Plant-based Spicy Mayo

Do you know what's in Mayonnaise? Simply put, mayonnaise is oil and eggs, with a little vinegar, lemon juice, and salt.

Since the core ingredients are oil and eggs, it may seem impossible to make a plant-based mayo that's free of both, but it can be done!

Commercial mayonnaise is a nightmare. It’s most often made with cheap blends of vegetable oil, like soybean oil and corn oil, but even if they used extra-virgin olive oil, it would still be unhealthy. All vegetable oils are great for weight gain and inflammation, and subsequently chronic disease.

On top of that, there's the sugar, preservatives, and MSG that are often added to store-bought mayo.

So before you reach for that vegan, store-bought “veganaise” instead, take a look at its list of ingredients:

Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Filtered Water, Brown Rice Syrup, Apple Cider Vinegar, Soy Protein, Sea Salt, Mustard Flour, Lemon Juice Concentrate

Eggless, yes. But, the first ingredient is still oil! Plus, it still has refined added sugars (brown rice syrup), salt, and other refined additives (soy protein) that we could happily do without.

I think it's time for a mayo makeover! I'm giving you a plant-based, sos-free (sugar, oil, and salt-free) mayo, but this one's not your basic mayo flavor.

This is an alternative to the spicy chipotle mayo that's so popular. Hampton Creek Foods has their vegan version and now The Culinary Gym has a whole food, plant-fabulous version.

Try this delicious Plant-based Spicy Mayo with my Sweet Potato & Avocado Sushi Rolls – it adds a cool creaminess with a kick of heat!

Plant-based Spicy Mayo

By Chef Katie Mae

Makes 1½ cups | Ready in 5 minutes | Stores 10 days in fridge

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup aquafaba (chickpea water) or water
• ¾ cup cashews (3 oz)
• 3 dried red chile pods, de-seeded (I use Arbol chiles)
• 1 Medjool dates, pitted (optional)
• 1 lime, juiced (2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ¾ teaspoon garlic granules

DIRECTIONS

1. Add all of the ingredients to a high-powered blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
2. Transfer to an air-tight container and store in the fridge to have available whenever you want to use it.

CHEF'S NOTES

Aquafaba is the viscous liquid in which beans have been cooked. I use aquafaba in this recipe because it acts as an emulsifier and helps give the mayo a slightly gelatinous consistency. The best aquafaba is made from chickpeas or other white beans, like great northern beans. The easiest source is the liquid strained from a can of chickpeas. If you don’t have aquafaba to use, water will work just fine.

The date is added to balance the heat of the chilies, but It’s not essential. You can leave it out, but then you may want to reduce the amount of red chile.

Give the mayo a good stir before using.