Recipe: Strawberry Atole (Vegan, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Soy Free Optional)

 

Atole is a thick, sweet drink--almost a porridge--made from masa harina. I am not Mexican, so I only found that atole was amazing and delicious through the magic of the internet, but once I did, I was hooked. As I explored, I found a lot of recipes for strawberry atole, but none were quite right for me. Most used corn starch rather than masa harina, and a lot of them weren't vegan. Many made huge pots and I don't need that. So I made my own recipe for two servings.

You can make this sweeter if you want, though I prefer it to be not too sweet. If you like a more traditionally sweet atole, use the bigger amount of brown sugar.

Use whatever plant milk you want. I used soy, but there are a ton of options out there. Find whatever one suits your needs!

Strawberry Atole
Serves: 2

1 1/2 cups quartered strawberries
2-4 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons masa harina
3/4 cup plant-based milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Stir strawberries and 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar together in a small bowl. Set aside to allow to macerate. If you have time, you can leave this for about half an hour or more, but no big deal if you don't have the time.

In a small saucepan, mix water and masa harina until smooth, then pour in plant-based milk and the rest of the brown sugar. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Using an immersion blender or a small "bullet" style blender, blitz the strawberry and sugar mixture until smooth. Strain into the simmering masa harina mixture, stir well, and simmer on low for another 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Divide into mugs and enjoy!