Aquafaba Ranch
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Recipe Intro From thefeedfeed
Aquafaba is the liquid in which chickpeas (or other legumes) have been cooked. Prized for its ability to act like egg whites when whipped, it is beloved in the vegan dessert community as an egg white substitute in mousses and meringues. Saving the aquafaba when draining a can of chickpeas is a brilliant way to reduce food waste. Here, it replaces the egg in a traditional mayonnaise, forming the base for a ranch-style dressing. Typically, ranch dressing contains dairy products like sour cream or buttermilk. This blender version is completely dairy-free and pantry-friendly. Ranch for everyone!
The aquafaba is blended at low speed with cream of tartar, which helps create a lighter texture. Oil gets streamed in slowly, creating an emulsion with a consistency similar to thick cream (no gloppy texture in sight). A touch of mustard, onion powder, garlic, lemon and herbs bring the ranch-y vibes. We tested this with both organic and nonorganic canned chickpea aquafaba. We found the non-organic brands to result in the thickest consistency, but if you don’t mind a thinner dressing, organic works fine.
Use it up as an all-purpose dipper for veggies, slathered on sandwiches or drizzled on bowls. It’s an incredible dunker for all types of wings and appetizers (air fryer people, I see you!) We all had a college roommate who dipped their pizza crust in ranch and you know what? It’s not bad. Here, I spooned it on a WFH lunchtime salad with thinly sliced radish, celery, sweet peas and chickpeas.
I first created an aquafaba ranch chopped salad as the culinary producer years ago for the food waste series Scraps, and I am pleased to share with you my updated version that results in a drizzle-able texture, has flexible options for oil and includes my new favorite HLTHPUNK mustard.
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Recipe Card
ingredients
- 1/4 cup aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas or white beans, non-organic works best here, see note)
- 1/8 teaspooon cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, such as Hlthpunk
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (such as sunflower, avocado or grapeseed)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup loosely packed herbs, finely chopped (such as dill, parsley, cilantro, tarragon and/or chives)
Method
Step 1
Add aquafaba and cream of tartar to the pitcher or carafe of a blender. Blend on low speed, gradually increasing speed to medium for about 2 minutes. Add mustard, onion powder, garlic, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Gradually stream in oil through the top with a blender on low speed. Increase speed to high and blend for about 30 seconds.
Step 2
Transfer to a bowl, stir in lemon juice and herbs. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if necessary. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.