Basics: Soy Chunks
Image 1: Vegan Doener Kebap Sandwich made with Soy Chunks by Funky Kitchen
Preparing soy chunks to be the perfect meat substitue is a simple yet important and creative process that depends on what kind of umami flavours you have on hand and want to give to the meat-like textured lumps.
Keep the following basic things in mind:
Soy Chunks: The soy chunks you can buy at stores come at different sizes and textures, so make sure to choose the ones that fit your needs and personal preference for the specific recipe you have chosen. Soy chunks come in a hard (and therefore dehydrated) form – so our first step is to rehydrate them in a soup bowl and to let them soak for about 15 minutes until they double in size. Once rehydrated, drain them using a sieve to remove most of the excess water.
Marination (obligatory): Marinating the soy chunks is the most crucial step to get any flavour into them (even if you are using them in a curry or with sauce), otherwise they will remain completely bland in taste. You should marinate them as mentioned in the recipe below with at least a mixture of umami flavours, such as soy sauce, miso paste, dried yeast flakes and gently mix them.
Coloring: For coloring, you can use dark soy sauce (which is less saltier and adds more to the color), food coloring, and turmeric (haldi), which gives a wonderful golden color to the dish, especially after baking.
Baking: Soy chunks can be prepared in various ways: I would recommend an air fryer, but you can also bake them in the oven at around 185°C for 10-20 minutes depending on their size.
Image 2: Vegan “Butter Chicken” made with Plant Butter and Soy Chunks by Funky Kitchen
How To Make Perfect Soy Chunks
Video
Ingredients
Umami Flavors to Taste (use combination)
- 1 tbsp Sriracha Sauce
- 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Miso Paste
- 1 tsp Veggie Broth Powder
- 1 tsp Dried Yeast Flakes
Additional Marination Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp Mustard
- 1-2 tbsp Plant Oil
- 1 tsp Corn Starch (or other starch)
Instructions
Soy Chunks Selection
- Thes soy chunks you can buy at stores come at different sizes and textures, so make sure to choose the ones that fit your needs and personal preference for the specific recipe you have chosen.
- Soy chunks come in a hard (and therefore dehydrated) form - so our first step is to rehydrate them in a veggie soup bowl and to let them soak for about 15 minutes until they double in size.
- Once rehydrated, drain them using a sieve to remove most of the excess water.
Marination
- Marinating the soy chunks is the most crucial step toget any flavour into them (even if you are using them in a curry or withsauce), otherwise they will remain completely bland in taste.
- You should marinate them as mentioned in the recipe with at least a mixture of umami flavours, such as soy sauce, miso paste, dried yeast flakes and gently mix them.
- For coloring, you can use dark soy sauce (which is less saltier and adds more to the color), food coloring, and turmeric (haldi), which gives a wonderful golden color to the dish, especially after baking.
Baking
- Soy chunks can be prepared in various ways: I would recommend an air fryer, but you can also bake them in the oven at around 185°C for 10-20 minutes depending on their size.
