Today, veganism is more than just a diet - it is a mindset based on the ethical principles of animal welfare. Vegans not only completely abstain from food, but also from clothing, shoes and household items of animal origin. The new way of life presents a big challenge - because most recipes contain “forbidden” ingredients. And while there are now many vegan alternatives for meat and milk, until recently eggs could not be replaced with any plant products. In 2015, a chef managed to make macarons using chickpea cooking water. His discovery caused a sensation worldwide - not only vegans, but also many people who suffer from protein allergies were enthusiastic about it. Aquafaba is the name of the new superfood. We will give you an overview of what you can prepare with the vegan alternative to egg whites and offer you several recipes using aquafaba as examples.
Recipes with aquafaba - the basic principles of the vegan diet
Changing your diet completely is not an easy task. However, vegans have decided to do this for several reasons - on the one hand out of compassion for the animals and their poor housing conditions, and on the other hand as an environmental protection measure (more resources are used to produce products of animal origin than forplant-based foodsl used). The question remains controversial as to whether the vegan diet can actually have a positive impact on world nutrition - some researchers assume that only a complete switch to vegan can feed more than 10 billion people in the future. In this case, meadows and pastures that are currently only used to produce grass for animal feed will be transformed into agricultural land. This thesis has not been clearly proven - but it is worth having an alternative to animal products in the event that the consumption of meat and milk has to be restricted in the next 50 years.
In addition, many people have become vegan for health reasons. Some of them suffer from food allergies or lactose intolerance - for them and their families, changing their diet is a necessity.
Becoming a vegan means investing a lot of time - most of what is sold in the supermarket contains animal products. Only those who read the contents of the individual foods or buy from specialized shops can be sure that they are eating right. In addition, many popular recipes contain forbidden foods - replacing them is not an easy task. The followers of the philosophy of life experiment a lot in the kitchen and exchange ideas in numerous forums.
Recipes with aquafaba – this is what you should know about the egg white substitute
It was precisely as a result of an experiment that the miracle ingredient aquafaba was found. In 2015, Goose Wohlt published a recipe for macarons with whipped chickpea water that caused a sensation. Until then, many vegans had tried to find a substitute for egg foam - unfortunately in vain. Either the taste wasn't right, or the products simply couldn't be processed to the desired consistency. Vegans would therefore have to forego many delicious desserts, mayonnaise and other dishes from traditional cuisine.
The name “Aquafaba” comes from Latin and is made up of the words “water” and “beans”. As the chickpeas and beans are cooked, a thick cooking liquid is created that has a jelly consistency when cooled. Proteins from the beans have transferred to the water - thanks to these proteins, it can be whipped into foam, similar to the yellow egg. Ultimately, all recipes that contain egg foam can be prepared with aquafaba. This doesn't just make a big difference for vegans - allergy sufferers now also have an alternative. Even more so - salmonella bacteria can multiply in raw eggs, but the plant product is considered harmless to health and can even be stored at room temperature.
Aquafaba therefore offers numerous possible uses - well-known recipes with aquafaba instead of egg foam include delicious desserts such as macaroons or nougat. Mayonnaise is now even made in the USA.
Prepare the vegan alternative yourself - a quick recipe with beans/chickpeas
The cooks recommend not preparing aquafaba with canned water. Dip the chickpeas or beans in water and leave in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Then let the chickpeas or beans cook for 2 hours and let the legumes and water steep in the refrigerator for a day. At the end, simply carefully remove the chickpeas and the aquafaba is ready. Lemon and a teaspoon of sugar can soften the slight bean flavor, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder made from pure tartar and 1/2 teaspoon of locust bean gum can thicken the mixture additionally.
The last step is to mix the ingredients well and then whip them into foam with a whisk. After 3-4 minutes, the foam consistency should resemble egg foam. Two tablespoons of aquafaba is comparable to one medium whipped egg white. It is recommended to mix the mixture directly beforePreparation of the dessertStir together and then store in the fridge to be on the safe side. You can use the remaining beans to make a salad, and chickpeas can be used to make hummus.
We offer you some interesting recipes with aquafaba below - if you are really interested in the product, you can take a look on Facebook - there the vegans exchange ideas in numerous groups. No matter how simple a recipe looks, the end result is not always impressive. Especially in this case, other quivers can come to help and give useful tips. Of course, you can also try out your favorite recipes and let others know whether you have successfully prepared an aquafaba dessert.
Bake meringue muffins with lemon
Surprise the family with delicious meringue muffins with lemon - this dessert takes 45 minutes to prepare, then the muffins are baked for 30 minutes. You need the following ingredients for 10 servings:
For the dough: 180 grams of sifted flour, pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar, 60 ml/4 tablespoons of olive oil. For the cream with lemon: 80 grams of cashew nuts, 150 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed, 5 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons starch flour, pinch of turmeric (if desired). For the meringues: 120 ml aquafaba, 1/2 teaspoon wine vinegar.
Preparation: Put the flour and powdered sugar in a bowl and mix well with your hands. Carefully add water until a sticky mixture forms. Then wrap the mixture in foil and leave it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then take the dough out of the fridge and divide it into 10 pieces. Place the pieces on baking paper and cover with another sheet of baking paper. Then roll out the pieces into circles, each 2 mm thick. Carefully place the circles into muffin tins, pressing the bottom of the circles so that the circles become baskets. Then use a fork to poke holes in the bottom of each basket. Leave the muffin cups in the fridge for 60 minutes. Cover the muffin cups with baking paper. Then bake the muffin cases in an oven preheated to 175 degrees for 20 minutes with and then for another 15 minutes without the baking paper. Leave the muffin cups aside and wait until they have cooled completely.
Mix the cashews with the lemon juice in a blender, then pour the mixture into a small saucepan, sprinkle 4 tablespoons of sugar evenly and let it melt over medium heat. In another bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water, carefully add to the cream in the pot and bring to the boil while stirring constantly. Cook for 2 minutes and then add a pinch of turmeric. Place the aquafaba and wine vinegar in a clean bowl and whisk until foamy.
Fill the now cooled “baskets” with the lemon cream, then use a piping bag to pipe the meringues over the lemon cream into the desired shape. Leave in a preheated oven for a maximum of 2 minutes, until light brown. Leave the finished muffins aside for an hour. Eat on the same day.
Chocolate mousse with peanut butter
A dessert where chocolate plays the main role is mousse au chocolat. The original recipe is made with raw eggs - not exactly safe, especially in the warm spring and summer months. The vegan alternative with aquafaba is therefore ideal as a substitute not only for vegans, but also for families with children.
Ingredients: 400 grams of chickpeas, 100 grams of black chocolate, 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence, 100 grams of chocolate shavings, 3 tablespoons of peanut butter.
Preparation: Theblack chocolateChop roughly, fill a pot 3/4 full with water and heat to 50 degrees, remove the pot from the heat. Place the chopped chocolate in a metal bowl and place the bowl in the water. Be careful that no water gets into the bowl. Stir the chocolate repeatedly until it melts. Make aquafaba foam from the chickpeas and then add the powdered sugar and mix well. Then add the chocolate and chocolate shavings, stir and divide the mixture into four glasses. Garnish with peanut butter. If you wish, you can replace the peanut butter with seasonal fruits - for example cherries. Leave the jars in the refrigerator for several hours.
Vegan meringues with mango, raspberries and vanilla
Both adults and children simply cannot resist the meringues. For the next sugary dessert you need the following ingredients: 400 grams of chickpeas, 140 grams of powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of cream of tartar, 1 vanilla pod, halved lengthwise and deseeded, vegan food coloring in yellow and red, 2 drops of raspberry essence, 2 drops of mango essence .
Preparation: Place three sheets of baking paper on the baking tray and heat the oven to 100 degrees. In the meantime, prepare aquafaba from the chickpeas, first carefully adding the powdered sugar and then the cream of tartar and the vanilla pod. In a small bowl, mix the yellow food coloring and mango essence, in another bowl mix the red food coloring together with the raspberry essence.
Then draw three stripes (one red with the raspberry essence mixture and two yellow ones with the mango essence mixture) in the piping bag with a spoon or a toothpick. Make sure that the strips end 2 cm before the piping nozzle. Carefully place the piping bag in a cup, open the ends and fill with the meringue mixture. Pipe the meringues onto the baking paper and bake over medium heat for about 2 hours and 30 minutes. The meringues are ready when they are completely dry. Serve with fresh fruits – mango and raspberries.
Vegan cuisine – cheesecake with strawberries
The recipes with aquafaba offer an alternative to egg foam that can even be used in a cheesecake. Hard to believe, but true - allergy sufferers and vegans used to have to do without it. For the tasty dessert you need the following ingredients:
For the dough: 20 pitted dates poured with boiling water (approx. 170 grams), 2-3 pinches of salt, 1 cup almonds (approx. 140 grams), cocoa powder. For the cream: 150 grams of cashew nuts, 600 grams of fresh strawberries, 75-80 ml maple syrup, 7 and 1/2 tbsp agar-agar shavings, 1/2 cup coconut butter, 1/2 cup aquafaba.
Preparation: Place baking paper on the baking pan, chop the almonds finely, puree the dates in the blender, add salt and cocoa powder and stir. Add the almonds to the mixture, mix well until it has a dough consistency. Then roll the finished dough into the baking pan, place a sheet of baking paper on top, store it in the refrigerator and place a pot full of water on top. The pot weight should bring the dough into the right shape. Meanwhile, put the agar-agar shavings, the coconut butter and the 1/2 cup aquafaba in a pot and bring to the boil. Then cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Then first add the maple syrup, then the strawberries and cashew nuts to the blender and puree until fine. Pour the smooth mixture onto the already cooled dough. Leave again in the fridge for an hour, decorate with fresh fruit. Enjoy it and surprise the family with a delicious and healthy dessert.
Hard to believe, but true - the miracle ingredient aquafaba has proven to be an all-round talent in less than two years - it can successfully replace eggs in various recipes. Its taste is so similar to the original that in the USA mayonnaise is even made from aquafaba. In Europe, there are still no aquafaba products to be found in supermarkets. But anyone can do this at homeprepare yourself. The aquafaba recipes we presented to you are extremely simple and ideal even for beginners.
