Okara (soy pulp, raw?, organic?)

Use in the kitchen

What is okara? Soy pulp is the pressed flesh of the soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merr.), i.e. soy puree (soybean pulp or soybean mash) - or in other words: pureed and pressed soybeans . Okara remains as a press residue (in the filter or as sediment) during the production of soy milk (or tofu ) and is considered waste in many places, although it is suitable for human consumption and contains valuable nutrients.

Soya pulp may only be consumed cooked because, as a soya bean product, it is toxic when raw. Industrially produced soya pulp is assumed to have been heated as part of the process (duration and temperature depending on the production method ^1.27 ) - homemade soya pulp is mostly raw. Please always heat the soya pulp before consumption (see below under 'Homemade preparation').

Since soya pulp is tasteless, it can be used in many different ways in the kitchen. It can be used as a vegan addition to muesli, in granola, in sauces, soups and spreads of all kinds, but also dried as crumbs for breading mushrooms or vegetables. Vegetable patties, okara balls, croquettes and gnocchi with soya bean paste also taste very delicious. Okara is also used to make baked goods such as bread, biscuits or muffins: pastries with okara are very juicy. Okara polenta (e.g. with chopped tomatoes and spices) or ravioli fillings (e.g. with pumpkin) can also be found on various recipe sites on the Internet.

In China, Korea and Japan there are many traditional recipes with soy pulp. In South Korea okara (kongbiji) is used to make a stew with pork and kimchi (kongbiji-jjigae) or it is often used in soups. Chinese cuisine knows soy pulp as dòuzhā ² and loves recipes for okara pancakes (eg with shallots) and soup with okara ingredients. In Japan okara salad is eaten with vegetables, tuna or ham and mayonnaise and stirred into ice cream. ³ Fried soy pulp with soy sauce, vegetables, shallots and shiitake mushrooms - or unohana - is a popular side dish there.

How can you replace an egg? Okara can be used as a substitute for eggs or for flour (binding agent). As an egg replacement or egg alternative, soybean paste can be used in various cakes that do not require yeast to rise. Here the ratio is: 1 egg = 1 tablespoon fresh okara + 2 tablespoons water. ^4.5 Dried and ground okara can be used as a flour substitute, but this gluten-free variant is not suitable for baking on its own, so it is best to combine the okara flour with other flours. At Hermann's Eatery in Berlin, they are experimenting with a mixture of 40% chickpea flour, 30% rice flour, 20% okara flour and tapioca (as a glue). ⁶

your own

Make okara in five steps: Soy milk can be made by soaking dried soybeans in water and then pureeing them. Suitable organic soybeans can be found in supermarkets, Asian shops and health food stores. The following five steps lead to the production of raw soy pomace and (raw) soy milk that can be further processed:

1) Soak a cup of dried soybeans (about 180 grams) in a bowl of water overnight. Since the volume of the soybeans increases significantly when soaking, the water should cover the beans generously.

2) After the soaking process, pour the beans through a sieve and rinse them thoroughly with running water. For the subsequent processing you need a ratio of 3:1 (water: soaked beans).

3) Blend one cup of soaked soybeans with one cup of water until the ingredient has a creamy consistency (depending on the power of the blender, this will take 1½-3 minutes). Gradually add the remaining water while blending constantly. (The less water you use, the more concentrated the soy milk will be.)

4) Pour the pureed product over a linen or strainer cloth, which is placed in a suitable sieve over a collecting container. Alternatively, you can also stretch the cloth tightly and attach it to the container. It is important that you can apply pressure to the contents of the cloth with your hand, which will cause the soy milk to come out.

5) By pressing vigorously, the soy milk is separated from the solids. In this case, the "pomace" is okara.

You can dry it further to extend its shelf life, or freeze it fresh. You can find further steps for processing raw soy milk in our ingredients: soy milk, unflavored, unenriched or flavored soy milk .

Raw okara, like soybeans, must be cooked before consumption, otherwise it is toxic. In several tried-and-tested recipes, the authors give cooking or cooking times of around 20 minutes . Another option is to bake on a baking sheet at 150 °C (302 °F) for between 15 and 20 minutes; this is to obtain okara crumbs (or flour, which can be stored for several weeks). A scientific study found that soybeans, the basis of okara, were cooked for 20 minutes to reduce certain nutrient-limiting components by 80%. ²⁹ Based on this information, we recommend a cooking time of around 20 minutes at high heat.

Vegan Okara Hummus Recipe

Ingredients: For a creamy hummus, take around 230-240 g (cooked, not raw) organic okara (1¾ cups ^5.7 ), 60 ml lemon juice (¼ cup ⁸ ), 55 g tahini (or tahini, sesame butter, sesame paste, ¼ cup ⁷ ), 2 roughly chopped garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon cumin, ¾ teaspoon (or less) salt and 3-5 tablespoons water.

Preparation: Put all the ingredients in a blender with 3 tablespoons of water and puree everything until it forms a smooth mixture. If the hummus is too thick, add more water. Pepper or paprika can be used to taste, and sesame seeds can be used to decorate. Raw vegetable sticks, for example, go well with this.

Or try our recipe (vegan) for an okara radish pan with white cabbage .

In the cookbook Alles OKara, published in 2019, former Olympic cooking champion and author Bruno Wüthrich illustrates how soy pomace can enrich the daily menu and prevent food waste. ⁹

Vegan okara recipes can be found under the note: " Recipes that have the most of this ingredient ".

Purchasing - Storage

Okara is mainly known in Asian countries and therefore not so easily available in Europe. We have not come across okara in major retailers such as Coop, Migros, Denner, Volg, Spar, Aldi, Lidl, Rewe, Edeka, Hofer, Billa etc., nor in drugstore chains such as DM, Rossmann and Müller, or in large organic supermarkets such as Alnatura or Denns . Where can you buy okara? However, you can more often find it - fresh or dried (as okara powder) - in online shops, in Asian grocery stores and in well-stocked health food stores or organic shops. When buying, give preference to organic products.

If you want to shop locally to minimize transport, you can order ready-made organic okara balls from Rüti in Zurich (Switzerland) at farmy.ch or take a look at the company Futur Naturprodukte GmbH from Frutigen: They offer okara in organic quality (organic quality) in their online shop.

Many producers of soy milk or tofu put soy pulp into compost or have it processed into animal feed or biogas. Coop and especially Migros attribute this fact to a lack of demand for okara products. ⁹ It may be possible to save some of the soy pulp from being thrown away by expressing interest directly to the producer.

The production of tofu from black soybeans produces a grayish soy pulp, but we were unable to find any sources for it.

The availability of okara varies depending on the size of the store, catchment area, etc. If you are interested, click on our recorded food prices for the DA-CH countries (above under the ingredient image). There you will find current prices from various supermarkets and their price development.

Storage tips

Fresh soybean pulp spoils very quickly due to its high water content. It can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a maximum of one week. Dried as crumbs, it will keep for several weeks. ¹⁰ Fresh okara can be kept frozen for up to three months.

Ingredients - Nutritional values - Calories

Soybean pulp (when cooked) contains 7% protein, few carbohydrates and consists of about 80% water. ¹¹ The high fiber content, which is considered an advantage, probably refers to dried okara: The American USDA ( US Department of Agriculture ) does not provide detailed information on the content in fresh okara. In any case, in dried form (as okara powder or flour) it seems to contain four times the amount of fiber compared to wholemeal flour. ¹²

Baked goods made with fresh soy pulp or okara flour ¹³ are lower in calories and higher in fiber than the traditional versions (okara has 76 kcal/100g ¹¹ ) and can therefore contribute to weight loss when dieting. Scientific studies have shown that soy pulp suppresses weight gain in mice and prevents the increase in plasma lipids ¹⁴ - and that this effect is probably also observed in humans. ¹⁵ Similar results were obtained for soybeans. ¹⁶

According to Wikipedia, the quality of soy or okara protein is comparable to that of animal protein. Soybeans are not the only plant food with a complete amino acid profile, ie with all eight essential amino acids, but they do have a lot of them.Black beans have about half that, but also all eight - and there are other plant foods with all eight essential amino acids. Soybeans are the only vegetable food that contains all eight essential amino acids. ^17,18 These sources are therefore very wrong.

Worth mentioning in the nutritional profile are the amino acids threonine (0.13 g/100g) and lysine (0.21 g/100g), which cover 14 and 11% of the daily requirement respectively. Threonine and lysine are irreversibly transaminated and are actually the only two amino acids that are truly essential. ¹⁹

While lysine is important for maintaining muscle and connective tissue, threonine plays an important role in growth and uric acid metabolism. It is also an important building block of antibodies. Compared to whole legumes and seeds, soybean pulp contains relatively little threonine ( spirulina 3 g, soybean 1.8 g, lupine 1.3 g and unpeeled hemp seeds 1.3 g). Lysine levels are similar because okara only contains 3.5 g/100 g of protein, even though it is a soy product. This is due to the high water content of the soy pulp (> 80%).

Soy pomace also contains significantly less iron and starch than whole soybeans. The vitamin content of soybean pulp is also considerably lower.

Soy pulp is gluten-free and therefore suitable as a food for people with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease (gluten-sensitive or gluten-induced enteropathy).

Because okara is a product made from soybeans, it contains antinutrients: trypsin inhibitors, saponins and hard-to-digest lectins. These are largely neutralized by cooking. You can read more about this in the ingredient soybeans, ripe seeds, raw .

The complete ingredients (Okara nutritional information), coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in our nutrient tables below the ingredient image.

Health effects

Soy pulp is said to have the following positive properties: Experiments on mice have shown that it counteracts obesity and the increase in plasma lipids. It also showed a preventive effect against fatty liver disease (steatosis). ^14,22

Secondary plant substances

Many of the health effects of okara can be attributed to the secondary plant substances it contains. Our article on secondary plant substances provides an overview of the classification of the substance groups, their occurrence in foods and possible effects on humans.

Okara contains the following secondary plant substances: ^{37,38,39,41,42,43}

• Isoprenoids: Carotenoids : beta-carotenes, lutein; saponins; phytosterols
• Polyphenols: Phenolic acid: benzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, cinnamic acid and ferulic acid ; Phytoestrogens: isoflavones (daidzein, genistein and glycitein)
• Protease inhibitors : phytic acid

However, it is important to note that the composition of secondary plant substances in okara can vary depending on the variety, time of harvest and growing conditions. Therefore, quantities are only of limited use and should only be understood roughly.

Okara, like unprocessed soybeans, contains phytosterols. However, studies suggest that these phytosterols in okara also show poorer bioavailability due to their lower solubility. ⁴¹

Like other soy products, okara is a source of phenolic acids such as benzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, cinnamic acid and ferulic acid. ⁴³ They have antioxidant, antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic effects against carcinogenic substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which include car exhaust fumes, mycotoxins and nitrosamines. ⁴³

Consumption of soy and soy products is associated with a lower incidence of vascular diseases and cancer, especially breast cancer (soy contains phytoestrogens). However, research results are contradictory. ²⁰ Kristen Montgomery, assistant professor at the College of Nursing at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina, emphasizes the positive effect on vasomotor tone and arterial walls in cholesterol patients. She also notes better control of body weight, cholesterol levels, diabetes and the risk of cancer (breast and prostate cancer). ²¹

Phytoestrogens include isoflavones, most of which remain in okara during the production of tofu and can perform various biological functions. These include estrogenic activity, antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties, as well as anticarcinogenic properties. In addition to lowering cholesterol levels, isoflavones also help reduce bone mass loss. ³⁷

The health benefits of soybeans are mainly due to the isoflavone aglycones, which make up about 2-3% of the total isoflavone composition of the legume and, according to some studies, have a higher biological activity and are absorbed faster and in greater quantities than the glucoside forms. It has also been found that under the influence of solid-state fermentation, as is often done with okara, the total phenol content, the antioxidant capacity and the conversion of glucoside forms into aglycones improved. ³⁷

Important isoflavones in soybeans are daidzein, genistein and glycitein. Genistein is particularly known for its role in cancer prevention and treatment. ³⁹ Other diverse medical and physiological effects include the regulation of blood sugar levels in diabetes, influencing cancer resistance, protection against osteoporosis, the reduction of inflammatory processes caused by bacteria and the positive influence on heart disease. ⁴⁰

The fermentation of okara using certain bacteria makes it easier to digest and increases the availability and absorption of nutrients in the body. ²⁷ Fermented products in general lower cholesterol levels, have antioxidant effects ^23,24 and reduce phytic acid . ⁴²

Dangers - Intolerances - Side effects

Raw okara (eg from your own soy milk production) must be heated before consumption. Like the soybeans themselves, the pulp is poisonous when uncooked.

The food industry is increasingly turning to soya, and many milk substitutes for allergy sufferers and celiac patients now contain soya. Intolerances are not uncommon, but real allergies are. Cross-reactions with peas, peanuts and other legumes, as well as with birch pollen allergies, are possible. ²⁵

Also read the ingredients list for bread, rolls or hamburgers: These may contain small amounts of soy flour or okara.

Genetically modified soy is grown in the USA. So make sure you use GMO-free soybean pulp.

Use as a recognized medicinal plant

Soya lecithin (soy extract) is used in medicine for mild lipid metabolism disorders, especially hypercholesterolemia. ²⁶

Folk medicine - natural medicine

Thanks to the isoflavonoids, soy extract is said to help combat menopausal symptoms, improve liver metabolism and help lower blood lipid levels.

Ecological footprint - animal welfare

The increasing demand for soy and soy products for the animal feed industry over the last 50 years has led to large-scale deforestation of rainforests, particularly in South America, to make room for monocultures. ³² In addition to long transport routes for soy from these growing countries, changes in land use also play a major role in the ecological footprint . This is because the conversion of rainforests to arable land, particularly during slash-and-burn farming, releases the carbon stored in the trees and releases it into the atmosphere in the form of CO _2. ³³ Since okara is a product of soy processing, it can be assumed that the water consumption and CO ₂ emissions are roughly equivalent to those of tofu or soy milk.

Okara is a waste product. Ideally, this nutrient-rich food should be used as best as possible for human consumption (as described under "Use in the kitchen") in order to prevent the waste of resources. In reality, 50% of the okara produced is used in the form of soy flour or soy press cake as animal feed in intensive animal husbandry (to produce meat and eggs), the rest ends up as waste. ³⁴ Proper disposal plays a major role here. However, especially in Asian countries such as Indonesia, okara is often disposed of directly in the wastewater without further treatment. This can have a negative impact on the environment due to the high nutrient content. There are now initiatives to use okara as an energy source in the form of biogas. ^35,36

Worldwide occurrence - cultivation

Okara is a traditional ingredient in Japanese, Korean and Chinese cuisine. Since the 20th century, it has also been appreciated in the West.

Possible confusion

Soybean paste differs from tofu in the following respects: Okara is actually a waste product from soy milk production. Soy milk is made from the basic ingredients soybeans and water. This soybean pulp or the pomace that remains after pressing and filtering or skimming the soy milk is called okara. Tofu, on the other hand, is obtained by coagulating the protein components in the soy milk. Depending on how this soy curd is processed, you get different types of tofu.

The soy pulp okara is not identical to the fruit of okra. Okara comes from the pulp of the ripe seeds of the soy plant ( Glycine max (L.) Merr.), whereas the pod of the okra plant ( Abelmoschus esculentus ) is known as a green, cucumber-shaped capsule fruit.

Further information

The by-products of tofu production are okara (approx. 1.1-1.2 kg per kg of soybeans ^13.27 ) and soy whey. As described, soy pomace remains after pressing the soy milk (from soaked soybeans), soy whey after coagulation (of soy milk) to form soy curd.

In Switzerland, around 100 tons of okara are produced every month. Preserving this amount is currently too expensive for the food industry: in many cases, producers dispose of the soy pulp because the fiber-rich solid spoils very quickly due to the high moisture content. This is a waste of food that is criticized from an ecological, ethical and economic point of view.

According to a 2016 report, scientists from the Department of Food Science & Management ( FSM ) at the University of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences ( HAFL ) are investigating how raw materials such as soybean pulp could be used more efficiently and better integrated into the human diet (keyword: resource efficiency ³⁰ ). They are examining direct use in baked goods and vegan dairy substitutes. This requires more knowledge about physical, hydrothermal, enzymatic and fermentative treatment steps, ³⁰ which reinforces the conclusion of a scientific abstract (originally in English): The low solubility of okara protein makes it difficult to incorporate it into many food systems. Okara protein hydrolysates with improved solubility and other functional properties could serve as a cost-effective protein component in processed foods (functional foods) . ³¹

Soy pulp is considered the oldest of three types of soy fiber (along with soy bran and soy protein isolate).

Tempeh is obtained by fermentation with the fungus Rhizopus microsporus var. oligosporus, and red oncoma is obtained with Neurospora .

Alternative names

Sometimes you will also find the names soya pulp, soya pomace, soya bean pulp, soya mash or soya (press) cake for okara (usually referring to the animal feed). However, soya pulp is also known as biji, kongbiji, dòuzhā, dòufuzhā etc. The spelling soya pulp is occasionally read and the term 'soy egg protein' is incorrect.

In English, okara is called soy pulp, soybean residue, tofu lee(s) or tofu dregs. In China, a tofu dreg project or okara project refers to a poorly constructed building or a poorly executed government project with a risk of collapse.

Other uses

Okara is often used on farms as animal feed ²³ for pigs, chickens and dairy cows, especially near soy milk or tofu factories.

In addition to being used as animal feed, soy pulp is also used in industry as a fertilizer. It is spread over fields to be used as a nitrogen fertilizer. For this reason, it is also good for composting, as it can contribute organic nutrients and nitrogen.

Soy pulp is also used as feed for silkworms and is used in the production of ceramics. ²³

In China, soy porridge is also used for beauty care. Mixed with homemade almond milk, the soy pulp makes a pleasant facial mask.