Pistachio Muffins with Apricots and Protein have everything you could possibly want in a muffin: Crunchy, nutty pistachios, a soft and fluffy inside, studded with sweet-tart dried apricots and a crunchy brown sugar sprinkled top. All that with 7g protein per muffin and just 280cal. So you can have a yummy snack with your coffee and feel good about it!
Why You Want to Make Them
Are you going nuts for Pistachios too?
I’m honestly hooked recently. I got a big jar of pistachio butter from Bulk and it’s utterly delicious on pretty much everything. I spread it on some rice cakes, topped with blueberries as my evening sweet snack, stirred it in oatmeal with cherries, made Pistachio-Protein Crème Brulee and now these Pistachio Muffins with Apricots and Protein.
Of course Pistachios aren’t technically nuts, but rather the stone of a fruit, very similar to almonds, which explains their affinity for very similar foods almonds go with. I added some almond essence to these muffins, which underlines the Pistachio flavour rather perfectly.
Speaking of Protein
If you read a few of the sweet recipes on my blog, you probably noticed that I’m adding protein to many of them. Considering I’m not eating much meat and am not the biggest fan of legumes, so I don’t want to include them into every single meal. Yet, have an acute need to add more protein to my diet, to meet the target for muscle building and/or maintenance, which is at least around 1.2-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, I keep looking for ways to increase my intake, without drinking shakes. Why not shakes you ask? They simply bore me.
I feel if I’m not eating or drinking something that is worth the calories, I’m wasting my time.
Is it a weird way to see food? Maybe.
But having lost 70lb taught me, that I’m working on an energy budget per day. Loving food and eating means, I want to spend it well. This does not include the same boring protein shake every day, but rather finding recipes to excite me and have me look forward to eating them.
That’s where Pistachio Muffins with Apricots and Protein come in: Something I really enjoy eating and am looking forward to, which also adds a nice portion of protein to my day.
Easy to Make
If you ever made muffins, you probably loved how easy they are. I know I do. The batter comes together in 10-15 minutes and that includes getting the ingredients out.
Well…unless your store cupboards are way too full, like mine, and you have to rummage around in them to find stuff. I knew I had dried apricots somewhere! *Empties half her pantry before finding the bag*
Lower calories than your average Muffin
Eating an average muffin, according to Google, you are looking at 340-424 calories. That is a fairly big chunk out of your daily budget, if you are watching your weight like I do.
Having gained a few pounds over Christmas (because I can’t be trusted around sweets), I’m currently trying to get rid of them again. But I really don’t want to go without a sweet treat per day! That would just leave me grumpy and missing something, which in turn means, once I lost the weight I’d go even more for sweets again. Not a good cycle.
So my solution is, to develop recipes that are sweet, not compromising in flavour, yet lower in calories than the standard versions. This is one of them.
Oh and I want them to have nutritional value too. High standards for sure.
These Pistachio Muffins with Apricots and Protein have only 280 calories per muffin, which is a nice bit of saving for one satisfying snack. Or even breakfast if you like.
The Ingredients
Looking at the typical Pistachio Muffin recipe, I noticed that most are using rather artificial pudding mix to accomplish taste and texture of them. I wanted natural taste though and not use some mix with barely any real pistachio in it.
That means my muffins aren’t bright green, since they have no colouring either, but instead mostly natural and nutritious ingredients.
Except the protein powder. Let’s be honest, it isn’t natural, but I feel the benefits outweigh that downside.
Note, these are just some of the ingredients and why I use them, not all, as most are still those of a classic muffin.
Let’s start with the obvious bit: Pistachio butter. I only replaced half of the butter with it, as nut butter has less fat than butter, which would have meant I needed to add more other fat back in, which wasn’t the idea.
Keeping half and adding a mix of sour cream and 0% fat Greek yoghurt gave me the moisture content I lost, by swapping part of the butter into Pistachio butter.
I also reduced both the flour and sugar by adding protein powder. Buttered Popcornflavoured in this case, though you can easily use vanilla.
I particularly love MyProtein (not sponsored or affiliated, though I wish it would be, I use it so much!), which adds lovely flavour and sweetness to my recipes, without any weird aftertaste.
You can safely replace about ¼ of the flour in a recipe with it, without any negative impact. Use more, and the results might be drier than intended.
I’m still using a mix of white and brown sugar, but less than usual, to keep the structure needed. The sugar mixed with the sweetener from the protein powder also means it still tastes just naturally sweet.
While looking into the secrets of Pistachio muffins, I found the pudding powder not only adds flavour and sweetness, but also a bit of cornflour, which will thicken the pudding, but add a lovely softness to muffin batter. So I replaced some of the flour with cornflour to achieve the same effect.
Nutrition and flavour wise, I prefer a mix of white flour for lightness and the typical muffin feel and whole wheat flour for some nutty flavour. If you can find it, use fine whole wheat flour, which is great for lighter pastry.
For even more flavour, I’m using a bit of almond extract, which is in the same flavour family as pistachio, making it a natural choice. Unless you have natural pistachio extract, which would be a fantastic replacement. But I couldn’t find any in my local supermarkets and wasn’t keen on ordering just for this recipe. Though…it’s in my head now, I still might. Has anyone tried it? What were your thoughts?
To reduce the sugar and up the fruit content, I swapped out 2 eggs for 2 bananas. You can choose to use just eggs for more protein but add a little more sugar.
For the add-ins I’m using dried apricots, as they are not adding a lot of additional water, which I’d have to account for if I’d be using fresh ones. But, since I found some fresh apricots at Tesco, I decided to add half a fruit on top of each muffin, which gave them an amazing fruity-fresh kick I loved.
They are purely optional though.
Also some chopped pistachios for extra crunch and more pistachio flavour.
Each muffin got a little sprinkling of demerara sugar on top, adding some sparkle, crunch, and sweetness, making the muffins extra special.
The Process
The one thing that makes all baking easier is, to have all the ingredients at room temperature. If you have fridge cold butter, it’s much harder to mix it with the sugar. Just melted however, will give you a greasy result.
Similar for the eggs, which, when cold, can lead to a curdled result while mixing into the soft butter.
So plan a little bit ahead by taking everything out of the fridge an hour or so before you plan to make your muffins.
Preheat your oven to 425°F/220°C and line a muffin tin with muffin cases. Or grease it thoroughly if you prefer. Personally I find muffin cases much easier to remove and they leave less to clean, which is always a plus in my book.
If you have 2 muffin tins, you’ll need both. Otherwise you might bake in 2 batches, as this recipe makes about 16 large muffins.
From there on it’s as easy as mixing the butter with the sugar until fluffy and white. Then, one by one, whisk the eggs and mashed bananas in until well incorporated.
Add the protein powder with the remaining wet ingredients, to make sure you have no protein lumps in your Pistachio Muffins with Apricots and Protein.
Now mix your dry ingredients, keeping back about 1-2 tbsp of the chopped pistachios for sprinkling on top, and add most of them to your batter. But not all. Keep a few tablespoons of the flour mix back, to coat the chopped apricots in. This is to prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
Gently fold your dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. A few lumps are fine. Don’t overmix, or your muffins will be tough from the gluten you developed.
Then add the flour coated apricots and fold them in too.
Divide the batter between the muffin molds, filling them all the way, so you get nice and high tops. I use an ice cream scoop for this, to make it very easy. Two tablespoons work too.
Sprinkle with the remaining chopped pistachios, lay a sliced fresh apricot half on top, if using, then sprinkle lightly with demerara sugar.
Now you might have looked at the high oven temperature and thought it might be a typo. It’s not. The high initial temperature is what gives you the beautiful high muffin tops, but it will be lowered after 5-7 minutes of baking, to the classic 350°F/175°C, to bake for another 15-17 minutes, depending on your oven.
Just don’t open the oven door, except once, around half of the baking time, to turn your muffin tin, should your oven bake unevenly.
Your Pistachio Muffins with Apricots and Protein are ready when the top is golden brown and toothpick comes out mostly clean, a few crumbs are ok.
Let them cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then take them out onto a wire rack.
Enjoy your fluffy, tangy, and crunchy Pistachio Muffins with Apricots and Protein with a nice cup of coffee or tea. They are also really good for breakfast.
Storing your Pistachio Muffins with Apricots and Protein
The muffins keep well in a tin or box for about 3 days.
They also freeze very well. I usually place most in freezer proof containers or small freezer bags and just air fry them for about 7 minutes when I want one. They taste like fresh!
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Pistachio Muffins with Apricots and Protein
Pistachio Muffins with Apricots and Protein have everything could possibly want in a muffin: Crunchy, nutty pistachios, a soft and fluffy inside, studded with sweet-tart dried apricots and a crunchy brown sugar sprinkled top. All that with 7g protein per muffin and just 280cal.
So you can have a yummy snack with your coffee and feel good about it!
½cupchopped pistachios1-2 tbsp kept for sprinkling on top
1tbspdemerara sugar for sprinkling
8fresh apricots for toppingoptional but delicious
Instructions
Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for easier mixing. Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C. Line a muffin tin with cases or grease it.
In a large bowl, cream together ½ cup + 2tbsp softened butter, pistachio butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy and white.
Whisk in the eggs and mashed bananas, one at a time, until well incorporated. Add sour cream, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix until smooth.
Combine the protein powder with the remaining wet ingredients to avoid lumps. Mix until well incorporated.
In a separate bowl, mix the white flour, whole wheat flour, cornflour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Reserve 1-2 tbsp of the flour mix to coat the chopped dried apricots and 1-2 tbsp chopped pistachios for topping the muffins.
Add most of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and gently fold until just combined.
Toss the chopped dried apricots in the reserved flour mixture to prevent sinking. Fold them into the batter.
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cases, filling them to the top. Use an ice cream scoop or two tablespoons for ease. Sprinkle the remaining chopped pistachios on top. Optionally, place a fresh apricot half, cut in slices on each muffin and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes at 425°F/220°C, then reduce the temperature to 350°F/175°C and bake for an additional 15-17 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve and enjoy your fluffy, tangy, and crunchy Pistachio Muffins with Apricots and Protein with a cup of coffee or tea. They make a lovely breakfast treat too.
It’s Veganuary, time for vegan comfort food, which is exactly the right time for Vegan Taco Casserole. All the flavour of an amazing Taco Casserole, none of the meat. Instead an alternative made from mushrooms to bring all the umami flavour, lentils and walnuts for protein and texture and a super creamy vegan queso topping you’ll want to pour over everything after making it the first time. Fantastic for meal prep for the whole week too, so you have less stress on workdays.
The recipe makes a very large casserole with about 8-10 portions and freezes great. So you can make a large batch and freeze some for busy weeks. Or cook it for a crowd.
Not sure about you, but I just could not resist the Christmas sweets, they are always my downfall. So, of course I gained a few pounds that I’d like to shed again. Recipes like this one, heavy on veggies, light on calories and super satisfying, help me to very easily get rid of the few extra pounds, without feeling I’m on a diet.
Why You Want to Make This
Vegan. Taco. Casserole.
I mean, need I really say more? I do? Ok then:
While I’m not a vegan as such, I do enjoy vegan food. Weird you think? Not after you try this Vegan Taco Casserole. I often find minced meat a bit odd texturally and am plain not a big fan of it. But making it vegan adds for me flavour and texture wise. The mushrooms together with lentils, walnuts and a few “secret” ingredients give you tons of very satisfying meatiness while sneakily adding all of their benefits to your favourite comfort food.
Essentially we have a layer of soft tortillas as a base, topped with a mix of the vegan mince meat mix together with beans, which of course belong into any Taco and also add more protein. Sweetcorn goes in too for me, as I love it in pretty much everything and it adds more veggie content. If you can’t stand it, just leave it out or add more beans. This mix is flavoured with your favourite Salsa and a few spices, then fried for even more flavour.
Really Good for You
All the deliciousness of it will give you 4 different legumes plus mushrooms in one go, which makes it incredibly good for you. The toppings of lettuce and cherry tomato add not just juiciness and crunch, but also to your daily veggie intake.
Vegan Queso
The fantastic Vegan Queso recipe is from “Rainbow Plant Life” and her incredible Crunchwrap Supreme video.
I made it a little less spicy but add as much spice as you like. It’s utterly addictive and dare I say better than dairy queso? I honestly prefer the taste of the creamy blended cashews with all the spices and flavours to the texture of typical Queso any day.
I have topped the casserole with vegan grated cheese too, but I think you could even leave it out and be more than satisfied.
Optional but delicious Toppings
For me, the toppings are the best thing about Tacos, so of course it’s the same for Vegan Taco Casserole.
I top mine with homemade Guacamole https://forthepleasureofeating.com/easy-guacamole/, Vegan Greek Style Yoghurt mixed with some lime juice, zest and salt, making it similar to the crema you usually get with Tacos.
For extra crunch I added some chopped romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, spring onions, and, of course, tortilla chips. Most of them are incidentally vegan, but some have dairy in the seasoning. So if you are strictly vegan, check the ingredient list to be sure.
The Ingredients
Most of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry or fridge. Just a few fresh veggies and you have the Vegan Taco Casserole of your dreams ready.
The Taco Mix
Mushrooms
Mushrooms have a list of powerful health benefits according to studies. Decreasing the risk of cancer, lowering sodium intake and promoting lower cholesterol are just a few of them.
To me, their amazing umami flavour is enough to add them. I hear some complaints from the backrow there about texture, to which I say: Fry them until browned and crispy and see how you feel about them like that.
I quite enjoy the brown inexpensive button mushrooms I get at any supermarket here. But any will do. You can try a mix with Shiitake if you find it.
Legumes
Legumes, with again impressive health benefits containing B vitamins, folate and iron, and a great vegan source for protein, I’m adding them here for texture and flavour. Together with mushrooms and walnuts, they make a fantastic meat alternative. The colour doesn’t matter much. I just used the green ones I had in my store cupboard and cooked them according to packet instructions. You could use brown or black too, canned if you like. They will all be delicious.
Add Kidney and Black beans to the filling gives even more protein and keeps you full until the next meal. For ease of preparation I’m using them from cans.
Walnuts
Walnuts add that slightly nubbly texture you usually find in ground meat to our Taco Casserole plus a range of health benefits and healthy fats. Anti-inflammatory benefits and improvement of cholesterol levels being just two of the impressive ones. You could use pecans instead if you prefer.
Onion and garlic for flavour are the basics.
But here are what makes this taste “meaty”: Miso paste. I used brown for its intense umami notes.
Tomato puree and sundried tomatoes together with nutritional yeast and some coconut aminos give the mushroom-legume-walnut mix incredible depth of satisfying meat like flavour.
Of course typical Taco spices like smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, chili, onion powder for extra punch and oregano.
The Queso
For the Queso I’m using soaked cashews, some vegan Greek yoghurt for tang. A bit of salsa (use your favourite, the rest will go into the mushroom-legume mix), nutritional yeast for cheesiness, salt, smoked paprika, chili powder and a bit of cumin. To add that original queso tang and a bit of fiery chili background, some pickled red jalapenos (are they still Jalapenos when red? Please correct me if that’s wrong…I’m just a German living in Ireland.) and a bit of the pickling liquid.
The Guacamole is of course made from avocados, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper and a hint of chilli powder. If you don’t feel like making your own, you can use shop bought here. But honestly, it’s made so quickly and tastes so much better, I don’t feel it’s worth saving the few minutes.
Topping wise: fresh cherry tomatoes, spring onions, and crunchy romaine lettuce add that real taco feeling for me. They are optional though.
And any tortilla chips you like, to use for dipping, crumbling over, eating on the side, however you enjoy your casserole.
The Process
While this looks like a lot of ingredients, the process is surprisingly simple.
The Taco Mix
Lentils
First pre-cook your lentils according to package instructions if using dried as I did. They should have a tiny bit of bite left for that ground meat texture. I usually add some vegetable stock powder to my cooking water and maybe some herbs and garlic, to start flavouring them. Use whatever you have on hand. Bay leaf, thyme, rosemary or oregano all work well.
Walnuts
While your lentils are cooking, briefly toast your walnuts in a dry pan until fragrant. Set aside.
Mushrooms
Fry your finely chopped mushrooms in batches in a large pan with a bit of oil. Only stir occasionally, so they can brown beautifully for that lovely meaty flavour we are looking for. Season with salt and pepper and set aside too.
Seasoning
Gently fry onions and garlic until translucent in a bit more oil, then add all parts of the Mexican seasoning and toast until fragrant. Lastly the sundried tomatoes, tomato paste, miso paste, nutritional yeast and coconut aminos join the pan for a quick stir and heat through.
Process
Now add the garlic-onion-spice mix together with fried mushrooms, walnuts and cooked, drained lentils to your food processor and pulse until it resembles minced meat. It should stick together mostly, but fall apart when you try to crumble it, much like meat would.
Taste it. It should be delicious. Add more salt to taste.
Mix with beans and sweetcorn
Tip the whole mix back into the pan and fry on medium-high heat until you have a bit of browning everywhere and it smells delicious. Tip in the drained and rinsed canned beans and sweetcorn, canned tomatoes, 1 1 ½ cups of your favourite salsa (the last ½ cup will be used for the queso), stir and heat through.
Taste and add salt or any other spices you feel it might need. I don’t like mine very hot, but you might of course.
Casserole assembly
Lightly grease your casserole form. Cut the tortillas into quarters and lay them across the bottom with a little overlap, so you have one layer.
Top with the mushroom-bean mix.
Queso
To make your queso, add all the ingredients for it into a high speed blender like the Nutribullet and blend until super smooth and creamy. Taste and add more salt or chili if needed.
Bake
Top your Vegan Taco Casserole with the vegan queso, sprinkle over some grated vegan cheese (or dairy if you are not vegan). Cover the casserole with kitchen foil and bake at 375°F/190°C for 15min, remove the foil and bake for another 15min uncovered until it is hot throughout and the cheese has melted.#
Toppings
While the casserole is in the oven, prepare your toppings. Mash the Avocados with lime juice, minced garlic, salt, pepper and chili.
Mix the remaining vegan yoghurt with some lime juice, zest and salt to taste.
Chop romaine, spring onions and cherry tomatoes and put in separate containers. Tip tortilla chips into a bowl.
Serve
To serve, add a piece of your Vegan Taco Casserole to the plate and let everyone pick their own favourite toppings. Enjoy the satisfied munching sounds.
Meal Prep
You can make everything the day before, but I would add the queso on top just before baking, so it doesn’t soak into the taco filling layer, but remains as cream, cheesy layer on top.
After baking, the Vegan Taco Casserole stays fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat either in the microwave until piping hot or in oven or air fryer.
The casserole also freezes really well. I always keep a few pieces in the freezer for emergency taco cravings.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Vegan Taco Casserole
It’s Veganuary, time for vegan comfort food, which is exactly the right time for Vegan Taco Casserole. All the flavour of an amazing Taco Casserole, none of the meat. Instead an alternative made from mushrooms to bring all the umami flavour, lentils and walnuts for protein and texture and a super creamy vegan queso topping you’ll want to pour over everything after making it the first time. Fantastic for meal prep for the whole week too, so you have less stress on workdays.
Food Processor, High speed blender like Nutribullet
Ingredients
Taco Mix:
3clovesgarlicminced
1onionchopped
2cupslentils, cooked. About 1 cup dried. You can use cans instead.
2packs mushroomsfinely chopped
½cupwalnuts
1tbsptomato puree
5sundried tomatoes
2tbspcoconut aminos
1-2tbspbrown miso pasteuse any colour, but brown has the most meat-like flavour
1tbspnutritional yeast
1cantomatoes
1canblack beans drained and rinsed
1cankidney beansdrained and rinsed
1cansweetcorndrained and rinsed
2cupssalsause your favourite. Set ½ cup aside for the queso
Seasoning:
2tbspsmoked paprika
1tspcumin
2tspground coriander
1tsponion powder
2tsporegano
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4corn or flour tortillasto cover the bottom of your casserole
1cupvegan shredded cheese of choice
Queso:
1cupcashewssoaked for 30min in hot water or overnight in cold
½cupvegan yoghurt I used Greek
2tbspnutritional yeast
2tbspwater
½cupsalsa
¼ -1/2tspchili powderI like ancho chili, but use whatever you have and enjoy
½tspcumin
1tspsmoked paprika
1tbsppickled jalapenos
2tbsppickled jalapeno brine
1tspkosher salt
Toppings (Optional):
GuacamoleReady made or, to make yourself:
5avocadosmashed
2clovesgarlicminced
3limesjuice
1/2-1tspChili powder
Salt and pepperto taste
1cupVegan sour cream or Greek yoghurt
1Limezested and juiced
1headRomaine lettucechopped
2cupsCherry tomatoeshalved
3tbspCilantrochopped
1bunchSpring onionschopped
1bagtortilla chips
Instructions
Pre-cook lentils according to package instructions, leaving a bit of bite for texture.
Toast walnuts in a dry pan until fragrant. Set aside.
Fry mushrooms in batches until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Sauté onions and garlic until translucent. Add Mexican seasoning, sundried tomatoes, tomato paste, miso paste, nutritional yeast, and coconut aminos. Stir and heat through.
Combine garlic-onion-spice mix, fried mushrooms, walnuts, and cooked lentils in a food processor. Pulse until minced meat-like texture.
Transfer mix back to the pan and fry until browned. Add drained beans, sweetcorn, tomatoes from the can and 1 ½ cups salsa. Stir and heat through.
Lightly grease a casserole dish. Place quartered tortillas on the bottom, slightly overlapping.
Top with mushroom-bean mix.
For queso, blend all queso ingredients until smooth. Adjust seasoning.
Top casserole with vegan queso, sprinkle vegan cheese. Cover with foil, bake at 375°F/190°C for 15min, then uncover and bake for an additional 15min.
While baking, prepare toppings: guacamole, lime yogurt, romaine, spring onions, cherry tomatoes, and tortilla chips.
Serve casserole pieces with desired toppings. Enjoy the flavorsome vegan taco casserole!
Notes
Total for the Dish (excluding optional toppings) assuming 8 portions:Calories: Approximately 580 kcal
Protein: Around 22g
Carbohydrates: Roughly 73g
Fat: About 25g
Fiber: Around 17g
Sugar: Approximately 11g
Please note that these values are approximate and may vary based on the specific brands and types of ingredients you use. The queso portion is a rough estimate, and the optional toppings are not included in the total dish values.
Nutrition
Calories: 580kcal
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Taco Casserole
Amount per Serving
Calories
580
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword For Guests, Healthy, High Fibre, Low Calorie, meal prep, vegan, vegetables, Vegetarian
These Sourdough Buttermilk Protein Pancakes are my festive version of the all-time favourite breakfast. Super fluffy and tangy from the buttermilk and sourdough, yet lots of good nutrition from protein powder, whole wheat flour and eggs. They might be the perfect pancake!
And, since it’s the holidays, I’m serving them with homemade cranberry sauce topped with some extra indulgent Advocaat for a very grown up treat!
Why You Want to Make Them
Buttermilk and sourdough discard for flavour
Have you ever had buttermilk pancakes? If not, it’s about time!
Similar to buttermilk waffles, they are incredibly tender and flavourful. The tang of the sourdough emphasizes it and helps you use up your discard.
And what’s more: The calories are even lower than for the version without buttermilk!
Protein powder for extra nutrition
Same as in my original, buttermilk free pancakes, I’m using my favourite protein powder here to up the nutrition. This time I added the toasted marshmallow flavoured version, since that’s what I just had delivered and wanted to try out. It was a full success since it balanced the tangy buttermilk beautifully with its sweetness.
This is neither affiliated nor sponsored. Just the powder I found to taste best after trying a fair few. If you never found one you actually enjoy, give this one a try.
Indulgent topping
With it being the holidays, I was reminded of a very classic German cake we used to have around the season. It might be my all-time favourite German cake: An airy hazelnut-chocolate sponge, cranberry jam spread all over it, topped with whipped cream and crowned by a layer of Advocaat, just about contained by the whipped cream tufts around the edge of the cake. This is how it looks and it’s utterly delicious!
Let me know if you’d like to see a recipe for it here and I might come up with a slightly healthier version of it.
And while these pancakes have no cream or hazelnuts, the cranberry sauce and advocaat drizzled over made for a worthy breakfast reminder of it! Well….late breakfast. Not sure I can have advocaat early morning, but if you enjoy it, I’m certainly not judging!
The Ingredients
Sourdough discard – You could use active starter here if you’d like, but since it’s not left to ferment, this is a great place to use up your discard. It will add flavour and nutrition to your pancakes. Don’t worry about it being too sour. Just a gentle tang is coming through, adding complexity.
If you have no sourdough starter yet, here is how to make it. With its million uses, it’s one of the best things you can easily make at home with just water and flour. Plain white flour works fine.
Buttermilk – Apart from being delicious and giving your pancakes an extra light texture, buttermilk is great for digestion, has lots of calcium and even aids your immune system if you have some daily.
Flour – A mix of whole wheat flour and white flour gives the perfect balance of light and fluffy plus nutty flavour, fibre and better nutrition than just using plain white flour. During my weight loss journey I came to love whole wheat flour in nearly all of my baked goods. Partially because it keeps you fuller for longer, but again mainly for the added flavour. You can use other types of flour instead such as spelt. Or just use all white flour.
Protein powder – As mentioned above, I’m using MyProtein here, as I love the creamy consistency and flavours they offer. Use one that you enjoy having as a shake, and you’ll like it in the pancakes too. Ideal for this recipe are vanilla or similar flavours. Though, if you have something like chocolate or hazelnut, it might even serve as more of a reminder for the Cranberry-Advocaat cake. If you try it, let me know what you think.
Eggs – I upped the portion size of this recipe compared to the original Sourdough Protein Pancakes, as I love having some in the freezer for a super quick breakfast when toasted. Hence 2 eggs. The egg to pancake ratio is a little bit higher and I think it benefits the flavour. Plus of course more protein is always welcome.
Soy Milk – I’m using soy milk for its creamy texture and protein content. You could substitute with full fat cows’ milk if you want or any other full fat plant milk.
Coconut oil – Adding coconut oil gives these Sourdough Buttermilk Protein Pancakes a very subtle scent of coconut and a crispy crust. I also use some for frying them in. You could use melted and cooled butter instead, if you prefer the flavour.
Vanilla extract – The vanilla extract on top of the vanilla scent of the protein powder will spread a heavenly smell throughout your house and give the pancakes that extra special flavour. Don’t skip it.
Salt – Every sweet baked good needs a pinch of salt to bring out the flavours and balance the sweetness.
Cinnamon – This is optional but delicious, especially during the holiday season. You can leave it out if you prefer or even up the content if you like more cinnamon flavour. It goes particularly well with the cranberries.
Baking powder and soda – I’m using more baking soda than powder in this recipe, as it’s activated by the acidity of the buttermilk and adds the fluffiness to the pancakes.
Topping – Optional. For my extra special holiday breakfast, I’m using a home made Cranberry Sauce with Port and Clementines. You could use any leftover cranberry sauce, as long as it’s not seasoned with salt and pepper. Though…you do you of course.
As reminder of the above mentioned Cranberry-Advocaat cake, I’m topping the whole thing with Advocaat as a treat. If you have never tried it on your pancakes, you are missing out!
These Sourdough Buttermilk Protein Pancakes would be equally delicious with sliced banana, Nutella, and Advocaat. My all-time favourite pancake topping!
The Process
Mix the wet and protein
In a large mixing bowl or blender, combine the sourdough discard, buttermilk, soy milk, protein powder, eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Mix well until the ingredients are fully incorporated and no protein lumps are left.
Mix the wet with the dry
For the next step: You can prepare the batter the evening before, but if you do, leave out the baking powder and soda until the next morning, as it would lose some of its effectiveness overnight.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking powder and soda, and fine sea salt.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring gently with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing; a few lumps in the batter are fine.
Frying
Preheat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. If needed, lightly grease the surface with additional coconut oil.
Once the skillet is hot, pour approximately 1/4 cup of the pancake batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until bubbles start to form on the surface and it looks matte.
Carefully flip the pancakes with just a flip of your wrist, to avoid them sliding across the pan, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
If you’d like to keep the stack of pancakes warm while you fry the rest, keep them on a plate in your oven, set to the lowest temperature.
Serve
Serve the Sourdough Buttermilk Protein Pancakes stacked on a plate, topped with icing sugar if you like, cranberry sauce and Advocaat drizzled over for the grown up version.
Meal Prep
As most of my recipes, Sourdough Buttermilk Protein Pancakes are great for meal prep.
There is the fact that you can prepare the batter, except baking soda and powder, in the evening and it only gets better overnight.
Once fried, they freeze really well and can be heated through simply in the toaster. I like to keep them in portions in little bags or containers, so I can just grab a super quick and healthy breakfast, when I’m in a hurry.
Looking for other breakfasts with Protein?
Try this Apple Cinnamon Protein Oatmeal, bringing the flavours of German Christmas Market right onto your breakfast table.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share. It helps me a lot.
Sourdough Buttermilk Protein Pancakes
With Cranberries and Advocaat topping
These Sourdough Buttermilk Protein Pancakes are my festive version of the all-time favourite breakfast. Super fluffy and tangy from the buttermilk and sourdough, yet lots of good nutrition from protein powder, whole wheat flour and eggs. They might be the perfect pancake!
And, since it’s the holidays, I’m serving them with homemade cranberry sauce topped with some extra indulgent Advocaat for a very grown up treat!
In a large mixing bowl or blender, combine the sourdough discard, buttermilk, soy milk, protein powder, eggs, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Mix well until the ingredients are fully incorporated and no protein lumps are left.
Mix the Wet with the Dry:
In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt. If preparing the batter the evening before, leave out the baking powder and soda until the next morning.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring gently with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing; a few lumps in the batter are fine.
Frying:
Preheat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. If needed, lightly grease the surface with additional coconut oil.
Once the skillet is hot, pour approximately 1/4 cup of the pancake batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until bubbles start to form on the surface and it looks matte.
Carefully flip the pancakes with just a flip of your wrist, to avoid them sliding across the pan, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
If you’d like to keep the stack warm while you fry the rest, keep them on a plate in your oven, set to the lowest temperature.
Serve:
Serve stacked on a plate, topped with icing sugar if desired, and drizzle with cranberry sauce and Advocaat for the grown-up version.
Enjoy your delicious Sourdough Buttermilk Pancakes!
Notes
As most of my recipes, Sourdough Buttermilk Protein Pancakes are great for meal prep.
There is the fact that you can prepare the batter, except baking soda and powder, in the evening and it only gets better overnight.Once fried, they freeze really well and can be heated through simply in the toaster. I like to keep them in portions in little bags or containers, so I can just grab a super quick and healthy breakfast, when I’m in a hurry.The nutrition is calculated without toppings, as the nutrition would vary depending on what you use and how much of it.Calories: Approximately 100 kcal per serving
Protein: Around 4g
Carbohydrates: Roughly 15g
Fat: About 3g
Fiber: Around 2g
Sugar: Approximately 1g
Nutrition
Calories: 100kcal
Nutrition Facts
Sourdough Buttermilk Protein Pancakes
Amount per Serving
Calories
100
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This creamy Vegan Tom Kha Soup is a veggie packed Thai Coconut Soup with incredible flavours of lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and chili. Super easy to make and perfect for those colder days when all you want is a hot bowl of soup to curl up with. Each spoonful creates a party of spices in your mouth, while being soothing with creamy coconut at the same time.
Why You Want to Make This
The Vegan Version of Thai Coconut Soup
Not sure about you, but I always despised the typical chicken soup that was given to me when I had a cold. I felt it was plain, boring and did nothing to make me feel better. Quite the opposite.
Until I stumbled upon Tom Kha Soup. Or rather, back in time, Thai Coconut curry soup with chicken.
Though the chicken never felt quite right in it. I mean sure, I made a portion of it here too, for the meat eaters in my life, but the tofu captures the flavours and gentle bite so much better!
Fantastic for Fighting Colds
In general, the sodium in soups helps to sooth your sore throat, similar to gargling with salt water. The steam opens your nasal passages, helping you breathe.
Lots of vegetables add vitamins your body needs to heal, ginger and garlic may help with reducing the inflammation and fighting bacteria and viruses and of course add lots of flavour.
Easy to Make
Despite the fairly long ingredient list, this soup comes together in less than 1h, chopping included.
You could even use ready chopped garlic and grated ginger from jars, as I often do. The main seasoning comes in form of Thai Red Curry Paste, which most supermarkets offer these days.
Versatile
If, like me, you have meat eaters in your life, you can prepare one big pot of the base with the vegetables, then split in two and add chicken or even prawns to one half and Tofu to the other. Which is exactly what I did here, hence the chicken in the ingredient picture.
You can also vary the vegetables to your taste. I love using a large variety, as it covers my 5-a-day in one easy meal, but just throw in what you have in your fridge and enjoy.
The Ingredients
Thai Red Chili Paste – This is the basic flavour which makes this (together with Coconut milk) into the typical Tom Kha Soup. The great thing is, you can use it in lots of other Thai dishes too, like the stir fry version of this dish for example. Just use less liquid and more solids and bind with cornflour into a creamy sauce. Serve over rice and you have a great dinner.
The Chili paste keeps for ages in the fridge. Some come in a container with about a cup of the paste. Usually you need about 1 tbsp per large pot. Be careful with adding more, it gets very hot very fast. You can always add more towards the end if you like yours very spicy. I prefer my Coconut Thai Curry on the milder side, but you do you.
Coconut Milk – The other base ingredient for this soup is Coconut Milk. While there are 2 cans in the picture, I did add 3, as I found it a bit too spicy for my taste. The chili levels of the red curry pastes vary a little, so even though I’ve made this countless times over the years, I often have to adjust based on the brand I got.
I’m using both reduced fat and full fat coconut milk here. Both work fine. I would add at least one can full fat though, to achieve the perfect creaminess.
Miso Paste – To make this vegan, I swapped in white miso paste instead of the more typical fish sauce and loved the flavour of it. You could use vegan fish sauce if you prefer.
Tamari or Soy sauce – While I have both Tamaro and Soy sauce at home, I find myself reaching for the Tamari more often, as I feel it adds more complexity than the often extremely salty soy sauce. Use whatever you have on hand. Coconut Aminos work nicely too.
Rice Vinegar – I always have Rice vinegar around, but if you don’t replace with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar. The important part is to add acidity for balance.
Rice Wine or Mirin – This adds sweetness for the perfect balance between sweet, sour, hot and creamy.
Maple Syrup or Honey – I’m using Maple Syrup here. Not particularly traditional, but I love the complexity it brings to this soup. Adjust to your taste. I quite like a bit of sweetness to come through, reminding me of the absolutely amazing Tom Kha Chicken I had in a takeaway in Germany. We used to take the tram in Hanover for about 30 minutes just to get to this very particular place, which made the best Thai Food I ever had.
Lime Juice – A different source of acidity, tying in with the lemongrass and vinegar, creating layers of flavour. You could use lemon juice, but lime feels more authentic here.
Lemongrass – I always have a few stalks frozen for an emergency pot of this soup. Most supermarkets offer it these days in the veggie and herb section. It adds a lovely lemony scent, typical for Thai dishes. If you can’t find it, add some lime zest instead.
Dried Shiitake Mushrooms – These add depth to the broth very similar to the effect of porcini mushrooms (which you could use as replacement). If you have neither, leave them out or use some simple fresh sliced mushrooms, to add some more umami to your soup.
Garlic, ginger and spring onions – The flavour base for each Thai Curry. I used fresh here, but more often than not I use ready chopped garlic and grated ginger from a jar. They work just as well. The spring onions are used both for the base, being fried with the garlic and ginger and the green parts sprinkled over for freshness and crunch at the end.
Broth – While bone broth would be traditional here, I’m using a good vegetable broth. Sometimes homemade, sometimes the instant version.
Protein – My favourite protein for this soup yet is tofu. Where I find it often a little boring in stir fries, it soaks up all the flavourful broth here and has just the right texture to be comforting.
You could also use chicken pieces or even prawn. Just adjust the cook times accordingly.
Specific to the tofu: I press it in a tofu press for a few hours before cutting into cubes, to get rid of some of its inherent moisture, which gets then replaced with the flavourful broth when you add it.
Vegetables – You can use pretty much anything you have in the fridge. This is a great soup to use up odds and ends!
I particularly like carrots, zucchinis (courgette), mini sweetcorn, a can of sliced bamboo shoots and water chestnuts for their irresistible crunch. Pak Choy adds lovely greens and crunch from the stalks.
Others I used before and liked are mushrooms, red or white cabbage and spinach.
Cilantro – I love to add fresh herbs at the end, for that bright green touch and the added flavour. If you have the unfortunate “Cilantro tastes like soap” gene, feel free to use either parsley or even basil to sprinkle over.
I’d love to hear from you in the comments, if you come up with other delicious combinations.
The Process
Now despite the seemingly endless list of ingredients, this is really quick.
In your largest pot, add a bit of groundnut or olive oil. On medium heat, gently fry garlic, ginger, spring onions and chili paste until fragrant and softened.
Add stock, coconut milk, lemongrass, mushrooms with their liquid, miso, tamari, vinegar, rice wine or mirin, maple syrup and lime juice. Let everything come to a boil and have a taste. Add more seasoning, depending on your taste. It should have a nice balance between sweet, sour, salty and hot.
Once you are happy with the flavour, you can start adding the vegetables.
I usually add cubed tofu, carrots, sweetcorn, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and the firmer stalks of the pak choi first, let them soften and heat up a bit, before adding the zucchini and soft green pak choi leaves, to just wilt.
Serve in bowls with chopped herbs and the green parts of the spring onions on top, maybe some fresh lime wedges to squeeze over. Enjoy the heat spreading through your body and the flavours of Thailand transporting you into warmer regions.
Meal Prep
I often make a large pot of the Vegan Tom Kha Soup and only add the tofu and more crunchy veggies like carrots, before storing everything in the fridge, the remaining vegetables in separate containers. When I’m ready to eat, I just heat through the soup and add a few handfuls of the fresh vegetables, so it tastes like freshly made every day.
The soup keeps for about 4 days in the fridge.
To freeze, make just the soup without the vegetables and add fresh veggies whenever you like a bowl of it.
If you’d like some carbs with it, you could add cooked rice or noodles. I find it satisfying enough with the tofu and veggies, so I usually leave the carbs out.
Or maybe a chocolate dessert, to balance the lightness? My Protein Chocolate Mousse Pie gives you more protein, still fairly low calories, but tastes utterly decadent.
Please Comment
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Vegan Tom Kha Soup
This creamy Vegan Tom Kha Soup is a veggie packed Thai Coconut Soup with incredible flavours of lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and chili. Super easy to make and perfect for those colder days when all you want is a hot bowl of soup to curl up with. Each spoonful creates a party of spices in your mouth, while being soothing with creamy coconut at the same time.
1bunchspring onionssliced. Green parts put aside for topping. White used as base.
1tbspThai red curry paste
32ouncesvegetable stock1L
3cans13.5-ounce, coconut milk I used one low fat, two full fat
2stalkslemongrasssliced in large pieces, so you can fish them out later
¼cupdried shiitake mushroomssoaked in hot water for 15min
¼cupmiso pastewhite (Or optional fish sauce for non-vegans)
2tbsptamari
2tbsprice vinegar
¼cuprice wine
2tbsphoney or maple syrup
3limesjuiced to get about ¼ cup
1packfirm tofupressed and cubed
2courgetteshalved or quartered and sliced into bite sized pieces
2packsmini sweetcornchopped
2pak choiends removed, sliced into bite sized pieces
1canbamboo shootssliced
1canwater chestnutssliced
3carrotssliced
1bunchfresh cilantro leaveschopped
2tbspGroundnut or olive oil for frying
Instructions
In your largest pot, heat a bit of groundnut or olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic, ginger, sliced white parts of spring onions, and Thai red curry paste. Fry gently until fragrant and softened.
Add vegetable stock, coconut milk, lemongrass, soaked shiitake mushrooms with their liquid, miso paste, tamari, rice vinegar, rice wine, honey or maple syrup, and lime juice. Allow the mixture to come to a boil. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed to achieve a balance between sweet, sour, salty, and hot flavours.
Once you are satisfied with the flavour, start adding the vegetables. Add cubed tofu, sliced carrots, chopped sweetcorn, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and the firmer stalks of pak choi. Allow them to soften and heat up.
Finally, add the zucchini and the soft green pak choi leaves, letting them wilt slightly.
Serve the Vegan Tom Kha Soup in bowls, topping each serving with chopped fresh cilantro leaves and the green parts of the spring onions. Optionally, provide fresh lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the soup.
Enjoy the heat and flavours of Thailand transporting you into warmer regions!
Notes
The soup keeps for about 4 days in the fridge.To freeze, make just the soup without the vegetables and add fresh veggies whenever you like a bowl of it.If you’d like some carbs with it, you could add cooked rice or noodles. I find it satisfying enough with the tofu and veggies, so I usually leave the carbs out.8 servingsCalories: Approximately 360 kcal per serving
Protein: Around 10g
Carbohydrates: Roughly 30g
Fat: About 25g
Fiber: Around 6g
Sugar: Approximately 10g
Nutrition
Calories: 360kcal
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Tom Kha Soup
Amount per Serving
Calories
360
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
If you are looking for the perfect side dish to complement my Black Garlic Aioli Burgers, this Herbed Cashew Aioli Slaw is it. Crunchy white cabbage together with grated carrot, sweet, juicy apple, and a bit of onion for spice are smothered in a healthy cashew based Aioli with lots of fresh herbs and garlic. Light and refreshing, yet packs a punch in flavour, to stand up to the burger. Or any other main dish you have it with.
Why You Want to Make This
Healthy Aioli
If you are like me and absolutely adore Aioli, but are not particularly keen on the nutrition balance, this is for you. The Cashews replace the oil and eggs, making this vegan too and giving you a much better nutrition to calorie balance than the classic version.
Cashews are rich in fibre, protein and healthy fats, so they are a fantastic choice for weight loss.
When soaked and pureed in a high speed blender like the Nutribullet or Vitamix, they become super creamy, which is perfect for coating any vegetables in your salad.
Keeps Longer
The fact that there are no raw eggs in this Herbed Cashew Aioli means you can store it for up to a week in your fridge, without issues. It will thicken further during that time, so just add some more water to get it back to dressing consistency.
Vegetables made Delicious
One of my main ways to lose 70lb in a years was to eat lots and lots of vegetables. I’m not one for boring food, so of course I had to prepare them in ways that make me really want to eat them. This is one of them. Crunchy fresh shredded cabbage with carrot and apple and a delicious dressing is one of my favourite ways to get my cruciferous veggie hit, as I love it to much, I could eat it by the bowl full. The good news? I can with this one! The Herbed Cashew Aioli does make the calories shoot through the roof and gives plenty of flavour to this slaw. You won’t miss the mayo one bit.
Easy to Make
If you have a food processor, the slicing and grating will only take seconds. If you do it by hand, only a few minutes. The dressing is equally easy, as you just throw everything into your high speed blender and a few seconds later you will have a perfectly creamy dressing you can use in a million ways.
Note: You do need indeed a high speed blender like the Nutribullet or Vitamix to get the extra creamy consistency. I’ve tried a standard blender and food processor, but both leave some graininess. It’s not the end of the world, but not perfect either.
The Ingredients
The Slaw
Cabbage
You can use white or red or a mix of both here, which will make this even prettier. I just could not find any red in the supermarkets when I was planning to make this, so white it was. Which is nice too, as it shows the lovely green herbs in the Cashew Aioli.
Cabbage has, as all vegetables, lots of fibre and micronutrients to keep your body and gut healthy, which makes it generally a good idea to eat regularly.
Carrots
The same goes for carrots, which contain a lot of the important Vitamin A, which is great for your eyesight. Plus they add a lovely sweetness to coleslaw, so I always include them (and munch some one the side, because I just can’t resist a fresh carrot).
My 2 dogs usually come running as soon as they hear me peel a carrot, since they know that’s the one thing they can have treats from when I’m cooking. I’ve trained them to lie down for treats, so they basically run in and drop flat on the floor, to get their carrot pieces faster.
Apples
Again different micronutrients in apples, but also fibre and antioxidants, more so in the peel than the flesh. So I usually leave it on.
They will also add to the sweetness of this salad, which I love. Use any kind you like. Personally I enjoy Pink Lady, which are available in most supermarkets here and have a lovely balance between sweetness and acidity.
Onions
More veggies, more health benefits is always better.
But onions of any kind come with the flavour backbone for so many dishes, you’d miss out not adding them to this slaw. I like red, for their sweetness and intense flavour usually, but since I had none, I used shallots, which worked just fine.
The Herbed Cashew Aioli
Cashews
Cashews are the base for this Herbed Cashew Aioli, as the name suggests. They make a surprisingly creamy dressing when soaked in water and can easily replace mayonnaise in many recipes with just a few flavour additions.
Raisins
I’ve learned the handy trick of adding raisins instead of sugar in an episode of the Whole Food Plant Based Cooking Show and have not looked back since, I like it so much.
If, like me, you enjoy your dressings with a bit of sweetness, this is a much healthier way to include it than highly processed sugar, as raisins still come with fibre and nutrients, which sugar does not. They also add a much more complex flavour than just sugar to the dressing, which is an added benefit.
Herbs
Again, really good for you, herbs generally elevate any dish from good to great by adding tons of flavour.
I’m using a mix of fresh Dill, Parsley, Cilantro and Basil here, as that’s what I usually have at home and enjoy. You can experiment with any soft herbs you find, they will all be lovely.
Fresh Garlic
The basic version of Aioli is simply fresh garlic mashed with lots of olive oil and a bit of salt. It has evolved into the more mayonnaise type over time and is these days often used for any mayonnaise with flavourings in the US. To me, having tried Garlic mayo first and fallen in love with it, it will always be a version of that, hence the addition here.
It’s what pulls together this coleslaw and my Black Garlic Aioli Burger and allows it to stand up to and support its strong flavours.
Lemon Juice
Any Aioli or dressing for that matter needs acidity to balance the fats. I chose lemon juice here, as I just love the flavour it brings together with the herbs. If you don’t have any, use white wine vinegar instead.
Dijon Mustard
Mustard is such an essential component of any mayonnaise (even nut based), it would taste bland without it. It adds sharpness, spice and that little something, to bring it all together.
Liquid Aminos
Liquid Aminos are a secret weapon for any nut based dressings I found. They add saltiness and a good hit of umami, which just makes them utterly moreish.
If you don’t have any, replace with soy or Tamari sauce, though you might have to adjust the amount of raisins, as aminos are slightly sweeter than the other two.
The Process
The Herbed Cashew Aioli
Soak your cashews in just boiled water for about 30 minutes or in cold water overnight.
Drain and add to your high speed blender together with the remaining ingredients for the dressing.
Blend until very creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Add some water if your Aioli is too thick to suit a coleslaw, but be mindful, as the slaw itself contains water too, which will mix with it.
Assemble
In a large bowl combine your shredded cabbage, grated carrots, sliced apples and onions with your Herbed Cashew Aioli. Mix well and chill for at least an hour, so the flavours can meld and seep through the slaw.
Enjoy as snack or as side with your favourite meals. It goes with anything from Burgers to BBQ that can use a bit of fresh, garlicky-herb crunch on the side.
Or add it to other salads, to up your veggie intake in the best way possible.
Meal Prep
This Herbed Cashew Aioli Slaw keeps in a lidded container the fridge for about 4 days and only gets better while sitting. I love to make it on my weekend, to have some fresh side dish with every meal during my work week.
It’s great to take to a summer BBQ too, as there are no eggs that could spoil in the heat.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Herbed Cashew Aioli Slaw
If you are looking for the perfect side dish to complement my Black Garlic Aioli Burgers, this Herbed Cashew Aioli Slaw is it. Crunchy white cabbage together with grated carrot, sweet, juicy apple, and a bit of onion for spice are smothered in a healthy cashew based Aioli with lots of fresh herbs and garlic. Light and refreshing, yet packs a punch in flavour, to stand up to the burger. Or any other main dish you have it with.
½white cabbageor a mix of red and white, finely shredded
2carrotsgrated
2applesfinely sliced
1onionfinely sliced
Herbed Cashew Aioli
½cupcashews
2tbspraisins Try 1 tbsp first if you prefer your dressing on the more savoury side.
½tsponion powder
2tbspfresh dill
2tbspfresh Parsley
2tbspfresh cilantro
2tbspfresh basil
2clovesfresh garlic
2tbsplemon juice
2tspDijon mustard
1tbspliquid aminos or Tamari or soy sauce. Liquid Aminos are slightly sweeterso you might have to adjust the seasoning if you are using one of the other options
½cupwater
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Herbed Cashew Aioli:
Soak cashews in just boiled water for about 30 minutes or in cold water overnight.
Drain cashews and add them to a high-speed blender along with raisins, onion powder, fresh dill, parsley, cilantro, basil, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, liquid aminos (or Tamari or soy sauce), water, salt, and pepper.
Blend until the mixture is creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add water if the aioli is too thick, considering that the slaw contains water as well.
Assembling the Slaw:
In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbage, grated carrots, sliced apples, and onions.
Pour the Herbed Cashew Aioli over the vegetables.
Mix the slaw thoroughly to ensure all the vegetables are coated with the aioli.
Chill the slaw in the refrigerator for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld and permeate through the slaw.
Serving:
Enjoy the Herbed Cashew Aioli Slaw as a snack or a side dish with your favorite meals. It pairs well with anything from burgers to BBQ, providing a fresh, garlicky-herb crunch on the side.
Alternatively, use it as a topping for other salads to enhance your veggie intake in a delightful way.
Notes
Note: Feel free to adjust the quantities of herbs, spices, and other ingredients according to your taste preferences.This Herbed Cashew Aioli Slaw keeps in a lidded container the fridge for about 4 days and only gets better while sitting. I love to make it on my weekend, to have some fresh side dish with every meal during my work week.6 PortionsSlaw (Per Portion):Calories: Approximately 104 calories
Protein: Approximately 2 grams
Carbohydrates: Approximately 26 grams
Fat: Approximately 0.5 grams
Sodium: Approximately 35 milligrams
Herbed Cashew Aioli (Per Portion):Calories: Approximately 121 calories
Protein: Approximately 3 grams
Carbohydrates: Approximately 8 grams
Fat: Approximately 9 grams
Sodium: Approximately 229 milligrams
Now, let's add them together:Total Slaw with Herbed Cashew Aioli (Per Portion):Calories: Approximately 225 calories
Protein: Approximately 5 grams
Carbohydrates: Approximately 34 grams
Fat: Approximately 9.5 grams
Sodium: Approximately 264 milligrams
Nutrition
Calories: 225kcal
Nutrition Facts
Herbed Cashew Aioli Slaw
Amount per Serving
Calories
225
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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