Scalloped Sweet Potato Gratin Recipe with Butternut Squash and Cashew Cream

sweet potato

This vegan scalloped sweet potato gratin recipe is a must on your dinner table.

Sage and squash are a match made in heaven. In this scalloped sweet potato gratin recipe, the herb and sweet vegetable are blended together to create a creamy, thick sauce layered between levels of scalloped sweet potatoes. The result is an irresistible winter side dish without the dairy, flour or sugar.

You can easily replace sweet potatoes with regular white potatoes, but I like the idea of using a lighter, lower-glycemic potato that makes this comfort dish ever the more wholesome. Cashews make for a creamy “cheese” that adds some bulk and thickness to the dish. Butternut squash thins and further sweetens the cashew cream sauce while better complementing the fresh sage. Enjoy this sweet potato gratin with a garnish of fresh sage and a drizzle of grapeseed oil.

Scalloped Sweet Potato Gratin Recipe

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons grapeseed oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1.5 teaspoons fresh thyme
  • 5 cups 1/2-inch cubed fresh butternut squash
  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained
  • 1/4 cup vegan milk (almond, soy, rice)
  • 3-4 medium sweet potatoes

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a 10-inch pan over medium heat, add the oil, onion, salt and pepper. Stir until the onions are softened, translucent and starting to brown. Stir in the sage, garlic and thyme for another minute.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add the butternut squash cubes. Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for about 10 minutes, or until softened. Drain and set aside to cool.

Place the butternut squash in a blender with the onion mixture, soaked cashews and milk. Blend until smooth and add more milk if necessary. The resulting cream should be thick.

Slice the sweet potatoes into 1/8-inch thin slices. Use a mandoline slicer to ease the process. Using the same pan you used to cook the onions, layer a quarter of the sliced potatoes across the bottom of the pan, slightly overlapping one another. Pour a quarter of the butternut squash mixture over the sweet potato layer. Repeat 3 more times to make 4 total layers, the top being the butternut squash mixture. Use a spatula to smooth the top layer and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender throughout. For an extra 2-3 minutes, broil the gratin in order to leave a browned, crispy top finish.

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Photo Credit: Brown Eyed Baker