Vegetable Butter - Preparation And Use In Cooking

2023 Author: Lynn Laird | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:49

Looking for a healthy alternative to traditional butter and vegetable margarine, usually packed with palm oil? You have come to the right place, because today, the editorial staff of Deavita.fr will focus on vegetable butter. Preparation, health benefits and use in cooking, we give you everything on the subject!

Vegetable butter in the kitchen: our complete decryption

Easy and quick to prepare at home, vegan butter is certainly healthier than commercial animal butter. Made from quality oils, it is an excellent source of minerals and essential fatty acids that the human body cannot manufacture on its own, but which it needs to function. Its biggest advantage? It is very easy and quick to prepare at home! You can therefore make it from a few small ingredients, probably available at home, and in just 5 minutes.

Cooking vegan with vegetable butter

In terms of use, vegan favorite butter is used just like butter from animal proteins. It is therefore a superb base for preparing smoothies without milk, creamy soups, raw vegetables, mixed salads, avocado toast and desserts. It also goes very well with crème fraîche for the preparation of gourmet sauces to accompany your pasta, potatoes or roasted chicken thighs.

Homemade cashew butter - the basic recipe

Making your own vegan butter from cashews, almonds or peanuts is a snap. Demonstration with our extremely simple recipe made with cashew nuts and ingredients that you probably have at home!

Ingredients for 280 g of vegetable butter:

• 100 g cashew nuts
• 70 ml of water at room temperature
• 100g coconut oil
• 1 C. tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of turmeric (optional)

Preparation:

Soak the cashews in water the night before and let them sit overnight. The next day, discard the soaking water, put the nuts in the blender and pour in the 70 ml of water. Neutral water at room temperature is the key to a smooth, non-oily texture. Mix until you get a puree. Melt the coconut oil and add it along with the olive oil, salt and turmeric to the blender. Mix again until you get a creamy consistency. Finally, pour the preparation into an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator for a few hours.

All our tips for a soft and creamy vegetable butter

As already mentioned, you can substitute cashews with peanuts, almonds or pistachios. The only condition? Remove their outer covering after soaking them in cold water for 12 hours. This will make your vegan butter even sweeter. For a more full-bodied and colorful preparation, you can obviously use the walnuts with their skin on. Don't hesitate to combine roasted seeds with plain seeds for an even more pleasant flavor. For this purpose, toast your nuts for 5 to 7 minutes in the oven, stirring regularly. Before placing them in the blender, let them cool, remove their film and rub them vigorously between your hands.

When it comes to materials, all you need is a powerful robot equipped with a chopping knife. To avoid overheating your blender motor, take short breaks between blends.

How to personalize your vegetable butter?

The secret behind the exquisite taste of vegetable butter lies in the aromas used. Just like plant-based cheese, which we told you about a while ago, vegan nut-based butter is a delicacy that you can endlessly customize. By combining several different seeds, you improve the flavor and texture of the product, while balancing your own nutritional intake. You can also flavor it with a few small ingredients, such as salt, lemon (or orange) zest, turmeric, lemon, lavender or mandarin essential oil (1 drop), Espelette pepper, cinnamon or white pepper. A few drops of vanilla extract or a pinch of brown sugar are also great for developing the aromas of your homemade butter.

Vegan peanut butter

Although it looks greasy and too high in calories, peanut butter is an important source of fiber and protein for your body. In addition, it is also very beneficial for your little four-legged friends, which explains its strong presence in cake recipes for dogs and cats. Unfortunately, store-bought peanut butter is often made from roasted seeds, palm oil, and sugar. The alternative ? Prepare it yourself using the following ingredients:

• 450 g roasted unsalted peanuts
• 2 tbsp. tablespoons of sunflower oil
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 C. tablespoons of brown sugar
• natural vanilla extract

Preparation:

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of your blender, mix several times and your vegetable butter is ready! Let it sit overnight in the fridge and enjoy! It is best to consume it within two weeks of making it.

Pistachio nut butter

Ingredients:

• 250 g raw pistachios
• 120 g sugar
• 35 ml of water at room temperature
• 60 g ground almonds
• 1 C. oil soup
• 2-3 drops of bitter almond extract

Preparation:

Toast the pistachios, shelled beforehand, for 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 150 degrees C and pour them into a salad bowl. In a saucepan, mix the sugar and water until the resulting syrup reaches a temperature of 121 degrees C. Pour it over the pistachio nuts and let it cool. In the blender, put the vegetable oil, the almond powder and the bitter almond extract. Mix little by little, taking pauses so as not to overheat the robot. Once the butter is obtained, transfer it to an airtight container and keep it cool.