Friday 6 February 2015

Creamy potato salad with vegan mayonnaise

A bottle of sunflower oil has sat on my kitchen bench for a long time in hope that I might finally try to make a vegan mayonnaise.  I was inspired when Kate recommended Vegan Dad's mayo.  It was really good and I am sure I will make it again.  However it only lasts a couple of weeks so I made sure I used it in a couple of favourite salads, including a potato salad.

I made the mayonnaise in my high speed blender though Vegan Dad suggested a food processor.  He said to use safflower oil but Kate said sunflower oil should work and it did.  I recently noticed that Jac made it with olive oil and I would love to try it with the rice bran oil that I use a lot.  I was amazed just how thick it go when I let it whizz in the blender on a medium speed.

On the first night I made it I just dipped vegies into the mayo.  Here is one of the healthier plates of food I have made lately.  Chickpea pilaf, tofu bacon and lots of vegies.  It tasted so good.

Then I made a potato salad with tofu bacon and spring onions.  This is pretty much the way that I used to have it as a child (but meat bacon not tofu bacon).  It was great comfort food on a lazy evening.  We love to eat it a bit warm but I am sure that it would be great at room temperature and should keep in the fridge.

I still had some mayo left and started brainstorming ideas for using it.  Burgers, tofu nuggets dipping sauce, sushi, dips etc.  Then I made a mock tuna salad and it was so good.  Later in the evening E was looking for some mayonnaise to spread on bread or dip his vegies in.  He gave a little pout when he heard it was gone.

I must make more mayonnaise.  After all the weather is warming up and there is nothing like a good salad sandwich with mayo on a hot day.

I am sending the potato salad to:

More mayonnaise recipes on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
Chickpea and hemp seed cheese
Cranberry and mustard coleslaw
Finnish green bean paté
Mock tuna (chickpea) salad 
Nutty fries
Potato salad with spring onions, watercress and sun-dried tomatoes

More mayonnaise recipes on the internet:
Spring wedge salad - Namely Mary
Okanamiyaki - Your Vegan Mom
Mexican salad with creamy avocado dressing - Taste Space
Zucchini crab cakes - Fun and Fud
Chopped BBQ tofu salad - Delish Knowledge

Creamy Potato salad with tofu bacon
serves 2-4

500g red skinned potatoes
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1/2 cup fried diced tofu bacon
2-3 dessertspoons of mayonnaise

Chop potatoes and place in a small saucepan.  Pour cold salted water into the saucepan about half the depth of the potatoes and cover with a lid.  Heat on high until the water boils.  Turn heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft when a knife goes into them.  Drain potatoes and rinse under cold water.  Mix with remaining ingredients and serves warm or room temperature.

Vegan Mayonnaise
Adapted from Vegan Dad
Makes about 2 cups

1/2 cup soy milk
1 1/4 cup sunflower oil
3 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp caster sugar
pinch of smoked paprika
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 1/2 tsp salt (or less)

Put soy milk in high speed blender and start the motor.  Slowly drizzle in oil while the blade is whizzing on low.  Turn off motor and add remaining ingredients.  Turn up to about medium speed and whizz until mixture thickens.  Keeps for about 2 weeks in the fridge in an airtight container (stir every few days).

On the Stereo:
Greatest Hits: Morrissey

34 comments:

  1. I made vegan Mayo a few times when I had the cafe for the salad bar, but stopped making vegan potato salad as it wasn't very popular, I like this kind of salad, good to take into work for lunch too, nice change from sarnies or pasta salad

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    1. Thanks Shaheen - it would be a lovely work lunch - shame to hear it wasn't so popular at your cafe - I've always been a fan of potato salad of any kind.

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  2. This looks fantastic! I'm longing for this right now, even if it's -2 degrees here and I should really be yearning for soup! I'm so pleased to find your blog, I'll be back later to take another look!

    Have a great weekend!

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    1. Thanks Vicky - I think potatoes are filling enough to be a comforting salad even in winter - though I imagine I would be yearning for soup in your weather - hope you manage to keep warm

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  3. Oh that sounds really interesting, there doesn't seem to be a thickening agent involved at all. I'm going to have to give it a try. I've only ever made it with eggs.

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    1. Thanks Choclette - it wasn't very thick at first until I blended it on a higher setting for a few seconds and then it just seemed miraculous that it thickened

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  4. Hi Johanna!
    I've been saying I'm going to make an eggless mayonnaise for months now. I just haven't gotten around to it. Last night, for the first time, I finally whipped up some tofu in the food processor to use as a dip. It actually worked but I didn't record it because I was just "playing."

    I can't wait to try your version, Johanna. We are in Winter here but I know once the weather breaks, I'll be "dying" for some good old fashioned Potato Salad!!!

    Thank you so much for sharing, Johanna...

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    1. Thanks Louise - sounds like you are having fun with experimenting with some healthy food - have made a few tofu dips but should try them again now I have my fancy blender as it would make them smoother. I think I have done a few that I just mashed with a fork. Enjoy your playing

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    2. Yes I am, Johanna. Let me know how that "fancy blender" does. I'm thinking of using my Nutribullet, lol...

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  5. This salad sounds great! I love that you made your own vegan mayonnaise! I make mine out of cashews from time to time, but normally just use store bought vegan mayo. I don't use it very often in general.

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    1. Thanks Kimmy - I don't use mayo often but I think I was prompted to make this when in the supermarket and there were so many mayos with free range eggs but I think the only one without eggs was the low fat one I tried that was pretty pathetic - not sure there are any decent vegan mayos unless I go to health stores and have only been shopping locally lately and I don't think our health store has such things.

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  6. Oh what a brilliant use for the mayo! The salad looks amazing with the tofu bacon. Looking forward to trying this one :)

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  7. I'm impressed you made such an authentic looking vegan version this. I have to confess, though, that while some veganised dishes appeal to me while the original ones don't, mayonnaise-y potato salad still doesn't :-) With that said, tofu bacon with potatoes does sounds good to me plain!

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    1. Thanks Kari - I understand your feelings about mayonnaise - I don't have it very often because it is so creamy but it does work with some dishes for me - I think you might like the mock tuna salad which isn't so creamy - but I find creamy potato salads make me feel a bit nostalgic.

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  8. I have had vegan mayo on my list of things to try too. I have a jar of garlic aoili so I have to plan a week's worth of meals around mayo because I don't know how long it would last!

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    1. Thanks Janet - I found the idea of eating the mayonnaise in 2 weeks challenging because often I find a jar of mayo in the fridge that might have been around almost a year because I opened it for a salad sandwich, might have used a spoonful here and there but not used it much - hence my lists of ideas for using it. Good luck with your garlic aioli

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  9. Yum - I do like a good potato salad.

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    1. Thanks Cakelaw - yes - we often have them at bbqs - though sometimes I am given a separate veg version at family bbqs

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  10. I'm intrigued by this vegan mayo. I always thought you needed eggs but clearly not!

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    1. Thanks Lorraine - I am constantly surprised how many dishes are fine without eggs

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  11. I made non-vegan mayo (well...hollandaise sauce, but same difference) recently and definitely want to try a vegan version because the.boy was totally freaked out by the raw eggs!

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    1. Thanks joanne - I get a bit freaked out by raw eggs too - I think that is one reason this recipe appealed - and also the curiosity factor - would it really thicken?

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  12. I definitely need to make this vegan mayo and that potato salad looks amazing--so creamy and delicious. Thanks for sharing it with Souper Sundays this week. ;-)

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    1. Thanks Deb - pleased to be part of Souper Sundays - I have been away too long :-)

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  13. That's a great looking potato salad and it sounds like the mayo can be successfully made with a number of oils. I like to use rice bran oil too xx

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    1. Thanks Charlie - according to Vegan Dad and the comments, some oils are better than others but this is where the curiosity factor comes in and I feel I need to try other oils.

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  14. I do love potato salad. Your mayo looks lovely and creamy. And the red potatoes are very eye-catching. I would love this dish!

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    1. Thanks Kate - red skinned potatoes always look great in a potato salad - it was serendipitous that I had some in the kitchen

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  15. I am very keen to make my own vegan mayo! I need to test this out and make a Kewpie mayo someday! I absolutely adore potato salads & anything creamy and potato! I use sunflower oil and rice bran oil a lot, glad to know that it worked well for the mayo. The potato salad with tofu bacon & spring onions sound truly amazing….I really need this comforting salad!

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    1. Thanks Rika - it is a lovely salad to keep in mind for when you make your own mayo - hope it is lovely and thick - esp if you want kewpie mayo which seems even thicker than regular mayo

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  16. I'm a massive fan of potato salad, but mayonnaise normally comes out of a jar (Plamil brand wins it for me!) I've never tried making my own, though I've seen some recipes that involving silken tofu that appealed. I'm intrigued that you can make it with such simple ingredients though, so I'm pretty keen to give it a go.

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    1. Thanks Joey - I've made attempts at vegan mayo with tofu but without a blender which was more like a chunky sandwich spread and had little resemblance to mayo which might be why this one really amazed me

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  17. The mayonnaise sounds very interesting and must be good as the recipe seems to be doing the rounds! I love potato salad, especially when it's home made. Yours looks very good, nice with the skins on the potatoes too.

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