Easiest Vegan Poutine (no nuts)

Name: Easiest Vegan Poutine
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 200g pack medium firm tofu; 2 tbsp tapioca starch; 2 tbsp nutritional yeast; 1 tbsp lemon juice; Sea salt; 2 tbsp dairy-free milk, unsweetened (I like soy); 3½ tbsp unflavoured oil; 2 lb yellow or russet potatoes (3-4 medium potatoes); 2 tbsp vegan butter or olive oil; 3 small cremini mushrooms; 1½ tbsp miso paste; 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce; 1 tsp onion powder; 3 tbsp brown rice flour (can use regular flour if not gluten sensitive); 1½ cups vegetable stock or broth (water can be used in a pinch)

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This vegan poutine is easy to make and delicious. Made with squeaky vegan cheese curds and a simple gravy, it's perfect comfort food!

A bowl of vegan poutine made of fries, gravy and cheese curds.

Ah, Canadian poutine. Is there a more delicious dish?

When I first moved to Canada from the UK, I'd never heard of poutine. I was introduced to it by friends, but it was several years before I got to try a vegan version.

Imagine my delight when my local restaurant started offering vegan poutine on their menu, complete with vegan cheese curds!

It was a complete revelation as I hadn't realized it could be vegan, so this recipe is an homage to my favourite Canadian dish, with my own plant-based twist.

French fries, gravy and vegan cheese curds in a bowl.

What is Poutine?

Poutine is basically french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy.

It is a traditional Quebec dish that first appeared in the 1950s. Its exact origin is debated however, with many places claiming to have invented it. Find out more about poutine's history.

Why you'll love this recipe

Budget-friendly - I wanted to make a poutine that not only tastes delicious, but is also budget-friendly. Many vegan poutine recipes use cashews for the cheese curds and while they taste delicious, nuts aren't the most cost-effective. My recipe uses tofu as the main ingredient for the vegan cheese curds.

It's nut free - Unlike almost all other vegan poutine recipes I've seen, this one is completely nut-free (provided you use a nut-free milk). Yay!

Baked not fried - These fries are baked in the oven so they're a healthier version of the traditional recipe.

Gluten free - This recipe can be gluten free as long as you use a gluten free soy sauce, flour and vegetable broth.

Easy mushroom gravy - This might be the easiest gravy I've ever made, as you just blend all ingredients and then heat until thickened. Simple! (And if you're not a fan of mushrooms, don't despair! You can use this simple vegan gravy recipe instead.)

A woman's hand lifts a forkful of vegan cheese curds from a bowl of vegan poutine.

Details on main ingredients

Tofu - The base of our vegan cheese curds. I love tofu as it's inexpensive and virtually flavourless, so pretty versatile!

Tapioca starch - This magical ingredient is what will make your cheese curds stretch and squeak (yes! I know!), and cannot be omitted! Don't try.

Nutritional yeast - Helps give the vegan cheese curds that extra 'cheesy' flavour!

Potatoes - Russet, or Yukon Gold varieties work well here. Basically, use any large potato that you would use for baking.

Vegan butter - You can also use olive oil here, but I love the rich taste vegan butter gives to the gravy.

Mushrooms - I like to use cremini/chestnut mushrooms here to flavour the gravy and give it body.

Miso paste - Adds a great savoury taste to the gravy. You can find this in many Asian grocery stores, but these days many supermarkets will stock it too.

Substitutions

Tofu - Although I recommend medium firm tofu, any type will work in this recipe. The firmness of your curds might just vary slightly.

Nutritional yeast - You can omit this if you don't have it. Not essential but it does add a cheesy taste.

Lemon juice - Vinegar works instead if you don't have any lemon.

Potatoes - Kind of an essential ingredient here for true poutine, but you could try using sweet potatoes for the fries instead if you don't have regular!

Cremini mushrooms - These can be switched for any other type of mushroom. Try using porcini for a more intense flavour.

Miso paste - Not completely essential to the flavour, and can be omitted if you don't have it. Just use an extra glug of soy sauce instead!

How to make vegan poutine

For the Cheese Curds

Add tofu, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, milk and oil to a blender. Blend on medium until mixture is smooth.

Transfer to a small saucepan, and cook for 10-12 minutes until 'cheese' is smooth and stretchy. The mixture will become lumpy at first and may stick to the pan a bit but that's ok - just keep stirring until it becomes smooth!

For the Fries

Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C. Slice potatoes into strips 1cm wide.

Place on baking trays and toss in remaining unflavoured oil. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes, flipping fries over after 15 minutes.

For the Gravy

Add vegan butter, mushrooms, miso paste, soy sauce, onion powder, flour and broth to a blender. Blitz on high power until smooth.

Transfer to a saucepan and heat until bubbling. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes until gravy has thickened. Taste and add salt if needed.

To Assemble

Place fries in a large serving dish, and dollop with small piles of cheese curds. Pour over gravy and decorate with sliced green onions if desired.

Expert tips

STIR those cheese curds! The mixture will become lumpy and look like it's sticking to the pan at some point - this is normal. Just keep stirring until it becomes smooth and stretchy!

Prep in advance - You can make the gravy in advance and reheat as needed. You can also do the same with the cheese curds, and both can be stored in the fridge up to 5 days. The potato fries taste best when made fresh.

Storage

This vegan poutine is best eaten immediately. If you need to store any leftovers, keep them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

A bowl of easy vegan poutine topped with green onions.

FAQS

Is poutine vegan?

Usually, no. The cheese curds are made from dairy, and the gravy is normally made from meat stock or broth. Luckily, this recipe is completely vegan!

What are vegan cheese curds made of?

For this recipe, you blend tofu (although I have seen cashews used elsewhere) with tapioca starch, nutritional yeast and some other simple pantry seasonings before cooking it briefly in a saucepan. The mixture will thicken and become stretchy, looking like traditional cheese curds.

Can you have poutine without cheese curds?

You can, but you'd be missing an essential ingredient! Without the cheese curds, you're really just having fries and gravy (which is still delicious, it's just not poutine).

What to serve with vegan poutine

Homemade Vegan Chili

Easy Beet & Black Bean Burgers

Smoky Eggplant Bean Burgers

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5 from 34 votes

Easiest Vegan Poutine

This vegan poutine is easy to make and delicious. Made with vegan cheese curds and simple mushroom gravy, it's perfect comfort food!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time55 mins

Course: Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American, Canadian, comfort food, gluten-free, vegan

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: 4 people

Calories per serving: 418kcal

Special Equipment

1 Blender

Ingredients

1 200g pack medium firm tofu
2 tablespoon tapioca starch
2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Sea salt
2 tablespoon dairy-free milk, unsweetened (I like soy)
3½ tablespoon unflavoured oil
2 lb yellow or russet potatoes (3-4 medium potatoes)
2 tablespoon vegan butter or olive oil
3 small cremini mushrooms
1½ tablespoon miso paste
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
3 tablespoon brown rice flour (can use regular flour if not gluten sensitive)
1½ cups vegetable stock or broth (water can be used in a pinch)