Sweet Potato Poutine with Vegetarian Gravy

Name: Sweet Potato Poutine with Vegetarian Gravy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 sweet potatoes; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp pepper; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper; 2 tbsp butter; 2 cups mushrooms (sliced); 1 large yellow onion (diced); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tbsp flour; 3 cups vegetable broth; 2 tbsp red wine (optional - this is just for added flavour); 1 cup Cheese curds; 4 Green onions (sliced)

This Sweet Potato Poutine with Vegetarian Gravy is a healthier alternative to traditional poutine topped with yummy cheese curds!

Ingredients and substitutions

Fries

Sweet potatoes – cut down on prep time by using frozen sweet potato fries instead.
Olive oil – substitute for another neutral cooking oil such as avocado oil.
Salt & pepper – to taste.
Cayenne pepper – paprika would also be good and will give your fries a bit of kick.

Gravy

Butter – swap out for your favourite dairy-free butter substitute.
Mushrooms – use any variety of mushrooms of your choice.
Yellow onion – white onion or shallots would be the best substitutes here.
Garlic – I prefer freshly minced garlic but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
Flour – cornstarch will work if you’re looking for a gluten-free option.
Vegetable broth – you can use chicken broth instead, but then the gravy won’t be vegetarian.
Red wine – leave this out if need be.

Toppings

Cheese curds – these are classic to poutine. You can use grated mozzarella, Swiss or cheddar instead, but your poutine won’t taste as authentic.
Green onions – garnish with fresh parsley instead or leave this off altogether.

Sweet Potato Poutine with Vegetarian Gravy

How to make sweet potato poutine

Cook the sweet potato fries.
Combine the gravy ingredients.
Blend the gravy.
Top the fries with cheese curds.
Ladle the gravy over top and dig in!

What to add to your poutine

Poutine doesn’t have to be limited to gravy and cheese – add any other toppings as you see fit! Bacon, leftover turkey and rotisserie chicken are all great ways to get some protein in, and you can add on some veggies or garnishes like hot pepper.

If you’re serving this poutine at a party, you can even create a poutine bar. Lay out a variety of topping options and let guests add on their faves.

Here are some great poutine topping options:

Shredded mozzarella, Swiss or cheddar
Bacon crumbles
Chili
Sour cream
Pulled pork
Shredded lobster meat
Sauteed veggies

Frequently Asked Questions

What is poutine?

Poutine is a classic Canadian dish! It consists of fries (in this case sweet potato fries) that are topped with creamy gravy, cheese curds and a variety of toppings. I made this poutine a bit healthier by using sweet potato fries and vegetarian gravy.

What is the gravy made of?

The vegetarian gravy for this recipe is made of butter, mushrooms, yellow onion, garlic, flour, vegetable broth and red wine. You can use a store-bought gravy if you’d like, but the homemade version is so easy to make. I suggest blending it using an immersion blender to get that perfect creamy texture.

What are the three main components of poutine?

The three main components of poutine are fries, gravy and cheese curds. As long as you have those three main components, you can add on whatever additional toppings you like.

Storing and reheating

Though I doubt you'll have any leftovers (LOL), these sweet potato fries can be stored in the fridge for about 3 to 5 days. To reheat, simply place the fries on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake them in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 375° Fahrenheit. You can also microwave the fries (they reheat better than regular potato fries), but just know that they will be a bit soggy and won’t have the same texture.

Freezing the gravy

Unfortunately, you can't freeze the poutine or the fries, but you can freeze the gravy! Freeze it in a small glass container for up to 3 months.

You can defrost it in the fridge overnight then heat it up in the microwave or on the stovetop. You can also reheat from frozen – just microwave it for 6-7 minutes, stirring halfway through. You won't even know you're using leftover gravy as long as you make the fries fresh!

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Meal prep tools for this recipe

Freeze the gravy in glass microwave-safe bowls for up to 3 months.