Vegan Aquafaba Mayo is an emulsion of oil and chickpea liquid seasoned with vinegar, mustard, salt and lemon.
This post is also available in: Español
Mayonnaise is undoubtedly the star dressing in the refrigerators of Latinos, an accompaniment to all our most beloved junk foods. By going vegan we don’t have to give up the taste and texture of this basic but delicious preparation of French/Spanish origin.
This dressing is an emulsion of oil and eggs seasoned with vinegar, mustard, salt and lemon. But is making vegan aquafaba mayo just as easy?
Yes, it is.
All thanks to our magical Aquafaba, the chickpea water that has allowed vegan cuisine to take a step forward in recent years.
What is Aquafaba and what is it used for?
What is aquafaba and what does it do? It is a slightly thick, yellowish liquid, with a texture similar to egg white that has a certain amount of proteins released by the cooking and soaking of chickpeas, these proteins are enough to trap air when whipped vigorously and create the stable foam that serves as a base for dressings by varying the amount of oil.
Amazing, isn’t it? It’s probably the same foam that turns white during cooking floating on the surface that we must remove or the pot overflows and the kitchen becomes a mess (don’t worry, by removing that, you’re not taking away from the effectiveness of the aquafaba).
Bottom line, aquafaba can replace egg whites, where it is used for its power to be a whipping and moisturising agent with a small protein contribution that gives a little elasticity.
For example:
- Vegan aquafaba mayo or Veganesa
- Eggless dressings
- Souffles
- Pancakes
You can read more in the next post, where I explain in depth what aquafaba is all about and its uses.
What ingredients are in vegan Aquafaba Mayo?
Well, very similar ingredients to normal mayonnaise, but with the addition of an ingredient that can turn your vegan aquafaba mayo into something extraordinary, impossible to distinguish from its counterpart. This ingredient is called Xanthan Gum.
It is a food additive of vegetable origin obtained from the fermentation of sugar, it is a thickener par excellence, improves viscosity and elasticity in gluten-free baking and improves the consistency of dressings such as mustard.
It is widely used in the food industry, and while some people are against additives as they are somewhat “synthetic”, I consider them a marvel of science, especially if it will lead us in the not too distant future to stop killing animals for the consumption and delight of our spoiled palates.
This gum, which gives aquafaba that thickening characteristic it lacks, improves the quality of the emulsion with only a very minimal amount.
It is not so easy to get in Latin America, but once you get a good amount it will last for a very long time because it is used in very small quantities in a very effective way. It is usually available in places where they sell raw materials for baking, or in gluten-free food shops where it is very common because it has been widely used together with CMC in the preparation of fondant for cake decoration and more recently in the manufacture of gluten-free bread.
You can make vegan aquafaba mayo without this ingredient, in this case I recommend reducing the liquid from the chickpeas to a greater thickness, the success rate may be lower or the result somewhat more liquid but the flavour will still be spectacular.
You can try your own seasoning variations on this vegan aquafaba mayo. Personally, I chase the taste of a particular brand, which was the one I consumed as a child, and the habit of a palate is hard to shake. In Italy this brand is found, but the taste is not the same and I have discovered why:
The type of oil used in the product DRASTICALLY alters the taste. If you use sunflower oil, you will get one taste, if you use olive another (very rare), if you use corn, a different one. I can tell that this recipe is a copycat of that particular brand ( ̶K̶r̶a̶f̶t̶ R̶E̶A̶L̶ M̶A̶A̶Y̶O̶) which I will cross out so it doesn’t influence searches.
Here is the recipe, which we have been using for more than a year without fail. Make sure the bowl is clean of any grease before you start, otherwise you might have problems whipping the Aquafaba.
I have recently discovered the success of a perfect texture for my vegan aquafaba mayo, which requires even less oil to make it creamy, and that is the use of the mini pymer or immersion blender. It is much simpler and quicker and it is not necessary to let the aquafaba mount before adding the oil, you can start adding it immediately but always in the form of a trickle. I recommend it, it is the best texture I have achieved in a mayonnaise.
Mayonesa Vegana de Aquafaba
Equipment
- Batidora manual o Batidora a inmersión
Ingredients
- 200 ml Aceite de soya o vegetal (girasol/soya)
- 50 ml Aquafaba
- 20 ml Vinagre blanco o de manzana
- 7 grs sal
- 7 grs Mostaza en polvo o aderezo de mostaza
- 1 cdta azúcar o equivalente en edulcorante
- 5 gotas jugo de lima o limón
- 1/4 cdta de ajo y cebolla en polvo
- 1/8 cdta CMC o goma xantana
- 1 pizca Paprika en polvo
Instructions
- En un bowl de buena profundidad, agrega el aquafaba recién sacada del refrigerador y agrega las gotas de limón, junto con la goma xantana en forma de lluvia mientras empiezas a batir con batidora manual. Aumentará su volumen rápidamente hasta hacerse una espuma que se va volviendo cada vez más densa con textura de merengue. Si usas una batidora a inmersión, sigue el mismo procedimiento pero haciendo pulsaciones intermitentes, o se te puede quemar la máquina.
- Cuando el merengue se vea más espeso y blanco empezar a agregar el aceite en forma de hilo de forma constante mientras sigues batiendo a velocidad media alta en forma circular para incorporar bien.
- Luego de haber agregado la mitad del aceite, agrega el vinagre y los condimentos y sigue batiendo y termina de agregar el aceite en forma de hilo.
- Si acabado el aceite la mayonesa no está del todo firme, prueba agregando otra pizca de goma Xantana para estabilizar en muy poca cantidad ya que se puede cortar. Ajustar sal
- Conserva en un frasco en el refrigerador por hasta 2 semanas (el alto contenido de aceite ayuda a la conservación)
Notes
Nutrition
The science of making such a beloved dressing vegan is just a basis for continuing to veganise more complex recipes with aquafaba. Soon I will share more of my tried and tested recipes with this magical ingredient.
Here are two photos of my vegan aquafaba mayo in action to see if it whets your appetite:
You can use it to make a vegan hard-boiled egg batter for breakfast bread, don’t miss this recipe as well:
Aquafaba I am your slave 😉
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This post is also available in: Español
An Ecuadorian / Chilean living in Italy, I spend my days experimenting with my favorite recipes in their best vegan version. My goal is to break the myths behind vegan food and show that it is delicious, nutritious and available to everyone.
