This recipe really excites me!
I've been making this mayonnaise for about two years. It really does taste, feel and look like mayonnaise. I guess that's because, to me and my family, this is our vegan mayonnaise.
We use it on and in everything that calls for mayonnaise. What makes it so special to me is it taste just like mayonnaise used to taste when I was a kid. It could be my taste buds have changed but the mayonnaise, especially the vegan mayonnaise on the market, is bland and boring. This has a hint of lemon, a touch of garlic, and a slight twang of salt.
We have a friend staying in our home and he is slowly being introduced to all types of new flavors and foods. This is his favorite! Just the other day he had a good laugh. He said, " I can't believe that I love fresh tomato on sliced bread with VEGAN mayonnaise."
What is aquafaba? It is the liquid that comes in a can of garbanzo beans or white beans. I have used the liquid from great white northern beans too with great success. I personally do not notice a change in flavor if I use different liquids from different canned beans. You can also make the beans from scratch and save the liquid. I have yet to try this method. If you google aquafaba you will be directed to a variety of recipes. For me, I think egg whites describe what it looks like best. The liquid has the same consistency and reacts the same in similar situations. So far, I only have used the aquafaba to make this mayonnaise. Others have made meringue, frosting, omelets (egg free), cookies, cakes, etc...The list is getting longer and longer and for that, I am so excited.
As far as the oil goes, you can use a variety of oils to achieve slightly different flavor profiles. I personally have used Algae oil from Thrive, a light olive oil brand, avocado oil, and coconut oil (melted). HUGE SIDE NOTE: if you decide to use coconut oil, then prepare for the mayonnaise to become hard in the fridge. Not all is lost though. This happened to me. I simply warmed it up, stirred it, and then took my stick blender and re-whipped it to perfection. I did this twice and each time the mayonnaise was successfully whipped to mayonnaise perfection.
I really like the flavor profile when using the refined coconut oil. I might use this oil if I am making a small batch and I know that it will all be eaten that day or night.
Eating only plants allows me to be creative in the kitchen, even more so than before when I ate meat, dairy, cheese, and eggs. I have to get creative with flavor profiles and ingredients. Some times I see myself as a mad scientist speaking a foreign language. This happened last week. In my excitement of sharing our plant based lifestyle with others, I decided to start a monthly potluck dinner for those who are transitioning to plants only, are already vegan, or have questions of where to begin. Everyone is welcome. At our first meeting, we had three people. Two were brand new. I started rambling about ingredients, techniques, and recipes. I could tell that I was losing them and I had to back up a little bit. The ingredients alone are quite foreign to those who don't prepare plant based foods from scratch: nutritional yeast, amino acids, aquafaba, miso paste, etc....
We are excited to meet next month. I met two new people today at the grocery store while standing in line to pay for our groceries. She looked at me and noticed that our purchases were very similar. I asked them if they were vegan. They said YES. I invited them to our meeting next month along with their daughter. I love to teach and share my ideas. This gathering is a place for us to find a community of like minded souls, to share in this journey, and to build a strong foundation for helping those who wish to also eat plants only.
Today while at church a lady said to me that it must be hard to be vegan at the beach. I had to think about that for a minute. I replied, "not really." I don't crave seafood anymore. I don't want to kill animals. I believe living at the beach is the perfect place to practice a plants only lifestyle. I see the animals in our area not merely as food anymore. I see them as a friend.
Aquafaba Mayonnaise #vegan
1/2 cup aquafaba (the liquid from a can of garbanzo beans)
1 1/2 cups of your favorite oil in liquid form
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice, fresh if possible
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
salt--start with 1 teaspoon and then add/taste, repeat
2 teaspoons minced garlic from a jar (raw garlic will be too strong)
TOOLS: A stick blender is the only thing I have ever used to make this mayonnaise. Trying anything else may deliver different results. (The link is not an ad, it is only to show you what I mean when I say stick blender).
1. I use a quart canning jar because this recipe will make about 2-2.5 cups of mayonnaise. Our family uses one quart a week. Add the aquafaba and all ingredients EXCEPT the oil. Blend on low until bubbly.
2. Slowly start adding the oil. I have a way of holding the measuring cup on the rim of the canning jar and letting the oil sssllllooooowwwwllllyyy drizzle into the aquafaba mixture. This takes about 8-10 minutes. BE patient. It will be very loose, and then suddenly it will come together. More oil will make the mayonnaise thicker.
3. As you go, periodically taste your mayonnaise. Add more salt, lemon, garlic, or mustard powdered based on how you and your family want your mayonnaise to taste. Our family likes it to have a slight lemony flavor with a hint of garlic.
4. When finished, refrigerate. It should stay thick, unless you used coconut oil, for up to 7-9 days.