vegan thanksgiving: roasted garlic mashed potatoes with celeriac

every recipe on thanksgiving seems to have the same “fuck it” mentality, with loads of butter and salt and carbohydrates.  for example, normally i make mashed potatoes like this, but this year i decided to do the complete opposite.  i wanted a lighter dish thrown in the mix, for a little bit of balance on a day designated for indulgence.

i started with potatoes, but this time i added celeriac (celery root) which helps to lighten the texture and flavor, as well as cutting the overall amount of carbs.  i added in roasted garlic to help create a creamy texture, but mostly to add flavor.  then i sent it all through a ricer to get rid of the skins and any chunks.  with only a few tablespoons of olive oil and a teaspoon of salt, this may be one of the healthier dishes on the table – which helps you to feel a little less guilty when you slather it in gravy.

roasted garlic mashed potatoes with celery root
3-4 heads garlic
2 lb celery root
1 1/2 lb potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt

cut the tops off the heads of garlic to help remove the clove more easily after roasting.  drizzle with olive oil, loosely wrap with aluminum foil and bake at 350F for about 30 minutes or until soft and golden brown.  when they are done, set aside to let cool.

meanwhile, wash and chop up your potatoes and celeriac.  i leave the skins on the potatoes because they are thin and will come off easily in the ricer.  but the celeriac’s skin is much coarser so i peel the whole thing, then chop up it into cubes.

put a large pot on the stove with at least 2 quarts of water and a pinch of salt to boil.  toss the chunks of potato and celeriac in, cover and reduce to medium heat.  boil for 20-30 minutes, until very soft.

strain and let cool for a few minutes before you begin to handle them.  squeeze out the cloves from the heads of roasted garlic, and send them through a potato ricer or a food mill along with the pieces of boiled celeriac and potato.  this will separate out the skins or any other lumps.  what comes through the other side is smooth and even, making it very easy to work with.  stir in the olive oil and salt and serve warm.  enjoy!

yields 4-6 servings