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Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes make use of olive oil and garlic to ramp up the flavor, with creaminess from labneh. A great change from the usual high-fat mashers, without sacrificing flavor. Try adding roasted garlic for mellow garlic flavor.
My love for making mashed potatoes come any feast or simple weeknight meal sort of surprises me. I mean: the peeling of the potatoes, the boiling wait-time and potential boil-over factor, then the mashing until very, very smooth. But all of that has become one of those paths to greatness that I have enjoyed tinkering with over the years to get to that juuust right balance.
The result is this creamy mashed potato recipe that employs no heavy cream or butter whatsoever, and instead reaches for bright olive oil to enrich along with labneh (or Greek yogurt or any plain yogurt) and fresh garlic.
Ingredients
Potatoes. Russet potatoes or yellow potatoes, or Yukon gold potatoes, are my favorite. You can use red potatoes in a pinch, but really, any kind of potatoes mash up nicely here.
Garlic. A few garlic cloves give great flavor to these traditional mashed potatoes, and you know the Lebanese donโt cook without garlic… The flavor is nicely softened by cooking the garlic with the boiling potatoes.
Salt. A couple teaspoons of salt, use Kosher or fine sea salt. Plus, another teaspoon of salt or so, for finishing.ย Salt and pepper are both delicious of course; if I use pepper I often opt for white pepper to avoid black flecks in the finished dish.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Find the good stuff, Lebanese extra-virgin olive oil, in my online shop. Look for a mild, fruity olive oil both for the extra flavor, and the health benefits. You can also use any kind of olive oil you have on hand!ย
Labneh. Labneh is my fat of choice. Itโs truly so much more flavorful than heavy cream, itโs a high quality fat, and accomplishes the perfect creamy texture for the mashers that we all know and love.ย
How to Make Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
Step 1. Peel your potatoes, cut them into small pieces, 1-inch cubes, and get them into cold water right away, otherwise theyโll turn brown.
Step 2. In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes and garlic cloves with cold water. Salt the water with 3 teaspoons of salt. Bring them to a boil over high heat and continue to cook over high heat until the potatoes are tender and a sharp knife tip inserted into them meets no resistance, 20-25 minutes. Adjust the heat down to medium high if the water threatens to boil over.
Step 3. Drain potatoes of the cooking water. Be sure to get all of the cooking liquid out of them by placing the drained potatoes back in their large skillet, then back on the warm burner to let any remaining water steam off. Do this quickly and then turn off the stove to be sure the potatoes donโt start to brown.
Step 4. Using a potato masher (a potato ricer, stand mixer with paddle attachment, or hand mixer all do the job), mash the potatoes with the garlic, a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, and laban. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, mashing until they are smooth and soft, or to your desired consistency. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
Step 5. Keep the potatoes warm in the pot on low heat until just before serving, then place potatoes in a serving dish and drizzle with olive oil.
Make-ahead Instructions
You can make the recipe all the way through, and then reheat when ready to serve. Itโs best not to cook the potatoes and try to mash them later – they are easiest to mash when warm just after boiling. Reheating mashed potatoes on the stovetop or in a slow cooker works pretty well too!ย
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week.
FAQs
Yes! Vegan butter, coconut milk, and almond milk work just fine as non-dairy alternatives in this side dish.ย
Black pepper, roasted garlic, and chopped fresh herbs (try a touch of fresh rosemary or thyme), are delicious additions to a mashed potato recipe.ย
Avoid dry mashed potatoes by adding more fat or liquid. Some great options are olive oil and labneh (as called for), or vegetable broth, whole milk, sour cream, goat cheese, or a spoonful of mushroom gravy on top!ย Be sure to heat the potatoes up from room temperature right before serving, about 15-20 minutes on low heat.ย
Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for finishing
- 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup labneh, Greek yogurt, or plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup milk, any fat content
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with cold water. Peel and rinse the potatoes, cut them into large chunks, and place them in water immediately. Add the garlic cloves to the pot.3 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes, 3 cloves garlic
- Salt the water with 3 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil and cook over medium high heat the potatoes are tender and a sharp knife tip inserted into them meets no resistance, 20-25 minutes.3 teaspoons kosher salt
- Drain the potatoes. Be sure to get every breath of water out of them by placing the drained potatoes in their pot, then back on the warm burner to let any remaining water steam off. Do this quickly and turn the burner off after 30 seconds.
- Using a potato masher, ricer or hand mixer to mash the potatoes and garlic with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the labneh. Continue mashing, adding the milk one tablespoon at a time until smooth. Taste and season with more salt as needed.3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup labneh, Greek yogurt, or plain yogurt, 1/4 cup milk
- Keep the potatoes warm on low heat until ready to serve. Stir them, then spoon them into a serving dish, drizzle with olive oil, and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Could you use vegan yogurt or would it turn out strangely?? Having regular yogurt or labneh in the recipe keeps it from being vegan. Thanks!
Oh thank you Angela–the recipe should read that the labneh is optional for vegan; just fixed it. While I haven’t tested with vegan yogurt, you might try almond or soy milk. Or just leave that out altogether and increase the oil.
I meant to say dairy LIGHT not dairy free! Whoops! I guess I got too excited about the recipe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maureen–I love this recipe! I am half Irish, half Lebanese (and full on food lover!). I feel like this recipe honors both of my parents, while making my taste buds and belly quite happy! I also love that the recipe is dairy free. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s so great Cathy!! Enjoy every bite!
I have lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil, bet it will work well in this recipe!
My Auntie just shared this site with me. I’ve looked through some of the recipes, and they look exactly the same as my Sitto and Giddo’s. I ran across this dish just scrolling thru the home page and it sings to me! Being 50% Irish (dad’s side) and 50% Lebanese (mom’s side) I feel I would be letting my ancestors down if I didn’t make this tonight ๐
I agree wiht the other comments; please load a potato peeling video!
My Mother’s maiden name was Nellie Kelley, but she was Lebanese as was my Dad. You can imagine what fun I had with that, especially when I flew as a stewardess on Eastern with a Sullivan and an O’Sullivan…my maiden name is Smaha! Will do the mashed potatoes this weekend. Did the stuffed cabbage last week. Yummy!
Love this site.
Could we see a video of the potato peeling with a knife? My mother also used a knife and I do as well. I did purchase a potato peeler but find it awkward to use. When people seee using a knife they feel I am wasting potato. Would welcome a video or pictures. The potatoes sound delicious. Cant wait to try them. As always thanks for sharing such great receipes.
Denise, you got it! Stay tuned for this and other videos. I’ve gotten the “wasting potato” reaction too! For the fraction of the potato that’s lost, we gain time and much cleaner potatoes…
Maureen I love your recipes, stories, and photography.
Thanks, as always. I always enjoy your recipes; I have your book and I print out all of your recipes to try. Every one I’ve tried has become a favorite.
I especially look for recipes with flower waters, as I’ve just begun to use them in my cooking. (Thanks to your recipes from the book.)
Stay well, and Happy St Pat’s Day!
I would love to see a video of your potato peeling skills. Love your blog.
I have never used lemon juice in mashed potatoes before but I will try it the next time I make them. And using laban instead of milk sounds good to me. Question: Do you mash the cooked garlic with the potatoes? I am guessing yes since they are cooked with the potatoes. I appreciate and enjoy your blog — it is Great! Looking forward to your next book.
I am of a mixed heritage that does indeed include Irish ancestors but married into a full blooded Lebanese family (you never marry just your spouse; you marry the whole family and that is a good thing). I am very glad to let you know that this May 2016 we will celebrate 55 years of marriage.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day.
Wonderful comment, thank you! And yes, mash the garlic together with the potatoes. Delicious.
Thank you, Maureen! This looks really easy to prepare and is surely as delicious as everything you post. I would really, really like to see a video of how you peel potatoes in your family. It sounds like one of those life hacks that make everything easier. I use a vegetable peeler and would love to learn this technique from you!
Carlos thank you–and great idea! I will add this to my list of upcoming videos! Stay tuned…