The Best Ways To Make Homemade Vegan Mayo According To An Expert

People have fiercely held opinions when it comes to mayo. Are you team "real" Hellmann's mayonnaise only or does Miracle Whip count in your book? Do you think mayo makes everything better or prefer pasta and potato salads made with vinegary dressings instead? Hot takes aside, most foodies can agree, it's a must-have condiment in any fridge. Luckily, although traditionally made mayo includes eggs, plenty of plant-based renditions exist. If you can't find or don't want to grab a vegan mayo from the grocery store, you can try easily making your own using one of two simple recipes. 

This is according to an expert on such topics: chef, cookbook author, and TV host Priyanka Naik, who you might know from her appearances on the Food Network. Naik, who spoke exclusively with Chowhound to share her expertise on vegan foods, says home chefs have two routes they can take to whip up a vegan version of mayo that tastes and performs just like the conventional condiment. Naik explains, "A homemade mayo can be made by blending together (with an immersion blender) aquafaba (the water from a can of chickpeas), olive oil, dijon mustard, salt, and grated garlic (optional). Or blending together silken tofu, white vinegar, dijon mustard, and salt." The route you take is largely up to personal preference, as well as what you're making to go with your homemade batch of mayo.

On its face, veganizing mayo might sound counterintuitive or even impossible. But don't let traditional ways keep your thinking small. We live in a world of lab-grown meat, Impossible Whoppers at Burger King, and really (like, really!) good vegan cheese — anything is possible. 

Turning mayo vegan is a relatively easy feat, especially because the animal product in conventional mayo — egg — is not front and center to the taste, and instead plays a background (albeit important) role. Eggs add little in the way of flavor, but make the texture thick and creamy by acting as an emulsifier to bring together the naturally at-odds oil and water. By mixing the list of ingredients Priyanka Naik recommends in a high-speed blender, you'll achieve the same texture, using either the silken tofu or aquafaba. 

Which you use depends on what you're making and have readily available. For dishes where you want mayo to act as a background character, you may want to use neutral-tasting, nearly flavorless silken tofu as your base. Also fairly neutral in flavor, aquafaba, while not as well known as a plant-based ingredient as other star players, like the vegan staple nutritional yeast, makes magic in the kitchen — from foamy "egg white" cocktails to vegan meringue. Save the leftover liquid from the next can of chickpeas you crack open and put it to use as the base for mayo.