It’s more common to find a fridge full of products made with it every day Textured soybeans And shelves full of packages of dehydrated soybeans. And it is not strange because, gradually, this vegetable protein is entering the life (and diet) of more and more people.
But what exactly is textured soy and why is it set to become one of the great culinary revolutions of the last century?
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What is textured soy?
Basically textured soybeans are soy flour. Subject to an extrusion process To give it texture and like other natural protein sources like meat. In fact, that’s right: it contains no chemical additives or dyes and is 100% natural.
How is it made?
Although soybeans have been consumed for thousands of years, ‘textured soybeans’ are relatively recent. In the 1960s, some engineers from the North American giant Archer Daniels Midland They decided to investigate whether there was a way to take advantage of the ‘flour’ that remains after extracting the oil from soybeans.
After investigating several options, they began subjecting that flour An extrusion process (high temperature, pressure, texturing, and dehydration) that produced a product that could look like crumbs, crusts, or dry breadcrumbs.” It began to be marketed at the end of the decade and is becoming popular every day.
Is it only for vegetarians?
There is no doubt that, over the years, the most enthusiastic consumers of this product have been vegetarians and vegans due to its high protein content. But today its use is widespread and in fact, it is available in most major supermarkets.
What nutritional profile does it have?
It is a product Rich in protein, fiber and quality carbohydrates with almost no fat, sugar or salt. The Nutritional value of textured soybeans per 100 gm They are 364 kcal, 4 g fat, of which 0.6 g saturated, 30 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 50 g protein and 0.04 g salt.
Of course, there are two things to keep in mind: The first is that, although it is used as a meat substitute, it is a legume and should be considered nutritionally. The second is that textured soy doesn’t taste like anything specific. This means that, unlike other proteins, it is usually not eaten alone.
What price do you have?
Depending on the company from which it is purchased, the brand and type of soy, the price of dehydrated textured soy is around 6 euros per kilo.
How is it used? Does it need to be pre-hydrated?
As I said, textured soybeans have a fairly neutral taste and smell. This is one of its main advantages because it allows great versatility, but it is also one of its main problems when starting to use it: it needs good seasoning to make it palatable.
If the soybeans are already hydrated, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Textured soybeans, on the other hand, are dehydrated The most common option This will involve hydrating it in some liquid. Depending on the recipe we are going to make, it needs to be hydrated beforehand or it can be used directly using the same stew broth to hydrate it.
Soaked Soybeans – Carmen Tia Alia
For the rest, hydrate the soybeans. It’s very simple. Just cover it with double the amount of water or broth and it’s ready in 15 minutes. In fact, if we use hot water, the process is accelerated (and we don’t risk overhydration). Then drain it to prepare it for the preparation we have chosen.
What types of textured soybeans exist?
Although textured soy, it is increasingly common to find products based on textured soy Sold dehydrated and packaged (No flavors, seasonings or spices). Hence, it has a very long expiry date.
In addition to all its varieties of protein, other textured legume proteins are now available in the market. Although it is not as popular as soy, it is not difficult to find different types of wheat, oat or pea on the Internet.
otherwise, Available in many formats: thick or thin, in strips, slices of various sizes or even fillets.
Picture | Mailsz
In BDtechsupport Chickpea, Textured Soy and Vegetable Skillet