7 soy foods and products you can make at home

At Laura Soybeans, we’re big champions of the many health benefits offered by soybeans, soy foods and soy products. Soy is an excellent source of protein, is lower in fat than dairy-based products, is incredibly heart healthy and can offer so many all-around benefits when added to a healthy, active lifestyle.

But you might be thinking: I know soy is great and all, but I need more ideas for how to incorporate it into my diet and meal prep. Well, don’t worry. There are many soy foods and soy products that you can make right at home with soybeans.

You’ll definitely find that you save money, too, when you buy your own soybeans and make a bunch of delicious foods in your kitchen rather than buying products at a grocery store!

Here are several soy foods and products that will get you even more interested in eating more soy.

1. Soy milk

Let’s start with a favorite. Soy milk always notches a spot near the top of these types of lists, but that’s because making your own is so rewarding.

Homemade soy milk is easy, tastes good and, believe it or not, will end up saving you a lot of money than picking up a bottle or carton of one of the big brands at the supermarket.

There are a few extra kitchen items and supplies you need to have at the ready before you can make your own soy milk, including a nut milk bag for straining. But those are all pretty easy to obtain.

From there. You just need a recipe. Luckily for you, we have plenty of those. Start with this easy recipe for homemade, delicious soy milk.

2. Tofu

Do you want in on a little secret? Soybeans have this versatility to them that makes them a great replacement or alternative for so many other foods. The same can be said for soy products, especially tofu.

Tofu has an uncanny ability of being a perfect, great-tasting protein substitute or addition to so many recipes. It takes on flavors and adds unique texture to every dish you use it in.

But the best tofu is the stuff you can make in your very own kitchen. Sensing a theme here, yet? Homemade tofu can beat out store bought varieties – and, again, can save you money on your grocery bill.

DIY tofu is very easy to make. All you need are soybeans and a coagulant. Not sure exactly what that is? Read our homemade tofu recipe post for the details. Then, you can move along to our post with three absolutely enticing recipes that call for tofu.

3. Soy burgers

Ready for another favorite soy recipe? Soy burgers are a popular replacement for traditional hamburgers because they can decrease bad cholesterol and are lower in both fat and calories compared to beef and other meat options out there.

Plus, with the right recipes, anybody can become a true fan of soy burgers!

And again, we have quite a few of those. Just take a look at these three recipes, including summer veggie soybean burgers, vegan tofu veggie burgers and the “ultimate veggie burger.”

Any of these are ideal for summer cookouts, or any time of the year, really. What you will notice about soy burgers is that, depending on the recipe, they can be cooked outside on a grill or inside on a stove top or sometimes in the oven. That versatility has its benefits, too, as your soy burger BBQ won’t get rained out!

4. Soybean sprouts (Natto soybeans)

For those wanting another easy additive for other recipes, we always recommend Natto soybeans, also known as sprouted soybeans or soybean sprouts. Natto, fermented soybeans, is very popular in many Asian countries, especially Japan.

Natto soybeans, which you can buy here and then sprout yourself with only a quart mason jar, cheesecloth, a rubber band and water. You can get all the directions you need with our recipe. Please note that you can follow this recipe with any of our soybeans, not just the ones we produce specifically for Natto.

Natto soybeans go well with any rice, noodle or bread dish. If it’s a carb, then there’s probably a recipe out there that features Natto.

5. Soybean hummus

Are you a big snacker? Then you are going to love these next two recipes.

Soybeans can be used to make different types of dips, including this recipe for soybean hummus. It’s straightforward and very easy to make.

Like any other hummus, you can spice things up with some peppers. Or you can add other ingredients to make it truly your own.

6. Baked soybeans

For us snackers, there’s sometimes nothing like a satisfying crunch. These baked soybeans will do the trick when you’re looking for something to munch with that extra crunch.

All you have to do is rinse the beans, soak them overnight, boil them for a while and then add them to a baking dish with a few other ingredients, including brown sugar, molasses, mustard and barbecue sauce.

The result? A savory snack that’s sure to be a hit. Get all the recipe steps and ingredients here.

7. Okara flour

When you make soy products, you may find yourself with some leftover soy pulp, or okara. Some people discard this pulp, but it can also be used in many recipes. Like soybeans, it’s low in fat and has good amounts of calcium, protein and dietary fiber.

The thing is, you can’t eat okara by itself. But you can make other foods with it. One of our favorites? Making okara flour with the leftovers from making a batch of soymilk.

Simply watch this video to learn how. Then, use it as you would flour!

Let’s get cooking!

Before you can get started cooking up any of these mouthwatering soybean-based foods and products, you need one thing: soybeans.

Buy Laura Soybeans for sale for the tastiest, high-quality soy products, such as scrumptious soy milk and tofu. All of our non-GMO soybeans are grown on our family farm in northwest Iowa. We have been doing this for generations, so we are confident that you will be pleased with the results of your home cooking with our products.