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
Hi, 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
My 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
I believe any kind of cooked artichoke hearts would work, and you could replace the citric acid taste with vinegar, if that’s acceptable.
BillDee
You 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)