An easy, five-minute eggless mayonnaise that’s smooth, creamy and everything a good mayonnaise should be.
Over the weekend I went to the inaugural Vegan Food Fair in Auckland. It was a really cool event with lots of amazing food stalls, although it was completely and totally overwhelmed by its own popularity. I don’t think the organisers were quite prepared for the onslaught of hungry people with their eye on ALL of the plant-based treats. But there you have it, it’s a growing market and how cool is that?!
I had a delicious Balinese satay vege plate for lunch and a fabulous raw mocha cheesecake to follow. I may have also sampled my big girl’s chocolate coconut soft serve. Bliss. I also tried a really light and tasty vegan mayonnaise which immediately got me thinking about how to make something like it at home.
I didn’t actually expect it to be successful on my first attempt, but as it happens silken tofu is actually a perfect mayonnaise base. With a few extra flavourings for tang, salt and sweet, it’s a winning combination that I’ll definitely be making on the regular, now that I know how.
This mayonnaise is perfectly smooth and creamy, with just the right consistency and mouth feel. It’s silky and shiny, just as it should be. It’s also a much, much healthier option with a minuscule 1.6g of fat per serve (compared to about 17g per serve on the store bought stuff in my fridge). Really quite remarkable huh? So it’s actually more bonus protein hit than calorie-laden condiment. Brilliant.
Use this mayo in all of the usual salad-related ways. Add it to a sandwich – it was outstanding in the TLT (tempeh, lettuce, tomato) sandwich pictured here. It’s also brilliant with home made potato wedges. Knock yourself out, seriously.
You’ll need a blender or food processor to make this recipe.
Easy vegan mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 300 g silken tofu, (I used Morinaga, unbranded tofu from an Asian grocer would be perfect too)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp mustard powder, or dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients except for the mustard powder and olive oil, until smooth.
- Add mustard powder 1/4 tsp at a time, blending to incorporate, then tasting. I found a 1/2 tsp wasn't enough, so ended up adding a full teaspoon. The end result was quite zingy and mustardy, which I love, but if you want a milder mayo you'll probably want to add a little less mustard.
- With the blender or food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and blend until well combined and glossy.
- Remove to a sealed container and store in the fridge.
Notes
- Makes approximately 350ml of mayonnaise.
- Nutrition information estimated per tablespoon serve.
How long do you reckon it will keep in the fridge?
A couple of days at least, but longer than that I’m not too sure because tofu doesn’t have a very long shelf life once opened. I don’t think I’m going to have a problem using it all up though! It’s seems like the perfect thing to use when bulk amounts of mayo are needed (think potato salad)…
I gotta try this, and it sounds tasty. Thanks for the idea
Did you catch Kelly at “Food to Glow’s” recipe for crispy smashed potatoes with roased broccoli and vegan aioli? She makes her aioli with aquafaba. Might be a good alternative for people who don’t like to use soy?
Oh thanks I’ll have to check it out. I also have an aquafaba based aioli recipe which I love, it’s just much higher in fat!
Very interesting. I can’t wait to give this a try!
I freeze pretty much everything, so I’d give it a try with this sauce, but was wondering if you’ve tried freezing it?
Hi Jana, I haven’t tried freezing it – do let me know how it goes if you try it!
Hi there, I just made this for the first time to go with our potato wedges tonight. My husband and I both love it but find the consistency a bit thin for our likinG. To get it thicker next time would suggest lessening the lemon/acv (risk losing flavour I guess) or adding some aquafaba? Or any other suggestion you think better? Thanks for this recipe though, it will get gobbled down! ?
Hi Rhonda, I’ve made this a few times now and found the thickness was different every time – I think it may depend a bit on the tofu and how much moisture is in it (you could try draining it on paper towels first). Aquafaba might work, I’ve used it very successfully in this eggless aioli https://quitegoodfood.co.nz/2015/08/21/eggless-aioli/ which is a more traditional recipe. Hard to know how it would go with the tofu without just giving it a go, it’s such unpredictable stuff I find! Thanks for your comment, have a Happy New Year!
Thanks Amber .. didn’t think about moisture in the tofu. Will try draining it next time, as the flavour was good, and don’t want to mess with the ingredients too much. I did also wonder about thickening with guar gum or ground flax seeds too though. A bit of experimenting may be in order I think :). Happy New Year to you too!
Could you freeze this? I’m going to make it this evening but I’m worried it will waste in the fridge! ?xxx
Hi Alyce, I’m not sure sorry as I haven’t tried freezing it. My hunch is that it may separate.
Exactly, something as delicious as this mayo could never last more than a few days in my house. Delicious gems that spice up any sandwich, will try this for me kids
Thanks
Rota
Its look so yummy. Thank you for this recipe