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How to Make Soy Milk

September 12th, 2012Recipes, Chinese Recipes, Recipes34 Comments
Soy Milk
Soy Milk pictures (1 of 9)

Soy milk has been gaining popularity in the United States due to its many health benefits. Nowadays, you can get soy milk at any regular grocery stores or Asian food stores. However, mass-produced soy milk are mostly made with non-organic and GMO (genetically modified) soybeans, and preservatives are added. As more and more people are turning away from GMO ingredients and go for natural foods, many are wondering how to make soy milk at home. The good news is I will be showing you the step-by-step, so everyone can enjoy the purest soy milk made with organic and non-GMO soybeans.

Soy Milk

Now a little history about soy milk. Soy milk, or soybean milk (豆浆 doujiang) is a traditional staple in Asia, especially in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. The Chinese invented soy milk thousands of years ago, and from soy milk, they also created tofu and tofu skin. Soymilk is very versatile and can be served sweet or salty. In China and Taiwan, soy milk with fried Chinese crullers or youtiao (pictured above) is a staple breakfast for many people.

To make soy milk, you need only two key ingredients: soybeans and water. A good blender is always handy to blend the soybeans. I used the Blendtec Designer Series Wildside and the blending of the soybeans was a breeze. Three seconds and a big batch of soybeans and water were finely blended. It was really amazing.

Organic and non-GMO soybeans

You can find organic and non-GMO soybeans online or at stores such as Whole Foods. Some Asian grocery stores also carry them. Please take note that organic soybean doesn’t mean that they are non-GMO, so make sure you read the label and packaging well. I got mine online.

Making soy milk is rewarding as homemade soy milk is richer in taste, with a pleasant soy aroma. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days, so making a big batch is definitely the way to go!

Now the good news: I am giving away a Blendtec Designer Series Wildside with Twister Jar (retail value: $620) to a lucky reader of Rasa Malaysia. Enter to win now!

Get Recipe(Click Page 2 to for the Soy Milk Recipe)

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34 comments... read them below or add one

  1. bird says:

    There are people who used the soyabean residue to cook dishes like scrambled egg with soya bean residue 豆渣炒蛋 which is nutritious; or good as fertilizer too =)

    Reminds me that I need to cook my beans soon..

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  2. Aunt LoLo says:

    I love this! Thanks. I never like how my soy milk turns out…and it didn’t occur to me to just cook it longer to make it thicker. haha

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  3. Thank you so much for sharing this! I love Soy Milk and would rather make my own. Would love it if you would share this at my Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/2012/09/make-it-pretty-monday-week-14.html Hope to see you at the bash! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

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  4. Sophie S. says:

    Can you share a recipe of 豆腐花 dou fu fa?

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  5. Audrey says:

    Why do we have to remove the skins? Can we dont in order to make life easier? :) Also, I have tried almond bean curd before, do you think by adding almond essence, we can make almond-flavoured soya bean drink? Should taste ok?

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    • The skin will come off by themselves after soaking overnight and they should float on top of the water, just discard those as much as you can. If you can’t, it’s fine. You can try the almond extract I have never tried it before.

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  6. Julie says:

    Where can I get organic soybean?

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  7. Pam says:

    So cool. Where can we buy a cloth strainer like that?

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  8. Julie Tang says:

    Where can I purchase organic and non-GMO soybeans?

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  9. Lenny says:

    I like your cloth coffee strainer. It reminds me of most kopitiam in my hometown =) Where can I buy it?

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  10. Hwee Ching Sinclair says:

    So to clarify, the whole 7 quarts of water listed in the ingredients list is what you used to blend the beans with, and then later boil the mixture, without adding more water? Thanks for the recipe!

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  11. Shelley T. says:

    I got to know you from Steamy Kitchen,Jaden Hair. But, this is the first time I write to you. Two years ago, I already started reading your webside, using your recipes cook for my family and sharing with many friends. I have your cook book Easy Chinese Recipes. We all love your recipes so much. I use a lot of chinese new year recipes from yours. Here, I just want to say Thank you so much for posting all the delicious recipes for us. I will share your newsletter with my friends who love cooking like me. Good Luck!

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  12. Annie Cambell says:

    Thank you so much for your website, enjoyed browsing through. Pardon me for being a pain and ask if you have a recipe for making the jelly form of soya milk that one can buy almost anywhere in the cities you have mentoned. many thank, keep up the marvelous work

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  13. Diem says:

    Laura soy beans are all natural, non-GMO, but not organic.

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  14. Diem says:

    Does any body know a better way to remove the skin from the soy beans?
    It’s time consuming when I have to squeeze every single bean with my fingers.

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  15. Aunt LoLo says:

    I finally tried this this morning….SO yum! Thank you!! In the past, I’ve been trying…too hard. Measuring ingredients by weight and volume, timing everything perfectly. This recipe is a lot more creative, and lets me use my own judgement. Thank you!!

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  16. Emilie says:

    Just wondering if i could add some cocoa to this recipe? Because i like chocolate milk better then reg soy milk maybe even vanilla?

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  17. Veronica says:

    My family likes to make a kind of savory pancake with the soy residue! Mix in a little bit of flour, egg, salt and scallions and fry them up like pancakes! Serve with some chili sauce.

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  18. Moonstone Gu says:

    Hi, I have made the mistake of boiling my soybeans first. Can I rescue the milk somehow, any suggestions?

    Thanks.
    Gu.

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  19. Greg says:

    According to this article: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNAAG984.pdf

    The best way to eliminate “beany” flavor and maximize nutrition is as follows:

    1) Soak the beans 12 hours. Change the water once or twice if possible/convenient.
    2) After soaking, handle beans carefully because any injury to the beans releases the LOX group of enzymes that is responsible for creating the “beany” flavor which is actually due to free radicals formed by the enzymes. Toss out the soak water.
    3) Boil the whole beans in a 10:1 water:bean ratio by weight for no more than 10 minutes. This will inactivate the LOX enzymes. Scoop the scum off the top of the water.
    4) Pour the beans and water into a sturdy blender and blend on high for at least a minute.
    5) Pour contents of blender into a pot and boil for at least 20-30 minutes. This will further inactivate/destroy anti-nutrients such as trypsin inhibitor.
    6) Strain through multiple layers of cheesecloth into an airtight, sealed glass container and either drink immediately or refrigerate.
    7) Soymilk should keep for about 1 week. Maybe up to two weeks.

    An alternative method that may save time and be even more effective would be to drop dry soybeans directly into boiling water for 10 minutes, scoop off the scum, drain in a colander/sieve, and then soak for 12 hours. After soaking, blend the beans and make the soymilk as described above.

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  20. Nick J says:

    Running the bean/water mixture through a strainer is slow because the filter/strainer clogs up, so I tried a different method.

    First I turned the dry beans into flour in my Vitamix blender, then removed the flour, and added water to the blender. With the blender on low, I added the flour back to the blender and ran it up to high for several minutes. Meanwhile, I boiled the rest of the water in a large pot, then added the soy/water blend, and returned the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.

    After boiling, I let the mixture cool in the pot for 30 minutes. Then I carefully removed the milk with a cup while leaving the soy residue on the bottom of the pot. When I reached the soy residue on the bottom, I put it into a strainer for a while to drain, but there wasn’t much liquid left. This method seems faster and easier than trying to strain the residue out.

    The soy residue doesn’t taste bad, so I’m having it for breakfast with some sweetener instead of oatmeal.

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