Hello people! I’d like to share with you my current favourite cold, creamy, sweet treat. It’s as simple as lemon juice, stevia, silken tofu and chia. Not into stevia? No worries, you can sub in maple syrup or agave syrup.
If you’re new to using silken tofu, I recommend going for Mori-Nu tofu, commonly touted as the go-to dessert tofu for its absence of aftertaste. It’s the stuff in the little rectangular box at the grocery store that may or may not be refrigerated. It’s widely available, fairly cheap and non-GMO. Go for the Firm variety, Lite Firm if you want a lower fat version.
Another option is Horium tofu, pictured below. I’m not certain about its availability in other areas, but it’s made in Montreal, is organic, and much cheaper than Mori-Nu. As far as I can tell, it also lacks aftertaste, so that’s what I’m using today. Whatever you do, just make sure that you’re getting a silken tofu, and not a block of the firm stuff.
Chia serves as a binding agent in this treat, acting similarly to an emulsifier. Without it, your pudding will briefly homogenize when you blend it, but then it’ll separate into liquids and solids after it sits a bit. Not so nice. Chia pulls it all together, gives the pudding lift, and provides a tapioca-like texture. (If you’re not a fan of that kind of texture, you could opt for grinding your chia.)
Finally, the lemons add zing, and the stevia adds calorie-free, sugar-free sweetness. I hesitate to put measurements below as each individual will have different preferences. I like a super-tart lemon bomb with a bit of sweetness, you may be the opposite. Experiment and make it yours! Alternatively, you could add mango, matcha powder, lime juice, chocolate, the list goes on and on. Take the lemon down a notch and this will make for a nice, vegan yogurt replacement to enjoy with granola.
INGREDIENTS
** Measurements are estimates, adjust levels to suit your tastes **
2 cups Firm Silken Tofu (see head notes)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1/2 tsp stevia – or maple syrup, or agave syrup
1/8 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
1/8 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
- Blend ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.
- Chill in the fridge for an hour before serving.
