A secret ingredient makes this vegan soy-free mayo smooth and creamy yet low in fat.
I’ve been trying to cut down on the amount of soy I use–not that there’s anything wrong with it–and completely get rid of soy isolates, which I do think are unhealthy. Unfortunately, the silken tofu I always use, Mori-Nu Organic, contains “organic soy protein,” which is just another way of saying “isolated soy protein.” I was seriously depressed when I figured that out. Besides adding creaminess to several of my favorite salad dressings, silken tofu is the main ingredient in perhaps my favorite condiment, Tofu-Cashew Mayo.
So I’ve been working on an alternative mayo, something to combine with the cashews that would be low in fat and still relatively creamy. I considered white beans and potatoes, both of which are too gritty, before coming up with a very odd, but workable, mayonnaise base:
Artichoke hearts. Or, rather, artichoke quarters. I know they don’t sound very creamy, but when you add them to cashews and put them through a Vitamix, they become smooth and creamy, if a little gray. They don’t have a lot of flavor, and what flavor they do have is mostly thanks to the citric acid and salt that goes into canning them. Those ingredients are actually a benefit because they mean that you can make this mayo without adding any lemon juice or salt, making this a 4 or 5 ingredient recipe. Now that’s a miracle.
I don’t claim that this soy-free vegan mayo tastes much like mayo. As someone who in a previous life could eat mayo off of a spoon, I can tell you that you won’t be tempted to do that. But it’s great for adding moisture to a sandwich without making the bread soggy, and where it really shines is as an ingredient in a salad or as the base for a salad dressing. I loved it in my 3-Minute Chickpea Salad and as a base for a Garlicky Roasted Red Pepper Dressing, which I’ll tell you how to make right after the recipe for the mayo.
MiracleNaise Soy-free Vegan Mayo
Ingredients
- 1 14-ounce can artichoke quarters drained well
- 1/4 cup raw cashews (about 1.5 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2-1 teaspoon stone-ground mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum optional
- salt and lemon juice optional
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a high-speed blender and process until completely smooth.
- Taste and, if necessary, add salt and a few drops of lemon juice.
- Refrigerate and use within 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
As I mentioned, this mayo makes a wonderful base for other sauces and dressings. I combined it with some roasted red peppers from a jar to make a delicious, slightly spicy dressing that I drizzled over some Chickpea Flour Omelets filled with kale and mushrooms. Delicious!
Garlicky Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup MiracleNaise or other vegan mayo
- 1/3 cup roasted red peppers chopped
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (adjust to your level of heat)
- salt to taste optional
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender. Starting on the lowest speed, increase speed until all ingredients are smooth. Refrigerate. (Some thickening will occur after refrigerating.)
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
I made this massaged kale salad by using the Garlicky Roasted Red Pepper Dressing as my “massage oil.” I used about 2 tablespoons per serving of kale and massaged it vigorously for about 2 minutes. Then I added fresh tomatoes and chickpeas and just a touch more dressing to top it off. Heavenly!
I hope you enjoy these recipes. Feel free to experiment with the mayo and let me know of any ingredients you add to improve it.
Rachel
October 14, 2015 at 12:15 amHi, I have appreciated your recipes and watched your blog, for many years now and have recommended it to many friends. Please check out Dr. Greger’s website http://www.nutritionfacts.org and any of his utube videos. Dr. Greger just reads current medical journals and then posts small 5-7 min videos on current medical nutrition information. My Mom used to read medical journals and it can take 30 years for the information to get out to the public. Once a year, he will do a long video on all the information, he learned about that year. Here is a video interview of Dr. Greger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5zslK2v_pw
Teri
October 8, 2017 at 1:17 pmMy granddaughter is allergic to citric acid and I have done some research on it and lemon juice would be a better alternative, but she is also allergic to lemons.
I wonder if I can find some artichoke that does not have citric acid? Would fresh or frozen artichoke work in this recipe?
Susan Voisin
October 8, 2017 at 2:15 pmI believe any kind of cooked artichoke hearts would work, and you could replace the citric acid taste with vinegar, if that’s acceptable.
BillDee
May 10, 2018 at 7:04 pmYou may not have been using the correct potato. You need to use a “creamy” variety of potato to get a non-gritty texture. I forget which ones those are, but they would probably work, or work much better. (for example, Idaho potatoes would almost certainly be too gritty)