This one thing cannot be missing on the table during any family birthday party – an aspic! Otherwise just savory jelly. A thing I didn’t like when I was a child, but started to love it when I got old. Usually in my family it is made in two ways – with boiled meat or with a ham roll filled with horseradish or potato salad.
It turns out that this dish is very easy to make in a vegan version without losing the flavor or texture of the jelly. In every supermarket you will find gelatin equivalents made from vegetable ingredients (agar, xanthan, etc.). Each of them has a slightly different vegetable broth ratio, so I recommend reading the instructions on the back of the package before you buy it.
The ingredients should also be chopped in advance to have everything prepared before pouring the jelly on them.
AGAR – I have tried several different gelatin substitutes and this is definitely my favorite. It holds it’s shape very well, does not melt or “sweat” and freezes very quickly in the refrigerator.
TOFU – smoked or marinated is perfect here, as natural tofu has not much flavor itself. If you try to marinate it, the marinade will eventually blend with the whole jelly flavor. So I recommend well-smoked tofu here.
INGREDIENTS
- 2x packets of agar or xanthan
- about 1L of broth
- 1 can of corn
- 1 can of peas
- 1 cooked carrot
- radish
- 1 red pepper
- 1 tofu (preferably smoked)
- 2 pickles
- parsley
- vegan ham (optional)
VEGETABLE ASPIC – PREPARATION
- First, we prepare dishes in which we want to have our jellies shaped. A form for making bread, cakes and small bowls will be great.
- We cut vegetables and tofu according to our preferences and put them in the dishes. In the pictures you can see how I cut them, but the shape of your veggies is totally up to you.
- We prepare agar or xanthan as described on the package. You have to remember to pour a strong broth instead of water, then the taste of jelly will be much better.
- Put the jelly in the fridge for a few hours to let it cool. Then we serve it to our guests as a party snack.
When making the aspic, do you cook the veggies first or are they raw? Can I substitute veggies?
Hi Susan, it all depends which veggies you use, ie. I cook carrots but I use canned peas and corn, also I prefer raw bell pepper in it. You can substitute your veggies depending on what you like the most. If you choose rather root vegetables (celeriac, parsnip etc.) I would cook them so before so they’re nice and soft 🙂