Vegan Mashed Potato Bowl
If you’ve been searching for a vegan mashed potato bowl that actually delivers on comfort (and not just mushy vegetable vibes), this is the one. It’s creamy, savory, nostalgic, and wildly satisfying without any dairy, eggs, or sad cauliflower pretending to be chicken.
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In my humble opinion, a lot of vegan mashed potato bowl recipes out there…kind of miss the point. They take a true comfort food and overload it with mushy roasted veggies or crunchy cauliflower meat subs so it’s barely recognizable.
This recipe stays true to what makes mashed potato bowls iconic: buttery mashed potatoes, hearty “chicken,” tender veggies, and a rich gravy that ties it all together.
Instead of cauliflower or breaded tofu, we use soy curls cooked directly in seasoned broth, then pan-seared until juicy and meaty with crispy edges. No breading. No oven. Just one pan and a technique we swear by! It tastes like real comfort food because it is; it’s just made entirely from plants!
And while this bowl doesn’t scream “health food” in an obvious way, it does have a few tricks up its sleeve. We sneak red lentils right into the mashed potatoes for extra protein and creaminess (you’ll never know they’re there!), and the gravy is made with just cashews, bouillon, and water – no flour, no roux, no excess heaviness. This bowl is cozy, indulgent, and shockingly balanced!
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What is a mashed potato bowl?
A mashed potato bowl is exactly what it sounds like: A base of mashed potatoes topped with savory components and finished with gravy! And it’s been quietly winning hearts for decades.
The most famous example is the KFC Famous Bowl, with mashed potatoes, corn, chicken, gravy, and cheese. But if you grew up anywhere near a Wawa (same), you probably remember building mashed potato bowls on the in-store kiosks for late night munchies situations. Chicken tenders + macaroni and cheese were always my go-to toppings back then.
At their core, mashed potato bowls all share the same formula:
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- A hearty protein
- Tender (NOT mushy) veggies for texture and balance
- A rich, savory sauce or gravy
This vegan mashed potato bowl follows that blueprint exactly, and once you have the base down, it’s endlessly customizable!
Let’s make this together
This recipe looks like it has a lot going on, but once you start, it flows really naturally. Think of it as building layers instead of juggling a million things at once.
Start by getting a big pot of water going for the potatoes. While that heats up, toss the cashews, bouillon, and hot water into your blender and let it sit. This softens the cashews, so the gravy blends up ultra-smooth later with zero effort.
Add the diced potatoes and red lentils to the boiling water and let them cook until very soft. You want the lentils basically melting into the potatoes. They disappear completely once whipped and just make everything creamier!
While the potatoes cook, make the soy curl chicken. Add the soy curls, bouillon, and water to a skillet, cover, and let them hydrate. Once they’re plump, uncover, add olive oil and a little more bouillon, and let them sear. Stir often, flatten them out, and don’t rush this part. That golden browning is where the magic really happens!
Next, drain the potatoes and lentils, then whip them with vegan butter, non-dairy milk, and salt until fluffy and smooth. This is where you taste and adjust. Mashed potatoes should be aggressively good on their own, so feel free to add a little more salt and pepper if you feel it’s needed here!
Defrost the veggies (easy, low-effort step), then blend the gravy until completely silky!
Now assemble: potatoes first, then veggies, then soy curl chicken, and finish with a generous pour of gravy. This is not the time to be shy!
Tips, assembly ideas & variations
This is where mashed potato bowls really shine: Everyone gets to make their perfect bowl!
- Add vegan cheese shreds for extra richness, or stir some right into the potatoes
- Mac and cheese bowl moment: Swap half the potatoes for vegan mac and cheese
- Crispy chicken option: Use Gardein Ultimate or our vegan chicken cutlet recipe
- Switch up the gravy: Try mushroom gravy or our vegan sausage gravy for extra decadence!
- Ranch-style bowl: Add ranch seasoning to the mashed potatoes and/or drizzle with vegan ranch
- Fresh toppings: Scallions or chives are non-negotiable for T!
- Baked Potato Vibes: Add crumbled vegan bacon and a dollop of vegan sour cream!
- Veg it up: Roasted brussels sprouts, broccoli, or green beans are all great here!
This is also perfect for feeding a crowd or meal prepping. Make all the components ahead of time, set them out buffet-style, and let everyone build their own bowl.
If you’re looking for a lighter mashed potato option, check out our vegan garlic mashed potatoes, which use a creamy silken tofu sauce instead of vegan butter.
More Vegan Comfort Foods
If this is your comfort-food love language, you’ll also love:
- Vegan Chicken Casserole
- Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
- The Best Vegan Meatloaf
- Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
Leave a rating & review 💚
If you make these vegan mashed potato bowls, we’d love to hear what you think. Leaving a star rating and review helps more people find our recipes, and it truly means the world to us. Your feedback brings these recipes to life, and we’re so grateful you’re here cooking with us!
Now, go grab a bowl. Extra gravy encouraged. 😉
Vegan Mashed Potato Bowls
Equipment
- 1 high-speed blender heat-safe
Ingredients
For the gravy:
- 1 1/2 cups hot water just-boiled
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 3 Tbsp vegan chicken-style bouillon powder
For the mashed potatoes:
- 2 lbs russet potatoes peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 1/3 cup red lentils optional
- 1/4 cup plain unsweetened non-dairy milk
- ½ Tbsp salt
For the soy curl chicken:
- 2 Tbsp vegan bouillon powder + 1 tsp for sauteing
- 4 oz dry soy curls
- 1 ½ cup boiling water
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
For the bowl:
- 2 cups frozen vegetables We use a blend with peas, corn, carrots, and green beans.
Instructions
Step 1: Get started.
- Get a large pot of water boiling for the potatoes.
- Add 3/4 cup cashews, 2 Tbsp bouillon powder, and 1 ½ cups hot water to a blender. Put the lid on and let sit while you get the rest of the components ready.
- Peel, rinse, and chop 2 lb of potatoes.
- Once the water is boiling, add the chopped potatoes to it with 1/3 cup red lentils. Turn the heat to low.
- Let cook, partially covered, for 20-30 minutes. You want the red lentils to over-cook, so you can barely recognize them.
Step 2: Make the soy curl chicken.
- Add 4 oz dry soy curls, 2 Tbsp bouillon, and 1 ½ cups water to a saute pan.
- Cover and cook on medium low for 7 minutes.
- When the 7 minutes are up, remove the cover on the soy curls and drizzle 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp bouillon onto them. Stir and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stopping to stir them thoroughly every other minute to get a nice sear on them.
- When browned to your liking, remove from heat, stir once more, flatten again and let sit while you continue with the recipe
Step 3: Finish the potatoes.
- When the potatoes + red lentils are finished boiling, drain them and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- To the potatoes, add ¼ cup vegan butter, ¼ non-dairy milk, + 1 ½ tsp salt. Whip until smooth with a hand or stand mixer.
Step 4: Finish the veggies and gravy.
- The veggies: Defrost the frozen veggies either on the stove or in the microwave at a low heat until heated through.
- The gravy: Blend the contents of your blender on high until completely smooth.
Step 5: Assemble the bowls
- Divide the mashed potatoes between four bowls.
- Top each with the mixed vegetables followed by the soy curls
- Finish each bowl with a hefty drizzle of gravy and enjoy!
I made it, I love it, I want some more of it! The mashed potatoes were the creamiest that I have ever made. Your red lentil idea was a hit! I don’t normally use canned vegetables, but my mom gave me some when she moved. I used one can of corn and another can of mixed veggies, and then added a little fresh spinach. For the soy curls, I was fresh out, so I replaced them with soy balls; however, I did prepare them as you mentioned. I browned them in an iron skillet that my parents had passed down to me.
Woo hoo! So happy to hear it was a hit and you were able to make it with what you had on-hand! Thanks so much for leaving a review. 🙂
I am going to try making this and freezing portions. Have you tried that? If so, any tips? Should I keep things separate?
Thanks!
I think you can totally freeze them in individual portions. That’s a great idea! Personally, I would use the 2-cup Souper Cubes or similar silicone freezer portions and just layer everything in like it’s a casserole. The only thing I might separate is the gravy. I still think you can add gravy to each bowl but maybe freeze an extra portion for each one just to re-sauce it properly when you heat it up!