This recipe came about completely by accident.
I was making a big batch of a mustard based salad dressing and thought it would be easier to use the stick blender instead of mixing it by hand. To my surprise it emulsified and completely thickened just like mayonnaise.
And to my even bigger surprise the emulsion held even after a few weeks in the fridge.
While this wasn’t ideal for dressing salad leaves, it inspired me to play around with a vegan version of mayo using mustard instead of egg yolks.
And here we are!
I will warn you that the mustard flavour is quite strong when you eat this on it’s own but it blends in beautifully when eaten with other things.
And unless you’re a mayo addict like me, you should be eating your mayo with other things!
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
- 1/3 cup dijon mustard
- 1 cup neutral flavoured oil
- Place water, mustard and a pinch of salt in a tall jug. Pour in oil.
- With your stick blender head on the bottom of the jug, blitz on high speed. As you start to see the emulsion forming, slowly raise the stick blender so the upper layers of oil get emulsified too.
- Taste and season with extra salt if needed (this can help tone down any bitterness from the oil if using olive oil).
- If the mayo is too runny, carefully add oil in a thin stream while mixing with the stick blender. This requires some dexterity. If too thick, stir in a little water using a spoon, one tablespoon at a time.
NOTE: If your mayo splits or doesn’t form a creamy, thick emulsion, it’s OK! Just start again with more mustard. Pour the split mayo on top in place of the oil and cross your fingers this time.
Variations & Substitutions
aioli / garlicky mayo – crush 1-2 garlic cloves with a little salt. Smash with the side of your knife on a chopping board until you have a puree. Add to mayo ingredients with the egg.
chipotle mayo – replace water with 100g (3.5oz) chipotle chillies in adobo sauce.
miso mayo – stir in 2-3 tablespoons white miso paste (aka ‘shiro’ miso). If you can’t find white miso red or brown miso will work – just use half because these miso pastes are stronger in flavour.
lemony – replace water with lemon juice. For extra kick add the zest of 1 lemon.
limey – replace water with lime juice. For extra kick add the zest of 1 lime.
preserved lemon – stir in 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped preserved lemon (you won’t need as much salt so best to taste and adjust seasoning at the end in stead of adding salt at the beginning).
different oils – I usually use a cheaper olive oil (not extra virgin) for my mayo because I find extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) overpowers. If you want more antioxidants and are happy with the punchy flavour use EVOO. The other oil I occasionally use is rice bran.
herby – stir in finely chopped fresh herbs. Parsley is great for general use. Or basil. Or dill (magic with fish).
pine nut – stir in a generous handful of cooled roasted pine nuts – amazing with fish, chicken or veg.
harissa mayo – stir in 1-2 tablespoons harissa paste.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
dijon mustard / oil – keep in the fridge once opened.
oil – keep in the pantry.
Prepare Ahead
Yes! Will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks. Do not freeze!
