Vegenaise schmegenaise

I recently proclaimed my intention to make chicken salad, my husband reminded me how much vegenaise that would use up and we didn't really have the money for it. We had just made our weekly batches of "meat" so he said "if only there was a way to make vegenaise, then we'd be set". Just then it dawned on me that, although there were no recipes in any of my cookbooks, I had never asked the all mighty Google for a recipe. After searching a few recipes, I was able to put together the basics and figure out the cheapest way to make my own vegan mayonnaise recipe.

Oil- Much like making real mayonaise, a key part is emulsifying the oil. You want a light flavored oil, this will probably be the most expensive part. I used safflower oil but saw recipes using grape seed and canola oil (although Vegan Dad suggested using some tofu if using canola because it tends to be runnier). I suppose you could try a cheaper oil, although I tried to do that once when I made an oil dip for bread and it tasted awful, so I wouldn't suggest it.

Vinegar- I never have the wine vinegars on hand and end up subbing all my recipes for the more common vinegar I do stock. For this recipe, I used apple cider vinegar, but I also saw recipes that used white wine vinegar, white vinegar, and even lemon juice.
Milk- I use plain soy milk and found this to be the best. I have tried almond milk but it didn't whip up as well. If you have to use an alternative to soy, I would suggest adding a little more oil or a healthier alternative, a little tofu. I've also tried unsweetened soy milk and did not enjoy the flavor at all, I had to add a little bit of sugar and a dash of salt which sort of defeats the purpose of unsweetened soy.

Vegan Mayonnaise

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 cup plain soy milk

- 1 1/4 cup safflower oil

- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- Pinch of salt

METHOD

1. Put soy milk in a blender or food processor and start processing. Slowly add the oil in while blade is running. When all the oil is incorporated, stop blade and scrape down sides. Add the vinegar and salt and process briefly to mix through.

My consistency was spot on and the taste, although not an exact clone, was damn near close when I did a side by side comparison. A lot of recipes called for a sweetener, but I stopped adding sugar because I find after a few days, the mayo gets too sweet. I've made coleslaw and chicken salad where the flavor depends heavily on the flavor of the mayonnaise and they were both delicious.