Simple Soy Swaps for Everyday Cooking
Want to honor your roots and support your health?
Me too! These easy nutrition upgrades for your favorite family recipes can make a big difference.
How could I have lived almost 70 years and never learned how to use soy as a kitchen staple?
Probably because there were no food commercials about soybeans. Soy milk, soybeans, and tofu were not in any of my favorite cookbooks either. My mother did not use soy staples, so I didn’t either.
We were clueless about the nutritional value of soy.
Soybean is an ancient food; historically, referred to as “the meat of the field.” I did wonder sometimes; Why does it seem like soy is in every processed food?
So, I did some checking.
Food manufacturers add soy to food products for three primary reasons:
To increase the nutritional profile of the product. In addition to protein, soy is nutrient-dense and high in fiber.
Because of soy’s healthy oil profile. Soy is an excellent, low-cost binder/emulsifier for use in baked foods.
Soy has no cholesterol. The neutral flavor of a soybean allows it to complement a range of recipes, making it very versatile.
What does this mean to home chefs like you and me?
We can add soybeans to our traditional family recipes without all the processing. Creating a healthier plate has never been easier.
Maximize Nutrition with Smart Soy Swaps
Have fun in the kitchen by trying “soy swaps.” Replacing dairy or meat with soy can cut saturated fat and cholesterol while boosting the overall nutritional value of your meals.
April is National Soy Nutrition Month.
Serving size = 1 ounce.
Do the math and enjoy the results!
~Karen
Try these easy soy swaps!
Some standard soy swaps that I use in my kitchen include:
Roasted soy nuts.
Soy Nut Butter. You can make it yourself or purchase WowButter (a popular brand in many stores).
Dry soybeans (yellow and black).
Unsweetened, shelf-stable soy milk (good up to 6 months before opening – check your food label).
Tofu (keeps it in your freezer for months before opening).
Roasted Soy Nuts: How nutty is this?
Roasted soybeans pack more than twice the protein of the most popular roasted nuts, making them a powerful, plant-based snack.
Roasted soy nuts can be purchased or made at home in an air-fryer. Soy nuts are shelf stable for 5-6 months in an air-tight container with a controlled temperature between 65-75 degrees.
Recipe LINKS:
Soy Nut Butter
There is a reason it is called WOWButter. Soy nut butter is great for snacks on the run, a high-protein meal option, and for baking. The nutritional comparison of roasted soy nuts to peanuts and tree nuts provides key information to consider when selecting a nut butter that provides the biggest nutritional punch. If WOWButter is not in your grocery store yet consider asking for it.
Dry Soybeans: How do your beans stack up?
(Serving Size = 90 grams or ½ cup boiled)
Is this for real? Yes, it is.
Dry soybeans can be cooked, rinsed, and frozen for convenience. Soybean’s high protein composition means that they freeze great (unlike high-starch beans).
Cook soybeans in an Instant Pot and freeze in small plastic bags or other airtight containers for up to 3 months. Pre-cooking and freezing soybeans is a “go to” hack for convenience, allowing home cooks to easily add whole soybeans to vegetable soup, tortilla soup, black soybean salsa, enchiladas, and a range of other appetizers, entrees, and side dishes.
Recipe LINKS:
Unsweetened Soy Milk (shelf-stable)
How can soy milk be shelf-stable?
It is simple. Pasteurization.
What does this mean to you? Convenience and a product that works great over cereal as well as for baking.
Need just a little buttermilk?
All that is required is a tablespoon of lemon juice and soy milk. Pour one tablespoon of lemon juice into a measuring cup and fill up to one cup with soymilk. Stir gently to blend and leave for 5-10 minutes. It is easy.
Check this out for yourself!
Recipe LINKS:
Tofu: This might be your new best friend in the fridge.
I know it is a white blob. (Kinda like cream cheese, sour cream, and ricotta, but better).
Not long ago, I swore I would never eat it. Then I learned more about this inexpensive, high-quality, minimally processed soy product that can be used to whip up sour cream, cream cheese, and ricotta (at a fraction of the cost of store-bought plant-based cheeses).
Soy ricotta is the recipe of the month. While you are at it, check out the linked soy sour cream and cream cheese recipes as well (below).
Did I mention the nutritional value of cheeses made with soy?
Oh, my Tofu! Nutritional Comparison.
Can you see the difference?
The nutritional bottom line.
Perfect for dairy-free lasagna!
I’ve tested a bunch of soy ricotta recipes, but I always come back to this simple one. It’s perfect for Greek salads, lasagna, manicotti, or pizza.
Tofu ricotta can be creamy or crumbly, depending on the recipe. Some recipes include herbs like oregano or parsley for an Italian flavor. Soy ricotta bakes well and freezes up to 3 months.
The “store-bought” plant-based ricotta was very white and dry (see below, lower right). It was pricy and performed no better than the homemade low-cost recipes whipped up in my kitchen.
Experiment with inexpensive, high-protein, plant-based ricotta in your next family recipe.
Prep Time: 5 minutes.
Total Time: 10 minutes.
Plant-based ricotta.
INGREDIENTS:
14 ounces of firm tofu, drained and patted dry with paper towels.
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
2 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice
1 Tablespoon of Nutritional Yeast flakes
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon of pepper
Directions:
Step 1: Get your ingredients ready.
Drain and pat/squeeze tofu dry.
Break tofu into chunks and place in food processor.
Peel and mince garlic and add to food processor.
Step 2: Add the remainder of ingredients into the processor and pulse until combined.
Add lemon juice, nutritional yeast, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Pulse in food processor until blended but still a bit chunky.
Step 3: Decide how you want to use your home-made ricotta! Enjoy!
May I suggest . . .
Our Soylicious greek salad recipe. It’s fresh, tangy, and loaded with crunch!
Get the facts about what each choice brings to the table.
Soy Ricotta Nutrition Facts
Dairy Ricotta Nutrition Facts
The Soy Story.
Soy is an ancient food, historically referred to as “the meat of the field.” The Good Food Institute describes whole soy as “the gold standard for plant protein.”
Unlike most plant protein sources, soy is a complete protein, meaning that it provides all of the essential amino acids that the body does not produce. The food we eat has to provide these amino acids to support muscle repair and development through out our lives.
Soy is one of the oldest plants of record cultivated by man for consumption.
Eaten for thousands of years, populations that regularly consume whole and minimally processed soy as a dietary staple have the best health outcomes in the world, with significantly lower rates of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.