Background. Aquafaba, a liquid remaining after the thermal processing of chickpeas, is commonly used as an egg substitute. This enables the creation of vegan products within a zero-waste approach, while maintaining desirable physicochemical and sensory properties of the final food product. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of chicory inulin addition in a meringue formulation prepared with aquafaba. Physicochemical, structural, microbiological and sensory characteristics of vegan meringues were compared with those of traditional meringues made with hen eggs. Foam stability and volume  generated during aquafaba whipping were evaluated, while the finished products were assessed for basic chemical composition, instrumental color and texture parameters, water activity, sensory profile and microbiological quality.
Results and conclusions. The study demonstrated that meringues prepared with aquafaba exhibited a lighter color compared with their egg-based counterparts and contained up to six times less protein, while showing similar levels of available carbohydrates. A sensory analysis revealed that the vegan meringues were characterized by a milder flavor, whereas the egg-based variants received higher scores for  meringue-like‖ flavor and sweetness. The addition of inulin had a beneficial effect on structural stability, hardness and pore uniformity in the product. No aerobic bacteria or Enterobacteriaceae were detected in the products during storage; low moisture content and low water activity (< 0.30) ensured microbiological safety of the product. Overall, the findings indicate that combining aquafaba with inulin offers a novel technological solution aligned with current trends in plant-based food. Aquafaba-based meringues enriched with inulin are sensorially acceptable and exhibit appropriate structure, as well as desirable  hysicochemical properties.