How to cook with textured soy: recipes and tricks

The textured soybeans It is a product that is used above all as a substitute for meat and is very versatile in the kitchen. It has become very popular in recent years and is already sold in almost any supermarket.

Sold in the form of dehydrated flakes or granules and, although before they were found exclusively in health food stores, today you can even buy textured soybeans at Mercadona. You can find textured protein granules of different thicknesses: superfine, fine and coarse, and preparations reminiscent of meatballs, in the form of a steak or in vegetable “sausages”.

Textured soy is a food with a good amount of protein and offers very good value for money (it goes a long way because it must be hydrated before consuming it.) To prepare it:

It can be left to soak for a few hours or boil in water or vegetable broth for 10 or 15 minutes. Then it is allowed to drain well and forms a dough that can be used as minced meat to prepare meatballs, Bolognese sauce, fillings, hamburgers… .

In this article we explain how to cook textured soybeans and we propose delicious textured soy recipes.

Textured soy: what is it

Textured soy, or textured soy protein, It is obtained from the soybean. First, its oil is extracted and the skin is discarded. The already dried flour is then compressed until its fibers change their structure and a product with a pleasant taste is finally achieved.

Textured soybean: properties

Textured soy protein is especially rich in protein. Its protein content is specifically 52%. being dehydrated, contains more than twice the protein of meat and fish, and four times more than eggs.

A serving of 50 to 75 g of textured soybeans almost covers the daily protein needs of an adult, as it has a high biological value thanks to the balance of its essential amino acids.

Soy protein has beneficial effects on cholesterol levels and is high in phytoestrogens, which prevent symptoms related to menopause and reduce the risk of some types of cancer.

In summary, the healthy properties of textured soy are multiple:

It is very high in quality (complete) protein. It usually contains between 48 and 56 grams of protein per 100 grams. It is very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. It is a good source of protein and fiber. It is also rich in magnesium and phosphorus.

How to cook with textured soybeans

you can find many types of textured soybeans with different shapes and compositions, but I will talk about the most common as it will give you a general idea (they cook the same).

The most common varieties that we will find are fine textured soybeans (there are more or less fine ones, some that almost look like powder and others with more shape; I recommend the latter), coarse (in more or less rounded medium pieces) and soybean fillets (they are rectangles, they look like like wheat hulls).

The fine textured soybeans It is the one I use the most. For beginners in vegetarian and vegan cooking, it is a great ally as it substitutes very well for minced meat when making bolognese, lasagna, pizzas, hamburgers, etc.

The coarse textured soybeans I use it to make stews, stews, sometimes skewers and the like. They are “bite” size and do not fall apart, so it is great for all these dishes.

The textured soybean fillets They can get you out of a bind in no time. Hydrate, brown and you already have a perfect dish to accompany with vegetables and/or cereals.

How to hydrate textured soybeans

textured soybean comes dehydrated. In other words, the pieces in the bags do not contain water, weigh very little, take up very little space and can be stored for a long time. To make it more edible, it must be hydrated, and for this it can be done two forms:

Leaving it to soak with the cooking of the dish

If we hydrate it by leaving it soaked in water. In general need twice as much water (by volume), it will absorb it and grow a lot.

This already hydrated soybean is better to sauté or brown with spices, since it has little flavor and is cold. When cooked in the pan with a little olive oil and seasonings, it absorbs those flavors and acquires a much better texture.

Recipes with fine textured soybeans

Some textured soybeans take longer than others to hydrate and do so better in hot than cold water. For this reason and to save time, what I usually do, for example, with fine textured soybeans, is to put it in a pan over medium heat with the spices and olive oil, add a splash of soy sauce and a little more than twice as much water. and I let it be done until there is no liquid left.

Fine Textured Soy Bolognese Sauce

You just have to skip the previous preparation or add some sauce to taste, for example homemade tomato sauce, and we would already have a dip bolognese.

Textured soy for pizzas

With this same method I do the textured soy for pizzas. I try not to dry it out (because it will already do so in the oven) and many times I make a sauce that gives it juiciness without drying out or burning in the oven (for example, a soft barbecue).

so you also have filling for tacos, empanadas, cannellonietc.

Textured Soy Burgers

to make hamburgers I do neither one nor the other: I let them absorb the liquid from the dough. I make sure to use juicy ingredients like zucchini or bell peppers, add liquid if needed (water or soy drink) and after mixing well I let it rest. That way the soybeans hydrate and I have a dough ready to shape.

Textured soybeans, whether fine, coarse or filleted, not sticky. I mean, you can’t take a handful of hydrated textured soybeans, squash it, and make a hamburger. You will need other ingredients that provide that function.

My favorite for it is the oat flakes. With the right humidity and stirring well, you make the starches and gums of the oats come out in the middle, which will make everything amalgamated and not disintegrate. Vegetables such as cooked carrots, pumpkin (cooked or roasted) or potatoes (also cooked or roasted) also help with this function.

Coarse Textured Soy Recipes

For the coarse textured soybeans I think first what kind of dish I want to make.

Stew or stew with textured soy

if it is for a stew or stew I like to make it on the side and add it when it’s already golden, because it has better flavor and texture, but it’s okay to add a good handful of coarse textured soy from the beginning of cooking the broth. The only thing different is that in that case the soybeans will be softer and have a milder flavor.

If you want it to look more like the traditional stews, make it separately in the pan, with its spices and oil, add the water, let it cook and evaporate everything and cook it until it is golden. Then add it to your stew.

Textured soybean fillets

The soybean fillets, being thicker, can also take longer to make. For these, what I recommend is to boil them in a saucepan with some mild spices (or vegetable broth) and once tender, brown them in the pan with thyme, oil, oregano (or other spices) and at the end a drizzle of soy sauce to finish. to brown them

The soybean fillets, once hydrated, can be stored in the fridge, in a tightly closed container, up to 4 days. So you have for any time already tender. You can bread them, batter them or simply grill them, which are great. They serve you for sandwiches and sandwiches and to accompany any meal.

Being a food that is made quickly, I do not advise cooking the textured soy until you are going to use it. Also, dehydrated lasts a lot in the pantry. Store it in a jar with an airtight lid and it will last you more than 6 months.

Textured soy: original and delicious recipes

In addition to the classic textured soy bolognese and hamburgers and stews with textured sauce, we can include this ingredient in other types of recipes to replace meat.

Textured soybeans with vegetables

Ingredients:

1/2 red pepper 1/2 green pepper 1/2 leek 1/2 zucchini 1 cup finely textured soybeans 200 g mushrooms 3 tablespoons olive oil pinch of salt 1/4 teaspoon herbs de Provence ground pepper to taste 1 tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos

Preparation:

Wash the vegetables. Finely chop the peppers and fry them in a pan with the oil over medium-low heat. Chop the leek and add it. Cut the zucchini into cubes and add it to the pan. Sauté everything and let it brown slightly.Add the textured soy, salt and spices and mix well.Wash the mushrooms, cut them into quarters and add them.Raise the heat a little, add the soy sauce and sauté everything together for a few more minutes to brown it and take flavor. Serve it hot.

Textured Soy Meatballs

We can make textured soy meatballs with the same hamburger dough, but giving it the shape of little balls, or make our own meatball dough depending on how we want them to be.

Ingredients:

1 cup finely textured soybeans 4 tablespoons rolled oats 1/2 teaspoon dried mint 1/4 teaspoon thyme 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 2 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos 1/2 cup water Oat or wheat flour wholemeal to flour the meatballsOlive oil to brown them

Preparation

In a bowl, put the textured soybeans, oats, mint, thyme and garlic and mix well. Add the water and soy sauce and stir well until a more or less homogeneous mass is formed. Cover and let it rest for half an hour. taking portions of dough and forming balls and pass them through the flour. Brown them in the pan with just enough oil to cover the bottom, rolling them. If necessary, brown them in two batches. You already have them ready to add to a stew, sauce, broth, or to serve as is. Also, once done, you can freeze them for any other time.

Eggplant stuffed with textured soy

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants 1/4 red bell pepper 1/4 onion 1/2 stalk celery olive oil 1 cup finely textured soybeans 1/4 teaspoon thyme 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon minced rosemary 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons fried tomato or tomato sauce 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1/4 cup water Debittered brewer’s yeast

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC with heat above and below. Cut the aubergines lengthwise and make some cuts in the flesh (without reaching the skin). Place them face up on a baking tray, sprinkle with a little salt and bake for 20 minutes, until it is easy to remove the meat with a knife, but without being very done and soft. While the aubergines are cooking, chop the pepper, onion and celery and fry them over low-medium heat with just enough oil to wet the bottom of the pan. the pan. When they are soft and aromatic, add the textured soybeans and all the spices. Raise the heat a little to lightly brown everything for a couple of minutes. Add the soy sauce, fried tomato, vinegar and water, mix well and let it cook together until there is no liquid left. Move the pan away and set it aside. Take the aubergines from the oven, remove part of the meat (the central part, we need it to keep its shape), chop it and…