Vegan Desserts
Vegan Tapioca Pudding

Vanilla Tapioca Pudding
Smooth, luscious, vanilla speckled tapioca is my favorite pudding. The texture of the slippery tapioca pearls always fascinated me as a child... it looked like frog's eggs!

Tapioca is harvested from the cassava plant and contains properties that some research scientists believe helps prevent and cure cancer. Wouldn't it be wonderful to eat something that not only tastes good, but is good for you! I made this for my mother during her struggle with cancer... but it didn't cure her. Regardless, she loved it and was one of the things that tasted good during her last months.

Vegan Vanilla Tapioca Pudding

Ingredients
3 cups Vanilla Silk Soy Milk, Almond Milk, Rice Milk or Lite Coconut Milk
1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Small Pearl Tapioca
1 cup water
1/8 t salt
1 teaspoon Trader Joe's Vanilla Paste or Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup granulated white sugar

Tools
heavy bottomed & deep saucepan
long silicon spatula or wooden spoon
measuring cups
measuring spoons
bowl for soaking tapioca pearls

Preparation
The Tapioca Pearls
Let's talk about where to buy tapioca... I like the taste of Bob's Red Mill Small Pearl Tapioca the BEST. The flavor is always great. But you can find tapioca in Asian markets in various sizes. Try making these other types to experience the differences.

The tapioca pearls need to be soaked in WATER before cooking, no matter what brand or size that you choose.

HINT: For a flavor alternative, try using a lite coconut milk, instead of soy, almond or rice milk and see if you like the coconut taste... a teaspoon of real coconut extract will beef up the aroma instead of using pure vanilla extract.

Trader Joe's has a canned lite coconut milk without any preservatives or additives. If you buy coconut milk, make sure it only has coconut milk and NO added chemical ingredients that are bad for your health.

Soak The Tapioca The Night Before Cooking
In the evening, after cleaning up from the evening meal, I measure out the tapioca pearls and put them in a bowl with the water. This hydration of the tapioca pearls must be done before you begin cooking, otherwise the pearls take forever to turn translucent... the tapioca is not thoroughly cooked if the pearls are white. If you forget to do this soaking the night before, you could soak them for an hour and then proceed cooking them.Tapioca Pearls Rehydrated In Water

Cooking The Tapioca Pearls
Place the water saturated tapioca pearls into a heavy bottomed saucepan.

Add the vanilla soy milk, salt and sugar.Cook The Tapioca In Soymilk, Salt & Sugar

Over low heat, stir frequently for 15 minutes, or until tapioca is completely translucent.The Tapioca Pearls Will Be Translucent When Done

Once the tapioca is fully cooked, remove from the heat and add the vanilla... stirring in completely.

Serving The Tapioca
Pour into individual custard cups or into a large bowl. If you have children who take lunches to school, pour single servings into small plastic containers... do not cover the dishes until the tapioca has cooled completely.

Cover and refrigerate.Use Custard Cups Or Ramekins For Individual Servings

Presentation
Tapioca can be eaten hot or cold...

Fresh fruits like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are a favorite accompaniment with this dessert.

SoyaToo, Whipped Topping
For those who loved whipped cream, I just tried a new whipped soy topping, SoyaToo, on top of my tapioca! It tasted good and made a great presentation. It deflates soon, so put the SoyaToo on just before serving. It's in the refrigeration case at Whole Foods... ask your health food store to carry it if they don't have it in stock. I understand that it comes in an aseptic box like tofu and soy milk and you can whip it yourself... I haven't tried that yet, but will write about it when I do.