Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 (15-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk

3/4 cup agave nectar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 vanilla bean, split

2 cups fresh organic strawberries, hulled and quartered

Instructions

1. Vigorously shake cans of coconut milk before opening. Scoop out 1/2 cup of coconut milk and set it aside.
2. Combine remaining coconut milk, agave, and salt in a saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, whisk reserved 1/2 cup coconut milk with cornstarch. Gradually add to the warm coconut milk mixture.
4. Scrape vanilla bean into the saucepan (including the pod). Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Do not to allow the mixture to boil.
5. Remove mixture from heat, discard vanilla bean pod, and pour into a separate bowl to cool. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours.
6. Meanwhile, mash strawberries in a medium saucepan and bring to a low boil.
7. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the berries become very juicy.
8. Remove from the heat, and use an immersion blender to break up any large chunks. Set aside.
9. Churn the coconut ice cream base in an ice cream machine following the manufacturer’s instructions. When thickened to a soft-serve ice cream consistency, slowly ladle in strawberry sauce with ice cream machine running.
10. Spread ice cream into a baking pan and freeze for a few hours (or overnight) until firmed up completely.
11. Serve with fresh strawberries.