How To Make Soy Milk

Recipe Difficulty: Easy

Recipe Tags:

• Soy Milk
• Okara

Soy Milk Recipe Notes
Making soy milk is simple! For me, it happens to be a process I really enjoy. I find it relaxing and therapeutic in a way. Maybe kind of like bread making can be. Simmering the beans, blending them with water, straining them and squeezing the liquid from the fine mesh bag, it's all quite grounding. The pulp then gets reserved for another use, and the soy milk is simmered and seasoned to taste. For seasoning I just add a pinch of salt, but it is common to add in a splash of vanilla and maple syrup if that's your thing. I LOVE soy milk in my coffee. Don't get me wrong, black coffee is great, but in my afternoon cup I crave this combination. My favourite part of the entire process (other than squeezing the liquid from the bean pulp), is ladling fresh hot soy milk into a small mug to sip and enjoy.  It's really delicious.

Soy Milk Pulp (Okara) Uses
After making soy milk, you are left with the bean pulp from blitzing up the soy beans. This byproduct is called "Okara". It can be used to make a variety of things such as vegan fish cakes, nuggets, dog treats, and apparently it is even a tasty snack for chickens. Sometimes when I make my vegan fried chicken recipe, instead of using chickpeas in my dough, I use okara. I've also used it mixed with peanut butter and spelt flour to make a dough that I roll out, cut into shapes, bake & then dehydrate for dog treats. My dog loves them. I also make "okara sea cakes" kind of a vegan fish cake. I know it all might seem a bit strange if you aren't familiar, but I'm really impressed with how versatile this ingredient is. It adds bulk, texture and using it is a great way to avoid any food waste. (it's easier than it might sound if this is all new to you!)

​Environmental Impact
Below I'm sharing a resource concerning the environmental impact of soy that I found useful, It's a You Tube Video by Ed Winters, (one of the most important vegan educators) if you are concerned or interested to know more about it. 
Environmental Impact of Soy (YouTube)

Why you shouldn't soak your soybeans overnight for soy milk. 
The process for cooking the soy beans in this book is slightly different than many of the recipes you see online. What I learned while reading the intro to this recipe in The Homemade Vegan Pantry cookbook, is that it is better to use a quick soak method using heat (hot water) compared to soaking your beans overnight in cold water before cooking. There is an enzyme in soybeans that gets triggered by cold water, and will yield milk with a strong beany taste. Instead, this recipe results in a milk that is creamy, light tasting, and delicious. (if you aren't convinced, you'll just have to trust me and try it!)
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The Homemade Vegan Pantry, by Miyoko Schinner 
I followed & slightly adapted the soy milk recipe from a wonderful cookbook that I have. I definitely recommend it. That's where I learned what I know about okara and it's uses. You can check it out by clicking the link below. 
The Homemade Vegan Pantry, by Miyoko Schinner 
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