Whether you are dairy-free, vegan, or simply love the taste of soy milk, one thing is for certain… Making it at home is a better option. You can use quality ingredients (such as non-GMO soybeans), control the texture, make better tasting soy milk, and lower the cost, all without using any additives or preservatives. What’s not to love? Let’s get started and learn how to make soy milk yourself, save a bundle, and have a delicious and nutritious drink any time of day. I have a previous post on how to make soy milk by using a soy milk machine. It’s a standard piece of equipment in a Chinese kitchen, but I realize that not everyone has one of these. You don’t need to go order one either unless you plan on making this daily, then it will make life much more convenient. I will show you how to make soy milk with four simple ingredients.
Cooking process
When making soy milk without the soy milk machine, you will want to be sure to plan ahead and soak the soybeans for 24 hours. Then you can be ready to learn how to make soy milk. While I do love the convenience of the machine, when you make soy milk using the method I have for you below, you’ll get a creamier texture. Plus, you can adjust the thickness of the liquid more easily. To cook soy milk: While this recipe is long, once you get a handle on it, you will know how to make soy milk perfectly every time. At the end of the post, you’ll also find a super-simple recipe for okara which uses the leftover ground soybean flakes, giving you two dishes from one small bag of soybeans for a more economical and delicious experience in your kitchen.
Cooking notes
Boiling the soybean mixture
Unlike other plant-based milks (almond milk, oat milk etc), you have to cook the soybeans through. It’s very important to keep an eye on the pot when you’re boiling the milk. You need to stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent it from sticking. Also, due to the thick texture of the liquid, it’s very easy to boil over and make a mess on your stove. The best option is to use a big, tall pot to prevent spilling.
Use cheesecloth for straining
How to serve soy milk
Soy milk can be served hot or cold. Although some Western recipes call for vanilla and sometimes salt, I like to sweeten my soy milk by adding a bit of sugar. In China, soy milk is quite common to accompany savory Chinese donuts (You Tiao) for breakfast in the morning. You dunk the donuts in the soy milk and it’s quite delicious! You can use soy milk to replace dairy milk to make milk tea. This soy milk recipe is a great base recipe for making tofu. I’ll be creating a post for that in the future so keep an eye out for it!
How to use Okara to make Gnocchi
In my previous post, I shared how to use okara to make pancakes. Today I want to show you how to use them to make super delicious vegan gnocchi that have a chewy texture (recipe translated from this post). NOTE: the okara dough is very forgiving and the measurements can vary a lot based on how wet the okara is. If your okara is fairly wet, you might not need the water at all.
Okara gnocchi
250 g okara200 g all-purpose flour1/4 cup water 1/2 teaspoon salt2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil and/or parsley, or 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb mix (Optional but highly recommend)
Want to learn more about Chinese Cooking? Sign up my newsletter to receive the 5-Day Chinese Cooking Crash Course and recipe update! If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
More homemade plant-based recipes
Chinese Pickled Cucumber (A Quick Pickle Recipe)Black Sesame Soup (黑芝麻糊)Homemade Chili Garlic Sauce (Huy Fong Brand Copycat)Fire Roasted Eggplant with Garlic Vinegar Sauce4-Ingredient Baby Bok Choy Stir Fry
Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
