Peel the potatoes, then wash them. Roughly chop the potatoes. I cut the potatoes into fourths or eights, depending on their size.
Add the potatoes to a Dutch oven (affiliate link) or large saucepan and cover with cold water. If you add potatoes directly to boiling water, they’re more likely to cook unevenly.
Add about 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft and almost fall apart when pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes in a colander. Return them to the saucepan over low heat and cook over dry heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the potatoes from sticking.
If adding roasted garlic, slice off the top layer of a whole head of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and tightly wrap the garlic in foil. Roast in the oven at 400ºF/200ºC for 35-40 minutes until the cloves are practically oozing out and very soft. Then, mash the cloves with a fork. –
Using a fork, cream together the softened vegan butter and miso paste. If adding roasted garlic, you can mash it in here. Add the miso butter to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once almost melted, pour in the lite coconut milk and whisk well.
Using a ricer, rice the warm potatoes into a large bowl. Stir them gently with a wooden spoon or spatula to smooth out. If using a potato masher or handheld mixer, mash the potatoes that way.
Pour the warm miso-butter-milk mixture into the potatoes. Fold gently with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until well-combined and smooth. Season with a decent amount of salt and pepper to taste.