 200 C / 392 F /gas 6.
- Peel the potatoes and cut each into quarters if they are large-medium size, or in half if they are small.
- Place them into a large pan of salted water and bring to the boil.
- As soon as the water comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let them cook for 15 minutes or until they are cooked through.
- In the meantime. add the oil to your roasting tin and place in the oven to get piping hot.
- Drain the potatoes and place the colander/strainer over the hot, but now empty saucepan and let the residual heat steam dry the potatoes.
- Once dry, shake the colander to fluff up the outsides of the potatoes.
- Remove the roasting tray from the oven and carefully add the potatoes into the hot oil.
- Carefully turn the potatoes so they are fully coated and arrange them in the pan so they are not touching.
- Roast them for 30 minutes, turn them over and roast for another 15 minutes or until they are really golden and crisp.
- Scatter with the flaked sea salt, a good crack of black pepper and fresh thyme leaves and serve.
Nutrition
More potato recipes
Do you love potatoes as much as I do? Why not try one of these potato recipes.
Potatoes really are the perfect side dish for any meal.
Enjoy!
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