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Vegan Garlic Aioli, vegan recipe

Vegan Garlic Aioli

A thick, glossy vegan garlic aioli built without eggs by emulsifying soy milk with lemon, Dijon, and a slow stream of oil, ready in about ten minutes with an immersion blender.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: French
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Garlic aioli
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 garlic cloves grated or pressed
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil such as avocado or grapeseed
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method
 

  1. Add the soy milk, lemon juice, Dijon, grated garlic, and salt to a tall, narrow container and let it sit for 5 minutes. The short rest lets the lemon take the raw edge off the garlic before the oil goes in.
  2. Lower an immersion blender to the bottom of the container and blend for about 10 seconds, until the soy milk turns foamy and pale and the garlic is broken up.
  3. Keep the blender running at the bottom and pour the neutral oil and the olive oil in a thin, steady stream, taking about 45 seconds. The mixture will thicken, pale, and pull away from the sides as the emulsion forms, and you shouldn't lift the blender until it has caught.
  4. Taste the aioli and adjust it with more salt for depth, lemon for brightness, or another grated clove for a sharper bite. If it feels too thick, blend in cold water a teaspoon at a time.
  5. Transfer the aioli to a jar and chill it. Stir before serving, and loosen it with a squeeze of lemon juice if it firms up in the fridge.

Notes

Start with soy milk for the most reliable emulsion, since it carries lecithin, a natural emulsifier that lets the oil hold together without any egg. Room-temperature ingredients matter more than any gadget here, because cold liquid is the usual reason an aioli turns grainy. Keep the immersion blender pinned to the bottom of the jar while the oil goes in, then move it up and down only once the sauce has turned pale and thick. This is the same base I use for a chipotle version, so once it works you can flavor it any number of ways.