Homemade Vegan Mayonnaise
Tofu and I have an on-again, off-again relationship...
...right now we are on-again but taking things slow.
He is not invited to Thanksgiving dinner.
Yet.
Even the title of this recipe seems sooooo not me. Not only am I conflicted about tofu, but I am about as far away from a vegan as you can get. (my last meal on earth would probably be a charcuterie plate, sans olives & heavy on the cheese & salamis....or a big ol' pile of ribs.) I actually wasn't even sure what to call this recipe but at the end of the day, it is what it is...mayo. Made in my home. And as it's made from tofu and not eggs, you can call it vegan. Bonus points.
I recall my first two "real" experiences with tofu. One was a tofu hot dog. Blech. (I will take unknown pork & beef parts any day.) And the other was Mr.'s attempt at subbing it for chicken in a stir fry, only he used soft tofu. Really blech. (sorry hun) But I have also had it done well. Japanese cuisine seems to have it nailed and it can be a good protein burst to a smoothie. Precious Little also quite loves dessert tofu. Soft, pudding like mango or banana. What's not to love?
This recipe came courtesy of worlds greatest gramma. There are a lot of variations on the web. Some use oil, some add seasonings. This was my third attempt and I like this one best. It's a combination of many different ratios of sugar to salt to acid. I think you have to play with it until you get the flavour you want.
Now, just as these beets did not taste like beef, this is not exactly the same as mayo. (BUT I would ask you how often you are eating mayo straight out of the jar? Anything more than zero is probably concerning...) I did make tuna salad sammie's with this version and me and Little couldn't tell the difference. Its tangy, but sweet and creamy enough to be an excellent binder for fish, eggs or just the glue that holds your arugula down.
Bottom line. Super low fat. Super clean. Super easy.
So tofu and I are on-again right now, and who knows, you just may see a tofurkey on my thanksgiving table this year...
... ya, probably not.
Homemade Vegan Mayonnaise
325g (11.5oz) Silken Tofu
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp mustard
1 and 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp finely ground pepper
1. Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
2. For a slightly firmer texture, drain through a cheese cloth in the fridge for an hour before transferring to an airtight container. This will also allow the flavours to come together a little more.
Note: You can store this for as long as you would keep an opened tofu container in the fridge. You may want to consider halfling the recipe if you don't use a lot of mayo.
Enjoy!
