Don't Throw Away Tofu Water – You Can Use It To Make Meringue

If you have leftover tofu water (and a sweet tooth), there's no need to toss the liquid. According to Stephen Chavez, senior chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in Los Angeles, you can add a couple extra steps to transform this water into a perfect, vegan meringue!

Chavez told Food Republic that, much like using chickpea water as an egg white substitute, you should always start by reducing the liquid by half to create the ideal protein-water ratio that gives your meringue some structural support. After that, he said the process is similar to making meringue with egg whites. "Begin by whipping the (reduced) tofu liquid until frothy, then rain in your sugar slowly until the desired peak is reached," he explained. "Once you have a meringue, you can use it as you would any whipped egg: as a rising agent for cake, or baked by itself for crispy meringue items such as Pavlova."

Chavez also said it's easier to make both pavlova and meringue when the liquid is slightly warm, rather than cold, so let your reduced tofu water stay at room temperature instead of resting in the fridge. By taking advantage of Chavez's tricks and tips, you'll get a result that's almost identical to a typical egg white meringue. While there'll be some slight variations, you might actually be able to use some clever planning and ingredient pairings to create a truly unique dessert!

Depending on your recipe, the differences between a tofu and egg white meringue are fairly negligible. However, Stephen Chavez said that, as far as texture goes, you may notice some differences. "Nothing will whip up as airy and stable as egg whites for a meringue; however, if you are looking for a vegan option, most often you would use chickpea aquafaba, but tofu water aquafaba can also be a usable substitute."

Much like how cream of tartar can help make stabilized whipped cream, a quarter teaspoon of the powder helps support the structure of a meringue using water from a 450-gram pack of tofu. This is especially important for pavlova as it needs all the support it can get to create a crispy exterior with a marshmallow-esque interior. While not strictly necessary in all meringue recipes, cream of tartar is sort of like an insurance policy that broadens your window of success, so you don't have to worry too much about over- or under-whipping your product.

Chavez said that you shouldn't notice too much of a taste difference when using a tofu meringue, but that it will have a very slight soy flavor. Particularly flavorful recipes, like ones using coconut milk, overpower this flavor to the point that you won't notice it at all. However, if you're working with a more delicate flavor profile, try using this to your advantage. Crushed nuts, toasted soybean powder, or dried flowers all pair beautifully with soy without hogging the spotlight.