Cooking with Potatoes: Guide to Different Types and What They’re Best For

All potatoes may seem the same, but when it comes to cooking and creating the best potato recipes, the type you use can make all the difference. Some potatoes are more starchy, some are floury, and others are waxy, and absorb moisture differently. While this may seem confusing, luckily, we have put together an easy-to-follow guide that will help you choose the right potato for your recipe. Are you ready to become a potato expert?

The Potato You Use Makes All The Difference

Source: Epicurious/Youtube

Did you know that there are over 5,000 varieties of potato? The average person only cooks without about 3-5 different kinds. This big guide to potatoes teaches you everything you need to know about potatoes and what recipes they are best for. The main factor you need to consider when choosing a potato is whether it’s mealy or waxy. Mealy potatoes have more starch and work great for making mashed potatoes and french fries. These starches swell up and expand when they’re cooked. The potatoes also have a lower moisture content. This combination makes for a super fluffy and airy potato.

1. Russet

The classic Idaho Russet has brown skin and is only grown in Idaho. This is a mealy potato that also has a lower moisture content, making it a super fluffy and airy potato. Its high starch content also absorbs fats and liquids and gives it a grainy texture. This potato is perfect for making mashed potatoes and French fries.

Recipes:

• Russet Potato Croquettes With Roasted Tomato Salsa [Vegan]
• Russet Potatoes With Creamy Spinach and Ramp Sauce [Vegan]
• Ranch Pitas With Roasted Potatoes and Chickpeas [Vegan]

2. Upstate Abundance

The upstate abundance potato is small and starchy and the skin is more on the bitter side. It has a round shape, a creamy, nutty, and buttery (even without the butter) flavor, and is originally from New York. Their creamy texture makes them perfect for pack recipes, and can even simply be boiled.

3. Red Bliss

The red bliss is a waxy potato, that’s smooth, thinner skinned, and dense. They are lower in starch and have a higher moisture content. The high moisture content is what makes them so dense. The inside is sweeter and creamier, and they hold their shape well when cooking, which makes them an excellent choice for roasting or boiling.

Recipes:

• Portobello Wellington With Shiitake Duxelle, Vanilla Glazed Baby Carrots and Roasted Red Potatoes [Vegan]
• Roasted Red Potatoes with Turmeric and Thyme [Vegan]
• Herb-Infused White Sesame Curry With Red Potatoes and Mushrooms [Vegan]

4. Fingerling

Fingerling is a small, stubby, finger-shaped type of potato. There are a variety of different finger potatoes such as the Austrian Crescent, Buttercream, French Fingerling, German Kipfler, Purple Peruvian, Ruby Crescent, and the Russian Banana. Their skin is buttery, creamy, and nutty, and they have firmer flesh than more starchy potatoes, which makes them hold up nicely throughout cooking.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Vegan Parmesan

Source: Chef Ani

Chef Ani shares this fun vegan recipe for fingerling potatoes drizzled with a vegan parmesan sauce. She loves cooking with fingerling potatoes because they come in a variety of different shapes, colors, and textures. They are special because of their buttery, nutty, distinct taste, and tender skin, which holds up well in cooking.

Recipes:

• Lentil and Fingerling Potato Salad With Spicy Mustard [Vegan]
• Fingerling Potato Salad With Lemon Herb Dressing [Vegan, Gluten-Free]
• Fingerling Potato Rounds [Vegan]
• Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Creamy Garlic Thyme Dip [Vegan]

5. Yukon Gold

A Yukon gold potato is a combination between a wild yellow potato and a white potato, and typically has a shorter season, from August to February. It has an intense, slightly sweet, buttery flavor that makes it delectable. These potatoes are best steamed, or boiled, which prevents the flesh from crumbling when chopping or slicing the potato.

Easy One-Pan Vegan Comfort Food | Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

Source: Monson Made This

Vegan Scalloped Potatoes, also known as Plant-Based Potato Gratin Dauphinoise, are absolutely delicious! Monson Made This shares this veganized recipe that requires just a few plant-based pantry staples like potatoes, cashews, and garlic, and it only takes about 30 minutes of your time. He promises that you’ll have a rich, decadent, creamy, and comforting dish in no time!

Recipes:

• Lentils With White Bean and Potato Mash [Vegan]
• Creamy Asparagus and Sunchoke Soup [Vegan]
• Gold Potatoes With Raw Salsa [Vegan, Grain-Free]

6. Japanese

Japanese sweet potatoes have a rich magenta color, but can range from pink, red, purple, to light brown. They have creamy, whitish flesh and are used in both savory and sweet cuisines. It has a drier, starchier texture than other sweet potato varieties and has a subtly sweet, nutty, and slightly floral, chestnut-like flavor. It pairs well in a variety of different dishes.

Delicious Vegan Japanese Sweet Potatoes Easy Recipe

Source: Lover of All Things Good

Lover of All Things Good shows us an easy way to prepare Japanese sweet potatoes, and there’s very minimal preparation. All you need to do is drizzle the potatoes will some oil of your choice, sprinkle on some salt, and bake for 1 hour in the oven at 400 degrees. The next time you see these potatoes in the grocery store, give them a try!

Recipes:

• Japanese Sweet Potato Tots [Vegan]
• Cajun Spiced Japanese Sweet Potato Fries [Vegan]
• Sweet Potato Spelt Roti [Vegan]

7. Jewel Yams

Jewel yams are known for their bright orange-yellow color and are moist and starchy. Their higher water content gives them their extra fluffy texture. Their flavor is sweet with a subtle earthiness and has hints of chestnut. Jewels are one of the most common varieties of sweet potatoes, next to Beauregards, and are slightly similar in taste to carrots.

Recipes:

• Chipotle Black Bean Stuffed Yams [Vegan]
• Yam Banana Mash Cakes [Vegan]
• Holiday Sweet Potato Bake [Vegan]

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental well-being, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Unfortunately, dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and prostate cancer, and has many side effects. 

For those interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend purchasing one of our many plant-based cookbooks or downloading the Food Monster App which has thousands of delicious recipes making it the largest vegan recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

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