ive been vegan for a few months now and it was a rough transition. while expensive and time-consuming at first, im figuring out how to do this quick and cheap.
soybeans are absolutely a game-changer. i bought dry soybeans in bulk and $100 of them is def gonna last me over a year. i made tofu for the first time yesterday and its surprisingly really easy. and you can use the pulp from the soybeans (okara) to make a batter and fry them into delicious patties. i used the tofu to make a giant pot of rice, veggies, and tofu and the tofu absorbed all the flavors from the veggies and seasoning and its crazy good. i was pretty good at making the same meal but with chicken and it wasnt nearly as good. my gf loved it too!
any suggestions for other stuff to do with these soybeans? i have chickpeas too and all i do with those is make hummus so i need suggestions for that too pls!
edit: im gonna drop an outline of how i made the meal bc it was rlly good (you can also google "okara patties" to find a recipe for those)
i marinated the tofu with rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and herbs/spices that i like in my meals. on medium heat in sesame oil i pan fried the tofu, added some salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. fried tofu until it started to slightly brown, then added carrots. cooked those until the carrots softened. added onions and bell peppers. cooked until those veggies softened then i added the marinade with a spoonful of cornstarch to form a sauce. reduced sauce to sufficient thickness and dumped it all into a pot of steamed rice i made while cooking the rest of the stuff. rice was also seasoned and cooked with just a couple splashes of sesame oil
Congrats on sticking with the switch!
I guess it's pretty obvious but I didn't think of it for a long time. You can just use blended cooked beans as a replacement for anything that would have a creamy sauce. Depending what else you add this can be extremely versatile. Like I've used this for cheap, protein rich rice pudding, tofu alfredo, tofu tetrazini, mac and 'cheese', gravy for mashed potatoes, etc.
Also, if you haven't yet, you should give nutritional yeast a shot. I know it doesn't sound appealing but everyone I know who was willing to try ends up with it as a staple part of their diet
N O O C H
what beans work well for that? ive only been using soybeans and chickpeas but id love to expand my bean collection
yeah ive been thinking abt nutritional yeast but ill finally take the plunge and buy some. tbh i love yeasty fermented foods and drinks. excited to try the dead version of it!
Generally I like to use soy and/or pinto for things that are going to be sweet and soy and/or chickpea for things that will be savory. So nothing too exciting for the collection I'm afraid
its ok, thanks for the help!
Sure thing, hope you find some things you like with it