These vege chips are delicious fresh from the oven, I sometimes toss them through a salad for a crispy texture or as a replacement for corn chips in a Mexican meal, but mostly they are eaten on their own with homemade aioli. You could use different root veges to the ones I have used here — the three different colours look gorgeous together but if I had to pick one flavour-wise, parsnip would top the list.
The first time I tested this I ended up with some very charred unrecognisable chips. Learn from my mistake and set a timer, as these chips go from perfectly cooked to charred in moments. Aioli is a staple in our house. We have three different types in rotation: avocado aioli, cashew aioli and a more recent addition, aquafaba aioli, that I make when we have chickpea water around.
Aquafaba is the latest craze in vegan cooking, most notably for the way it can be whipped into fluffy peaks like egg whites. It’s the liquid you have left over after cooking chickpeas (other legumes work as well, but chickpea is the most readily tested and used) or the liquid you find in a tin of chickpeas. It makes a beautiful thick aioli that is hard to tell apart from a regular one.
For the chips
| 2 | Parsnips (Main) |
| 2 | Beetroot (Main) |
| 2 | Carrots (Main) |
| 3 Tbsp | Olive oil, or use melted coconut oil |
| ¼ tsp | Sea salt, add more to taste |
| 3 sprigs | Rosemary, or thyme |
For the aquafaba aioli
| 1 Tbsp | Apple cider vinegar |
| 1 Tbsp | Lemon juice |
| 1 clove | Garlic, peeled |
| ¼ tsp | Sea salt |
| 3 Tbsp | Chickpea brine, use up to 4 Tbsp, or use white bean water/brine, at room temperature (Main) |
| 1 tsp | Mustard, optional |
| 1 pinch | Volcanic black salt, optional |
| ¾ cup | Cold pressed oil, choose a mild flavoured one, eg. olive, sunflower or safflower oil (see notes below) (Main) |
| ½ Tbsp | Water |
Directions
To make the chips
- Heat the oven to 200C.
- Wash your veges really well — I chose not to peel them as the veges I was using were really fresh with thin skins, so a good scrub was enough. You could peel them if you prefer or if the skins are dirty or hardy.
- Using a mandolin or very sharp knife slice into 2-3mm thick slices.
- Line two large baking trays with baking paper — if you have a smaller oven you may need to do this in two batches. Place the vege slices on the baking paper, making sure they don't overlap. Drizzle with your choice of oil, and sprinkle with salt.
- Place in the preheated oven and set a timer for 15 minutes. At 15 minutes take the chips out and turn each one over (this isn't essential but will give a better result). Add in the rosemary sprigs and return to the oven for a further 5-15 minutes, checking every few minutes to see how brown they are getting. If you are using different veges some will brown faster than others — take out any chips that are browning and return the rest to the oven until they are done.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes — the chips will crisp up a little more as they sit. Serve fresh, with aquafaba aioli.
To make the vegan aioli
- Place all ingredients except oil and water in a blender. Give it a little pulse to blend the ingredients, then — keeping the speed low — very slowly add oil until it's all been absorbed and the aioli has changed colour and consistency.
- It should be quite thick, and white or slightly yellow (depending on your oil). If it's too thick, blend in a little water. Add mustard and volcanic salt, if using. Store in the fridge for at least one week in a jar.
Megan recommends
- Some olive oils will be too bitter for this recipe — you need a mild, neutral tasting one that has buttery notes rather than grassy ones.
- If you cook your own chickpeas for the aquafaba, make sure the liquid has reasonable viscosity to it (similar to egg white). If it's too thin it won't work; you can always reduce it down on the stove top if it's not thick enough. Tinned chickpea water/brine usually works consistently well.
- When making this aioli, all the ingredients should be at room temperature.
- You could flavour your chips at the 15-minute mark with a sprinkle of turmeric or smoked paprika for some extra flavour.
