Caramelized Onion and Thyme Smashed Potatoes

This is not a low fat vegan dish. But if you're not eating a bunch of meat and dairy, who cares if you have some extra olive oil on your potatoes once in a while? These are a must for me at Thanksgiving and Christmas...and last night.

Sorry for the bad photo, I was too hungry to try to get a better shot.

4 lbs. potatoes (Yukon gold work best for this)
2 tsp. sea salt, divided
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. Earth Balance Buttery Spread (or more olive oil)
2 huge yellow onions, sliced thinly and caramelized
5-6 large cloves of garlic, crushed in a garlic press or made into a paste with your knife
3-4 Tbsp. fresh thyme, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Plain soy or nut milk (about 1/2 to 3/4 c.)

1) Chop the potatoes into 1" chunks and place them in a large pot. Cover them with water & bring to a boil. Once they are boiling add 1 tsp. sea salt. Let them boil for about 12 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork.

2) As you wait for the potatoes to come up to a boil, heat the olive oil (and Earth Balance, if using) in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and the other 1 tsp. of sea salt and toss the onions to coat with the oil.

3) As the potatoes cook let the onions saute without messing with them until they start to brown, this should take 10-12 minutes. Once they begin to brown give them a toss and leave them alone for another 5 minutes or so. Once they start to become evenly browned make sure to stir frequently to avoid burning, maybe even turn the heat down a little bit if they start going too fast. Once the onions are fully caramelized add the crushed garlic & stir to incorporate with the onions & let it cook for one or two more minutes.

4) When the potatoes are done cooking, drain the water and add the onion, oil, garlic mixture to the pot along with the chopped thyme and black pepper. Add about 1/2 c. of soy or nut milk and begin to smash the potatoes with a potato masher. If they seem dry add a little bit more soy milk until they reach a nice, creamy (but not wet) consistency. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust if necessary.

This makes a big old pot of potatoes, probably enough for 6-8 people if there's a lot of other food being served.