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What are some interesting dishes that substitute eggs whites with aquafaba? How does the use of it affect the texture and taste? Is it healthier?

Ask Me Anything (Office Half Hour)

Char Nolan - Ask Me Anything (Office Half Hour)

Recorded

This event was on November 18, 2025

Join Chef Char Nolan in her virtual office as she welcomes all of your questions. This event was created for you and we encourage you to ask anything – from cooking techniques to course-specific questions, to how to turn your cooking passion into profit or simply hearing the perspective of a professional chef, Chef Nolan is ready to answer them all.

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Question

Robert Kerr

What are some interesting dishes that substitute eggs whites with aquafaba? How does the use of it affect the texture and taste? Is it healthier?

Answer

Aquafaba works just about everywhere. Whether you're making, um, plant-based meatballs or you're making a a lentil loaf or you're making anything where you want things to stick together, instead of using flax meal, you can use the aquafaba. I personally like to whip it up a little bit. I have made a stiff aquafaba and then used it to make the tula salad that we have in our curriculum, and it adds a whole different texture. The flavor is still good, so you might wanna try that. I say be one who experiments in their own kitchen to enjoy learning new things firsthand, because sometimes that's the best way to learn a new technique. And if you, you, I think you know that you can always come here or always ask one of our other instructors about something, but try, I suggest to try the Tunas salad and you'll see a huge difference. It'll taste really, really good.

Char Nolan

Chef Instructor

Char Nolan is a serious crusader for plant-based education, armed with a degree in public health from Philadelphia’s Temple University. She teaches nutrition and plant-based cooking throughout Philadelphia, and in many underserved communities. Char holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from eCornell and completed Rouxbe’s Plant-Based Professional Certification course in 2015. In 2019, Char completed post-graduate course work in social media marketing at the University of the Arts. When she is not cooking or teaching, she manages social media accounts for several plant-based influencers. Char prides herself on learning everything she knows about cooking from growing up in her grandparents’ Italian restaurant. Her favorite vegetables are Brussels sprouts and kale, of course. Char originally hails from Queens, NY, but has lived in Philadelphia most of her adult life. She is a former Peace Corps Volunteer.