It’s summertime. For reals now. It perpetually smells like cut grass when you step outside, the weather forecast is peppered with humidity and thunderstorms, and picnics and barbecues are on everyone’s agenda. I love summer. I love summer food. Tons of fresh fruits and veggies, sandwiches, and salads galore! A very important part of all the summer eats, is the condiments. You gotta have good condiments. Whether it’s homemade hummus, Dijon mustard, vegan pesto, veggie pickles, vinaigrette, or some other special sauce, the right condiments will give your meal that extra kick in the hot pants.  I can’t very well discuss the importance of condiments without talking about mayo.

Some, ok lots, of folks I know actually don’t like mayo. Vegan or otherwise. My husband is one of these crazy people. He’s just not that into it. I have to admit, I’ve always loved me some mayo-nnaise. I used to squirt it on my sammys like it was nobody’s business, and I sure did go crazy on some traditional potato salad, egg salad, chicken salad, and all those other picnic salads doused in the white stuff. I am not ashamed. OK, maybe I am, a little. Only because now I know that I can eat a much healthier, yummier, kinder mayo. Ah, hindsight.

I’m not going to go on and on and on about how delicious this mayo tastes, how creamy and silky and utterly mayo-mazing this stuff is. Or how you will relish in the fact that this mayo is made with just a handful of natural, plant-based, whole, real foods. I won’t bore you with the details on how it is raw and chock-full of health and beauty-boosting fats, and totally free of animal products. I’m not going to jabber on and on about how this is an OIL-FREE mayo, which, frankly, is hard to come by these days. I’m not going to claim this mayo will change the world (though… it might). No, I’m not going to do that. I know I get kinda wordy sometimes, so I’ll just give you the recipe and let you all get on with your summer day.

Happy sandwich making! (and potato salad, faux egg salad, macaroni salad…)

Healthy Oil-Free, Vegan, Raw Mayo

• 1/4 cup of cashews, soaked overnight and drained/rinsed
• 1 large avocado, pitted and flesh scooped out (about 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp)
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp dry ground mustard
• 1/4 tsp sea salt or himalayan pink salt, or to taste
• Optional- a pinch of Indian Black Salt (you can find this in Indian Markets or online. It adds a slight “eggy” flavor. Just use a pinch)

Instructions:

Simply blend all ingredients in a blender (a high speed blender will achieve the silkiest results), until very smooth. Adjust salt, lemon juice, etc as desired. I added about a tsp more of lemon juice. Store in the fridge. Should last for a few days refrigerated. When mixed into salads (i.e. tempeh chk’n salad, or potato salad) it is best eaten the first day. I haven’t tried freezing leftovers, but I will let you know how it goes.

I’m working on an alternative recipe without cashews. Stay tuned!

Tell me, friends! Are you a mayo nay-sayer or do you like it, love it, and want some more of it? This Healthy Mayo might just change your mind life!