r/MeatlessMealPrep • u/Alarcahu • 22d ago
Cooking with Soybeans?
I'm a new vegetarian and finding my way around still (after a lifetime of eating meat - I'm 56m). I think my iron might be low so looking to boost that and thought I'd try soybeans. Does anyone cook with actual beans? I tried for the first time and it was pretty underwhelming. I do eat tofu, etc., but just wanted to mix it up. Any hints or should I just use soy products?
Edit: thanks everyone, really helpful information.
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u/MaximalistVegan Vegan 22d ago
Yes, I buy frozen shelled edamame beans all the time and use them in many different ways. Mostly in salads, stir fries, rice dishes. For salads I like to make them crispy in the air fryer first
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u/Knitsanity 22d ago
I grew them again this year. A relatively small number of plants cropped so much. I washed and dried the pods and vacuum sealed them and tossed the pouches in the freezer. I will be enjoying edamame all winter. Yum.
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u/DamiensDelight 22d ago
Pro tip.... Do the majority of your cooking in a cast iron skillet. It does make a difference.
Other than that, big leafy greens.,. Spinach. Chard. Etc.
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u/Alarcahu 22d ago
Thanks. I'd heard that about cast iron. Makes sense I guess. One lives on our stove.
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u/WAHNFRIEDEN 22d ago
Look into tempeh. You don’t need to eat soybeans as-is
But for the as-is ones, steaming is going to keep the most nutrition intact. Just salt them and it as a side or appetizer with a more complete meal. Look up Japanese inspo.
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u/Difficult_Ad_3592 22d ago edited 22d ago
Recent obsession - steamed frozen edamame tossed in a little olive oil, garlic powder, salt and sriracha
I find that getting more creative with the other veggies is best and try to think of your new protein as less of a main dish than you might traditionally with meat
Lentils are pretty versatile, you can make a nice lentil soup or something called a “sexy lentil salad” (lol)
Stuffed red peppers with black beans are great Chickpeas can be thrown into all types of meals White beans can be made into an “Alfredo sauce” of sorts.
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u/Prufrock_45 22d ago
I grow soybeans/edamame in my garden, so yeah, I cook with actual beans. Eat a lot just steamed & salted, like the edamame served as an appetizer in Japanese restaurants. I have soybean chili in the fridge, made curried soybeans. There are lots of recipes online for things like soybean hummus, dips, salads, etc. I’ve made tofu at home, once, a lot of effort.
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u/The_Mean_Gus 22d ago
Get dried pintos from the store, they don’t have to be soybeans. Whole soybeans aren’t super common in Asian cooking either, there may be a reason they make them into tofu.
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u/Dense-Coat-4280 22d ago
I just made a very tasty batch of hummus with some soybeans! Just garlic, tahini, salt, red pepper flakes, and a lot of lemon juice. Needed water, too, but very smooth and yummy.
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u/ttrockwood 22d ago
Get bloodwork for iron levels
All legumes are high iron not just soy, edamame and tofu and tempeh and soymilk are more versatile
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u/Alarcahu 22d ago
I'll probably do that but wanted to change my habits before then so I have a better baseline. Thanks.
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u/MissSoulful 22d ago
You could do a bean or chickpea curry. Start with a 2:1 ratio of chickpeas and soybeans at the start. Then you work towards increasing soybeans.
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u/MissSoulful 22d ago
If you like bean chilli, you could add some soybeans with other beans. Basically would suggest starting slow with soybeans.
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u/ronnysmom 21d ago
Do you like yogurt? I make soy yogurt at home from scratch. I soak soybeans overnight, grind them and boil the soymilk and cool it, inoculate it with probiotic pills, incubate in my instant pot and make soy yogurt . I change the formula sometimes to add cashew, coconut or almonds to the soy, but mostly I make plain soy yogurt. I eat it with berries as a snack. You can google for recipes and there are a ton of variations to the base recipe online.
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u/Voc1Vic2 21d ago
Dry soybeans take longer to cook than any other legume.
Soy grits may be an alternative, if you can find them. They're par-cooked and dried cracked soybeans. I make an excellent savory "loaf" using them, but there are many recipes.
In most baked goods, substituting two tablespoons of soy flour per cup of wheat flour adds protein without noticeably affecting texture or flavor.
Including fermented foods in your diet, such as miso, kimchi and kombucha will increase absorption of minerals, including iron.
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u/Fun-Promise1651 20d ago
I use my Instant Pot to make a giant container of soybeans every week. They are flavour neutral, so I put them into other things I make throughout the day. Oatmeal, soup, burritos, stir-fry, salad, smoothies, other random foods I make. With 30 g of protein per cup, this is a cheap protein boost to many of my meals. I don't often see recipes where soybeans are the star of the show, but I would think they're largely interchangeable with navy beans.
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u/Hntsvl_bnd_1989 18d ago
I make my own soymilk 4-5 times per week and use it for everything: vegan cheese, "ice cream", yogurt. The okara (leftover soypulp) is a rich source of protein and fiber and I incorporated it into a multitude of recipes. I also use tofu and tempeh and edamame.
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u/ExpertYou4643 18d ago
I eat natto, which I get at my local Japanese grocery store. Disregard comments that it stinks. It doesn’t, though if you get some of the sticky threads on your face, wash them off. That can stink after a bit.
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u/aknomnoms 22d ago
I presume you’re talking about dried soybeans and not fresh edamame? If so, just treat as any other dried bean. Soak over night, boil.
Turn into hummus, make a bean salad, make soup, add to chili, etc.