One of things I really missed when I first went plant-based was coleslaw. Which is probably why I posted three different coleslaw-like recipes early in my Sensitive Foodie blogging days! You can still find them on the blog – there’s a powerful flavoured sesame slaw, seasonal red cabbage slaw and a tahini and yoghurt slaw. All super tasty and highly recommended, of course 😉 But I realised they didn’t always hit the spot for me. Something was missing – it was mayonnaise!
I’ve always had a bit of a thing for mayo. It’s rich and slightly tart flavour along with the creamy texture was irrisistable and I’d dollop it on baked potatoes, quiche and lasagne (it’s a fab combo!). But as mayo traditionally contains egg yolk, it’s of course not vegan. And it contains refined oil – a lot of it!
As veganism takes off, more companies are now making vegan mayo – great! Unless you’re eating a plant-based diet for health reasons. Because there’s still A LOT of refined oil in the recipe. Hellmann’s (always the tastiest mayo in my mind) is 72% rapeseed oil. And the other ingredients provide very little additional nutrients, making it a calorie dense, rather than nutrient dense, product.
Why is this important? After all, if you only eat a little, isn’t that ok? For most people – probably. But the problem with these ultra-processed, calorie dense foods is they contribute towards inflammation and make the body work harder rather than providing supporting nutrients so the body can work well. Plus the fat-sugar-salt combo hits those pleasure receptors in the brain – and you want more! A small serving starts to get bigger as your brain enjoys a pleasure party. These products are hard to resist – in fact, they’re designed that way. There’s a great book called The Dorito Effect I highly recommend if you want to understand more about this.
So what makes my mayo recipe different? For a start, you can make it oil free, so immediately the empty calories are gone. Extra virgin olive oil or cold-pressed flaxseed oil can be used if you so desire though – these both provide anti-inflammatory properties, unlike highly refined oils. But make sure they are good ones or the volatile oils will go rancid and taste foul!
I use silken tofu as the main ingredient; whilst tofu is slightly refined (it has less fibre than soya beans), it still carries a good amount of plant protein, some fat and nutrients like calcium and potassium in small amounts. Tofu also contains a group of phytonutrients called flavonoids, particularly isoflavones which are good for heart health, and phytoestrogens that support hormonal health, particularly if you are peri-menopausal or menopausal.
Soya gets a lot of bad press, particularly related to the destruction of the Amazon. And it’s a big problem. But it’s worth noting, these plantations grow soya for the animal feed industry and other industrial processes. In fact, only 7% of the world’s soya crop is eaten directly by humans (see below for citation). Which is bonkers.
If you have an intolerance or allergy to soya, then I’m sorry this mayo is not for you. There does seem to be an increase in soya allergy, which is a challenge for someone wanting to follow a plant based diet. This maybe because soya derivatives are found in many products, including meat working it’s way through from the animal feed. And soya feed is not good for many animals, particularly cows. It makes them produce a lot of gas!
I use kala namuk, or Indian black salt, in this recipe to give it a bit of a sulphur flavour. You can use raw onion if you don’t have any to hand. And I like a bit of Dijon mustard; if you can’t tolerate this, then leave it out and add a little extra lemon and/or kala namuk. The key is to make it the way you like.
This recipe might look like hard work, but it only takes a few minutes getting the ingredients together then popping into a small blender pot or food processor bowl. I prefer to use the smallest bowl on my Magimix as it’s a little less manic than the Ninja blender and brings things together beautifully.
This mayo will last in the fridge for up to 3 days, so I suggest you make in small batches as you want it. Yes, it does take a little more time, and thought, than grabbing a jar of mayo from the fridge. But your body will appreciate it!
Creamy tofu mayo
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place all the ingredients into a small blender jug or small bowl of a food processor. Blend until combined and smooth.
- Check the flavour and add more salt, lemon or mustard as required.
- Store in an empty lidded jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Soya citation – https://ourworldindata.org/soy#:~:text=More%20than%20three%2Dquarters%20(77,%2C%20edamame%20beans%2C%20and%20tempeh.
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