Vegan Poutine Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.You only need 3 simple ingredients to make my easy vegan poutine recipe – French fries, vegan gravy, and vegan cheese curds! It’s ideal for anyone looking for the ultimate plant-based comfort food with just as much flavor as the traditional version. Plus, it is the perfect way to use up leftover gravy! Serve as a main dish, tasty side, or hearty snack.
Originating in Quebec during the 1950s, poutine has since gained popularity throughout Canada and eventually made its way to the United States and around the world.
Is poutine vegan? Well, not traditionally! The typical brown gravy served over the fries is made with beef or chicken broth, flour, and butter. Then, you toss on some cheese curds which are, of course, made with dairy. Plus, the fries might not even be vegan depending on what they have been fried in!
Unlike the original version, my ultimate vegan poutine uses all whole food plant-based ingredients! With a savory broth, gooey, soft cheese, and crispy fries, it is loved by my whole family. I love making it year round but find it especially great during the holiday season when I have leftover ingredients handy. It also happens to be naturally gluten-free and dairy-free too!
👩🏽🍳 Why I Love This Recipe
There are so many reasons to love my vegetarian poutine, but let’s first start with its amazing flavor! You might be wondering, “what does poutine taste like?”. While it will vary depending on the gravy that you use, you can expect a rich, savory sauce that complements the salty fries and cheesy flavor in the most amazing way!
I love that I can whip this up in minutes with store bought ingredients, but that if I choose to make everything from scratch it’s still ready in about one hour. Either way, it will turn out amazing and is totally beginner-friendly when using my suggested gravy and cheese curd recipes.
This poutine recipe is also the perfect way to use up leftovers, especially during the holiday time. Repurposing Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers into new creations is so much fun. Since I always have leftover gravy, and usually some spare potatoes, it is super easy to create this Canadian classic! Just grab some dairy free cheese curds (or quickly make your own) and you are all set.
Not only does using up leftovers help to reduce food waste, but it also makes meals so much easier. Even those leftovers haters will love this homemade poutine!
While this is a super simple recipe, I appreciate how customizable it can be. This poutine with vegan cheese curds can be the base to so many elevated dishes. Try it with cauliflower steak or any of my serving suggestions and variations that I share later on in this post!
🥘 Ingredients
Feel free to buy everything at the store to make this vegan poutine super easy, or make homemade French fries, vegan cheese curds and gravy for a healthy snack you won’t stop eating!
French Fries: I usually just buy frozen french fries to bake but if you make them from scratch feel free to cut into whatever style you’d like such as shoestring or potato wedges.
Vegan Gravy: I prefer to make my own easy vegan onion gravy at home for the healthiest option but you can just buy some at the store too.
Vegan Cheese Curds: Use my vegan cheese curds recipe to make your own at home! You can also use any cheese or vegan cheese you like. It’s best to rip chunks off a larger block with your hand to recreate the curd shape and size. I like Miyoko’s vegan mozzarella for this recipe!
🔪 How To Make My Vegan Poutine Recipe
Making healthy vegan poutine is so easy! Everything comes together super fast, even if you make each part from scratch. Here is what to do:
Bake Fries: First, I bake my frozen french fries, following the package directions. Alternatively, slice russet potatoes, toss in some oil, arrange in a single layer on a baking tray, and bake until fork tender and golden brown. Divide the fries onto four plates.
Assemble: Next, I top with hot onion gravy and plant-based cheese curds. I like to garnish with parsley and chives, but choose whatever toppings you prefer – fresh thyme or rosemary would also be delicious!
💭 Expert Tips
My #1 Secret Tip for this recipe is to use parchment paper for extra crispy fries, which will hold the poutine toppings a lot better and won’t get soggy!
I bake my fries on parchment paper to make them crispy without the extra oil. I prefer to leave them in the oven slightly longer than the directions state, but definitely avoid burnt fries.
That way, once you make this recipe, some of the fries will stay nice and crispy while others will soften as they soak up the gravy. It is the perfect combination of textures!
Other Tips To Keep In Mind:
- Adjust Ratios: This vegan poutine recipe was written with the ratios I prefer, but feel free to adjust the amounts to your liking.
- Add More Salt: If you prefer salty fries, you may want to add some extra salt and give them a good toss to coat! Some frozen fries will already have plenty of salt so give them a taste first.
- Use Leftovers: This is a great way to use up leftover gravy from a holiday dinner. You can also buy extra potatoes when making vegan mashed potatoes to make French fries with.
- Adjust Consistency: If you plan to use a vegetarian poutine gravy recipe to make your own from scratch, adjust the consistency as needed. I prefer the sauce to be not too thick or too thin, so that it slowly absorbs into the fries without becoming messy.
- Presentation: While it might not be necessary, I prefer to serve my poutine in a visually pleasing way. Gently drizzle the gravy over the fries and place the cheese curds spread out across the top. Thinly slice fresh herbs for a nice final touch!
- Homemade Gravy: I use 3 cups of thinly sliced sweet or yellow onion, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 ½ cups veggie broth, and ½ cup cooked potato. I saute the onions for 30 minutes in a little broth and then blend all the ingredients into a creamy vegan poutine gravy! Super easy and delicious. Find the full recipe here.
📖 Variations
With Dairy: If you are not vegan, feel free to use real cheese curds for a more authentic dish!
Spicy Gravy: Sometimes I like a kick of heat to my gravy sauce. I add in red pepper flakes, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, or a dash of hot sauce to taste. This is a fun way to switch things up a bit!
Vegetable Poutine: Mix in some sauteed or baked veggies of your choice for more nutrients, flavor, and texture. I like red bell pepper, red onion, cremini mushrooms, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and zucchini. You can also top with a mushroom gravy for additional veggies here!
Poutine Without Gravy: While the gravy plays a key role in a classic poutine dish, you can switch things up if you don’t like gravy, can’t find any, and don’t want to make it from scratch. Try adding a different sauce over top of the fries like my vegan cheese sauce or vegan tartar sauce.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
My dairy free poutine can be served as a main or side dish! Here are some of my favorite pairings:
Healthy Sides: To make a filling meal, I typically serve these poutine fries with an apple walnut salad and cheesy baked asparagus. I sometimes also add a side of vegan gluten free chicken nuggets for my kids!
Toppings: When I am craving some meaty texture I make my portobello mushroom steaks, slice them, and add to the top of the poutine. Other simple topping ideas include fresh cilantro, basil, parsley, chives, green onion, shallots, or sunflower seeds.
🫙 Storage Instructions
Make Ahead: This vegetarian poutine recipe can be prepared ahead of time, but I recommend waiting to assemble until right before serving for the best texture. When I want to make this in advance I prepare the gravy, vegan cheese curds and wash, cut, and soak the fries (or just make sure I have frozen fries on hand!). I store each component in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator. When stored separately:
- Gravy can be kept for up to 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
- The vegan cheese curds can be made up to 5 days ahead of time.
- The potatoes can be stored in their soaking water for up to 24 hours max, but the less time the better.
Refrigeration: I do not recommend storing prepared poutine as the gravy will make the fries soggy, but if you have leftovers you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. The texture won’t be as good but the flavor will still be great! If you are able to, it will be best to store each component separately!
Reheating: I reheat leftover poutine in the microwave or in the oven to crisp up the fries a bit.
❓Recipe FAQs
While it is likely that some of the fries will be a bit soggy in texture due to the gravy, there are a few things you can do! First, I like to make my gravy a bit thicker in texture. If the gravy is too liquidy and runny, the fries will soak it up much faster and get more mushy. Second, make sure to store the fries and sauce separately and assemble with the gravy right before serving.
It is important to assemble and serve poutine in a specific way for best results. Start with your preferred portion of fries, warm out of the oven, and then drizzle over hot gravy. Add the cheese curds over the warm fries and gravy so that it gets nice and melty! Make sure the ingredients are evenly dispersed so you get a little of everything with each bite.
Want to make a bigger serving of my veggie poutine recipe? I got you! This recipe serves 4, but can easily be doubled or tripled depending on your needs. Keep in mind, each guest might have different preferences on the amount of gravy and cheese curds for their poutine. I recommend setting up the prepared ingredients and letting your guests assemble their own plate.
🍲 More Vegan Comfort Food Recipes!
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Vegan Poutine Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 serving French fries about 2 pounds of potatoes (homemade or store bought)
- ½ serving vegan gravy about 1 cup but can use more for extra saucy
- ½ serving cheese curds about 1 cup (homemade or store bought)
- parsley or chives chopped (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- Make French fries if making homemade by following the recipe directions.
- Divide the fries onto four plates.
- Top with hot vegan gravy.
- Add vegan cheese curds.
- Garnish with parsley and chives if preferred.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use frozen French fries and premade gravy and cheese to make this easy.
- This is a great way to use up leftover gravy from a holiday dinner.
- You can also buy extra potatoes when making the mashed potatoes to make French fries with.
- Adjust amounts of gravy and cheese to fit your preference.
- Time here reflects making things from scratch.
- Nutrition facts will change depending on specific ingredients used, these reflect my recipes for each.
The crispy fries, rich gravy, and gooey cheese curds are a perfect combination of textures and flavors. It’s surprisingly hearty and satisfying, even without the traditional ingredients. A must-try for plant-based comfort food lovers!
Awesome, so happy to hear that Gianne!
Tried this vegan poutine recipe and it’s so tasty! The cheesy goodness and spices adds such a nice kick to its flavor! Will definitely make more of these!
Thanks so much!! 🙂
As a Canadian I just adore poutine and this recipe was so easy to make. Very tasty and so glad that it is vegan as well. Perfect!
Thanks so much Angela! So glad you liked this!
I love poutine – what’s not to love about cheese and gravy! I’m excited to try this vegan version.
Totally!! I’m sure you’ll love this Chenee!
I was introduced to poutine at a Canadian deli in a city nearby. This recipe made it easy to come up with that comforting flavour.
Awesome!! So glad you liked this!