Tofu… You see the thing about tofu, I find, is that it is tasteless. Having tasted it as is, one is likely to presume that the bean that it comes from soy, is rather dull and uninventive. And, that would be in error. Soybeans are rather quite tasty and, personally one of my favorite beans. Yet, after what seems to be an inordinate amount of patience and process comes this cube of, well, nothingness. I struggled to see the point of it or why there was so much fuss about it!
Yet, every so often, I would buy a block of it, succumbing to memories of delicious Asian dishes, where they somehow managed to make this a super star. Standing at the grocery aisle, I would remember the luscious mapu tofu I had in Tokyo or the rather surprisingly good pad thai takeout I had last week. My heart would win and I would come back with the hope and promise of another block, only to relegate it to the back corner of the fridge, as more interesting and dependable items took mind and fridge space out front.
An eventual rummaging would lead to the forgotten discovery. And, without much enthusiasm, I would, again try my hand at the usual Asian recipes, to another reinforcement of my mind’s experience. Heart wilting, into the bin most of it went. This time though, I had a spark; probably from the 10,000 hours of internet browsing, and a faint memory, of a short-lived tofu dessert bar in midtown Manhattan, from almost 10 years ago. I decided to whip this time. Into a cream.
And, such is how this lovely eye-opening spread came about. Somehow, breaking down the structure of the block, unleashed enough flavor to make it a contender for another grocery run! This is the easiest ‘mayo’ I have made. Well, despite its lure, whisking eggs into that emulsion is a dainty balance. This dish needs no close eye purview, which, means that you can let it go while minding your very active toddler, and, still come back to a perfect dish, that leaves you feeling like a super parent! Ha! there! Toddler safe, mayo made. Mike drop…
Mind Blowing Vegan Tarragon ‘Mayonnaise’
1 block firm tofu
4 tsp shoyu soy sauce (or more per taste)
5-6 stalks of fresh tarragon, leaves peeled
3 T olive oil
Blitz everything together in a powerful blender (Vitamix like) until creamy and smooth.
Chill for an hour to set a bit.
If you want to add more flavorings, feel free! I kept it simple.
Store in fridge.