Loaded with color and flavor instead of cheese and sour cream, this festive vegan mash is a winning side dish for a holiday or celebration dinner. The three-prong mashup—featuring turnips, butternut squash, and shredded apple, for extra sweetness—works deliciously well. A garlicky cashew sauce provides a rich creaminess that elevates this beyond an everyday dish. Garnish with scallions, sun-dried tomatoes, and additional squash. Make plenty!
Tips
Extra creamy: For a really creamy texture, in Step 4, place turnips, apples, and garlicky cashew cream in a food processor. Process to desired consistency, adding plant milk if needed.
For more inspiration, check out these tasty ideas:
By Nancy Macklin, RDN ,
Ingredients
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- ½ of a small clove of garlic
- ¼ teaspoon + ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 lb. turnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 lb. apples, peeled, cored, and cut into quarters
- 2 cups coarsely shredded butternut squash or carrots
- 2 to 4 tablespoons unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
- ¼ cup sliced scallions or chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- To make garlicky cashew cream, in a small blender combine cashews and ⅓ cup hot water; let soak 20 minutes. Add garlic and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Cover and blend until smooth.
- Meanwhile, place turnips in a steamer basket in a large saucepan. Add water to saucepan to just below basket. Bring to boiling. Steam, covered, 20 minutes or until tender, adding apples in last 5 minutes of steaming. Transfer turnips and apples to a large bowl and return steamer basket to saucepan.
- Place squash in the steamer basket. Bring to boiling. Steam, covered, 5 minutes or until tender.
- Add garlicky cashew cream to the turnips and apples. Mash with a hand masher or handheld mixer, gradually adding milk (if needed) until desired consistency. Season with salt and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Reserve ¼ cup cooked squash for garnish; stir in the remaining squash. Top mash with reserved squash, the sun-dried tomatoes, and scallions.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (¾ cup), 130 calories, 26 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 3 g total fat, 172 mg sodium, 5 g fiber, 14 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
Can this be made ahead