Vegan Gnocchi with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Cooking Gluten-Free with Chef Cynthia Louise

Even though you have seen Gnocchi everywhere, this one is made for you, with your health in mind. The creamy mushroom sauce feels like it's filled with dairy, but don't worry, it isn't!

Serves: 4 - 6

Ingredients

(use organic where possible)  

FOR THE MUSHROOM SAUCE

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup cashew nuts
• Olive oil
• ⅓ leek, finely sliced
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Handful fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 cups portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

FOR THE GNOCCHI

• 2 large potatoes, whole, unpeeled*
• 1 cup gluten-free flour**
• Olive oil
• 1 cup rice milk
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• *Dry, starchy potatoes like yukon gold are the best for this recipe
• **A mix of potato, tapioca, and rice flour

Directions

1. To prepare the mushroom sauce, blend the water and cashews together until completely smooth and resembling milk. Set aside.
2. Heat a large pan on medium heat. 
3. Pour in olive oil, add the leek, onion, garlic, and herbs and season with salt and pepper. 
4. Saute for 2 minutes and then turn heat down to medium-low.
5. Add the mushrooms and cook for 8-15 minutes.
6. Pour in the cashew milk and stir in the savory yeast.
7. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. 
8. Cook for 2 more minutes and turn off the heat.
9. Let the sauce sit until the gnocchi is ready. 
10. To prepare the gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Have it ready for cooking the gnocchi. 
11. Boil the potatoes, peel and run them through a ricer. 
12. Add the flour and oil to the potatoes and season well. 
13. Gradually add a little rice milk at a time, slowly combine all the ingredients to turn them into a dough. Add more milk if needed.
14. Roll out the dough into a log and cut into 2cm squares or any size you want your Gnocchi to be. 
15. When the water starts to boil, season with salt and add the gnocchi.
16. Cook for 2 minutes once the gnocchi has risen to the surface. 
17. Strain, transfer to the mushroom sauce and cool a little so the sauce coats the Gnocchi and serve immediately. ​