Okara / Soy Bean Pulp – Nutritious and Delicious, Don’t Throw It Away!

Okara / Soy Bean Pulp is the leftover solid once soy milk is passed through a nut milk bag. Many people don’t know what to do with this residual pulp and it seems such a waste to throw it out. Good News! Okara is perfectly edible, wonderfully nutritious and very easy to include in your favorite recipes. If you make soy milk and have lots of Okara, read on to learn what to do with it!

Okara / Soy Bean Pulp - Edible and Delicious! | recipe from runawayrice.com

Okara / Soy Bean Pulp – Taste and Texture

Okara like soy milk, tofu and soy bean based foods is very mild tasting. Some may even call it flavorless or bland. Okara from freshly made soy milk is wet and may even be a bit creamy depending on how much milk was extracted from it. The texture of the uncooked soy bean is gritty, crumbly and moist like a soft dough.

Okara / Soy Bean Pulp - Gluten-free and Delicious! | recipe from runawayrice.com

Okara / Soy Bean Pulp – Nutritional Value

Okara is the insoluble part of  soy beans and like most beans and legumes is nutrient-dense. Soy beans are a good source of manganese, phosphorus, and protein as well as a good source of iron, omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fiber, vitamin B2, magnesium, vitamin K and potassium. When compared to other plant foods, it’s relatively high in protein which makes it an excellent choice for vegetarian diets. 1 cup soy bean pulp is approximately 90 calories with about 4 grams of protein.

Okara is Soy Bean Pulp | from runawayrice.com

Okara / Soy Bean Pulp – Shelf Life

Fresh Okara has a short life span. After making soy bean pulp, it needs to be refrigerated and used within 2-3 days for maximum freshness. Okara left longer will turn rancid and sour. Okara can be frozen for up to 6 months when sealed well.

Another easy way to store Okara is to dry it. Spread out the soy bean pulp on a large baking sheet. Bake at 300 F (150 C) for 15-20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes to help it dry out completely. Let cool for 15 minutes before storing in an air-tight bag or jar. Optionally, grind in a food processor to make a fine flour. Store the flour for up 6 months.

I usually end up with about 8 oz  (1 1/4 cups) Okara / soy bean pulp from making a batch of soy milk. I use my FoodSaver to remove the air and seal. Pop it in the freezer and I have Okara ready for my favorite dishes.

Okara / Soy Bean Pulp - Nutritious and Delicious, Don't Throw It Out! | recipe from runawayrice.com

Okara / Soy Bean Pulp – Using in Recipes

Being neutral-tasting, Okara is an easy ingredient to incorporate in cooking as it absorbs the flavors of that dish. Okara / soy bean pulp is a wonderful substitute for meat or as a filler ingredient when you want to “lighten-up” a dish and use less meat. Below are some easy ways to add Okara into many dishes.

Okara / Soy Bean Pulp - Save and Add to Your Dishes | recipe from runawayrice.com

  • Add to stir-fries for added protein and delicious texture.
  • Add to baked goods such as breads, muffins and cookies as a gluten-free replacement for wheat flour. Replace 1 cup wheat/all-purpose flour with 1 cup dry Okara. If using, wet Okara, you may need to reduce the liquids in the recipe to take into consideration the moisture of the wet soy bean pulp.
  • Use as an ingredient in vegetarian patties, burgers or meatballs.
  • Use as a substitute for bread crumbs in meatloaf or use as a crumb-coating for chicken and fish, etc.
  • Cook with hot water or soy milk to make a simple and delicious porridge.
  • Add to eggs for a delicious breakfast scramble.
  • Add to homemade granola for extra crunch and nutrition.
  • Mix in 1-2 Tbsp into smoothies or blended drinks.

Check out my latest okara recipe:

Blueberry Okara Muffins - Fluffy, Moist Muffins! | recipe from runawayrice.com

Blueberry Okara Muffins

If you enjoy this post on Okara / Soy Pulp, you may also like:

Okara / Soy Milk Pulp - Don't Throw This Away! | recipe from runawayrice.com

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Fresh Tofu (Dau Hu) - Amazing when Homemade, a Must-Try! | recipe from runawayrice.com

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Tofu Pudding with Ginger Syrup (Dau Hu Nuoc Duong) | recipe from runawayrice.com

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24 Responses to Okara / Soy Bean Pulp – Nutritious and Delicious, Don’t Throw It Away!

  1. Sarah August 19, 2021 at 8:26 am #

    I think one can use it make soup too! Though I have not tried it.

  2. Aditya Dixit June 13, 2021 at 8:56 am #

    I am loving reading this post on Okara Soybean pulp. Thank you so very much for posting this information with us. It provides me fantastic insight I needed!!!

  3. Jayesh Sharma May 11, 2021 at 11:13 pm #

    Hi Trang, this is very useful information about Okara. I have some queries, it will be very useful if I get your contact or email so that I can get in touch with you

  4. Toluwani Dayisi July 30, 2020 at 4:07 am #

    Me too it has helped us we should have thrown it away. Thanks Trang.

  5. Marty Facciol June 9, 2020 at 4:47 pm #

    Hi, thanks for this article. If you use Soy pulp in, say Hummus, what’s the best way to cook it first please? If you put it in the oven, it will be too dry wouldn’t it?

    • Indra Harmadi August 7, 2021 at 12:00 pm #

      In my country, we make soft tempeh from it. We call it “menjes” or “tempe gembus.”

  6. Fiona Vuilleumier May 2, 2020 at 4:02 am #

    Hi, with soybean pulp after extraction, must it be dehydrated before using it to make cookies? If so, what is the reason as later in the recipe, the wet ingredients will need to be mix with the dry after all . Appreciate your comment. Thank you

    • Trang June 28, 2021 at 3:04 pm #

      Hi Fiona, I do not dehydrate the pulp. In the Blueberry Okara recipe, the wet ingredients are okara, beaten eggs, soy milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract and the dry ingredients are all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt. Hope that helps.

  7. Jelilat December 24, 2019 at 12:35 pm #

    How to use it as meat in dishes. Thanks so much for the information

  8. hajar August 27, 2019 at 8:06 pm #

    thanks for the sharing. what about okara becomes the substitute to the bread crumb? did we need to cook t first or may mix it with some spices?

    • Trang September 9, 2019 at 4:49 pm #

      Hi Hajar,
      Using okara as bread crumbs is a really good idea! There’s no need to cook it first as long as you are cooking what it’s mixed with. You can season it separately if you’d like for more flavor. Okara typically absorbs the flavor of the other ingredients. Good Luck!

  9. Nelson August 7, 2019 at 2:12 am #

    Thanks so much, we are currently producing okara in Malawi at LUANAR-NRC SOY PROCESSING UNIT and this information has helped me.

    • Trang August 7, 2019 at 11:52 am #

      I am glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for visiting. 🙂

      • Monica May 15, 2021 at 2:09 pm #

        Thank you for this information about okara of soybean it really help me alot of what to do, because i throw it away after extracting milk from soybeans. thanks

  10. Anita June 10, 2019 at 7:26 am #

    Thanks for this! Does the okara need to be cooked before adding to smoothies? And, cooking it into a vegan patty of sorts, will the frying time be enough to cook it? It is essentially raw soybeans and I know generally beans are not safe to eat raw. Your help claearing this up would be appreciated!

    • Trang June 16, 2019 at 5:21 pm #

      Hi Anita,
      Great question! For smoothies, you always want to use cooked okara. For making vegan patties or other cooked dishes, you can use raw okara. Cook the okara as per the recipe instructions. No additional cooking time is needed. I hope that helps. Good Luck!

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