There is hardly a more traditional Swiss dish than hash browns, called Rösti in Switzerland. My recipe is a modern version with mini vegan hash browns with almond cream cheese with cashew nuts and dill. Mini hash browns are enjoyed any time of day and occasion and are the perfect basis for a healthy, uncomplicated and tasty meal.
Hash browns – but how?
Right at the beginning of every hash browns dish, there is the question of which potato to use. The answer to this depends on whether you’re making your hash browns with raw or cooked potatoes. A Berner Rösti (hash browns made the Bernese way), for example, is based on boiled potatoes, a Zurich Rösti (hash browns made the Zurich way) on raw potatoes. As a Basel native, I’m on the side of the people of Zurich for once, because hash browns made from raw potatoes are my favourite. That’s why I use floury potatoes for my recipe and my much loved vegan hash browns with almond cream cheese.
More disagreements ensue as to what constitutes the perfect hash brown, which is not surprising for such a popular and in Switzerland a home dish. Everyone agrees that a perfect hash browns has to be nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Hash browns are always a winner.
Hash browns used to be eaten by people who had to get up early and work hard, hence a nutritious breakfast after their first chores. I like hash browns with brunch, even if I didn’t get up that early beforehand. The mini version is particularly practical at the brunch buffet, as it is nicely pre-portioned. The combination of the crispy mini vegan hash browns with almond cream cheese, which is creamy and smooth, together with a fresh salad makes an ideal meal, whether for brunch, lunch, dinner or as a snack in between.
Thanks to the portion size, you can take the mini hash browns with you in a container and enjoy it in the office, for example. Ideally, the vegan almond, cashew nuts and dill cream cheese also makes a good take-away. Go for a double portion of the vegan almond cream cheese when preparing and store half in the fridge in a screw-top jar for many days to stay fresh. Should you like to read more about make fresh cream cheese, have a look at my post fermented cream cheese.
By the way, do you know how French-speaking Swiss sometimes call German-speaking Swiss? Exactly, les Röschtis! With this in mind, I wish you a good appetite with the delicious mini vegan hash browns with almond cream cheese.
Vegan Hash Browns with Almond Cream Cheese
Ingredients
For the vegan almond cream cheese
- 30 g almonds
- 70 g cashews
- 130 g soy joghurt
- 1 EL yeast flakes
- 1 clove of garlic
- salt and pepper
- 2 stems fresh dill
For the mini hash-browns
- 1 onion
- 1 kg potatoes floury ones
- 0.5 Tbsp salt
- 2 heaped Tbsp cornstarch / Maizena
- pepper
Instructions
- Cook the almonds and cashew nuts in a small pan for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in mini-bowl (or stand mixer), combine soy yogurt, garlic clove, yeast flakes, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix with your mixer. Finely chop the dill.
- Rinse the soft-boiled cashew nuts and almonds under running water and also place in the bowl. Puree finely.
- Peel and halve the onion. Wash potatoes and optionally peel.
- Finely dice the onion.
- Grate the potatoes with a hand grater "(Rösti grater).
- Add 0.5 Tbsp salt to the potatoes and mix well. Discard the liquid that comes out of the potatoes.
- Add the cornstarch to the potatoes and mix well.
- Heat a pan with enough olive oil. Fry the hash browns mass piece by piece in small portions until golden brown on both sides. Then place the mini hash browns on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain.
- Serve and enjoy the mini hash browns together with the vegan cream cheese, fresh lettuce and cherry tomatoes if necessary.
