Tofu is that girl. Versatile, affordable, accessible, nutritious, and, most importantly, a shapeshifter, she can do no wrong. I would definitely call myself a tofu enthusiast — I will always order a tofu dish off the menu — and exploring its endless possibilities is a personal pastime. You may have seen my tofu feta recipe (cheekily dubbed “tofeta”) out in the wild; it’s my desperate and delicious response to the strangely sweet plant-based alternatives out there. But why stop there? Enter: tofayo, or tofu mayo, my latest soy-powered obsession.
If you’re wondering if I’m vegan, I’m not, but my vegan friends call me “vegan-passing” and I wear this title like a badge of honor. I am, however, a lucky winner of hereditary high cholesterol, and as a mayo-loving-Russian, I needed to find a way to satisfy my craving for olivye, a Russian potato salad, and summer tomato sandwiches.
Thus began my search for a plant-based, low-fat, and flavorful alternative to classic mayonnaise. It is bleak out there: If the texture was good, the flavor was missing. If the flavor was good, it was high in saturated and processed fats. The jars would also cost up to a hefty $11.99. It felt like I would never find the perfect condiment to meet my culinary needs, my cardiologist’s recommendations, and my grocery budget. So I began experimenting with homemade sauces. And, of course, I turned to tofu.
My inspiration came from Mandy Lee’s mapo tofummus, as well as the technique of whipping the tofu with an immersion blender to get a thick and creamy consistency. After some trial and error, here’s what I landed on: Pop a block of medium or firm tofu (the former for a lighter consistency, the latter for a thicker spread) into a high-speed mixer with the package water along with ¼ cup of white vinegar, 2 tablespoons of grainy dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, and a hefty dose of black pepper. From there, all you need to do is turn on the blender and watch as the tofu quickly comes together into a decadent sauce. Refrain from adding water unless absolutely necessary, as it will make the sauce very loose. Instead, pause the blender, and scrape down the sides if necessary. When you’re happy with the consistency of the “mayo,” you can transfer it to a jar and chill overnight. It’ll last up to two weeks in the fridge. You can also use an immersion blender for this recipe (just be patient, as it will take a minute to break down the tofu.) Feel free to adjust the seasonings as well; I like my mayo tart and spicy.
This condiment is so versatile and easy to make with pantry staples, it’s hard to believe I used to live without it. I personally love it for sandwiches, pasta salads, and dipping pelmeni. But the recipe’s true beauty is how easily you can riff on it: Swap in capers for some of the salt and use lemon juice instead of the vinegar for a briney tartar sauce. Skip the mustard and add dill and onion powder for an easy ranch-like dip. Throw in chipotle peppers. Make it yours. It’s fool-proof, vegan, gluten-free, fat-free, high in protein, and such a crowd-pleaser. And it will hopefully make you call yourself a tofu enthusiast, too.
