What is Textured Soy Protein?

“What is textured soy protein?” is one of the most frequently asked questions when discussing plant-based ingredients rich in protein and easy to transform.

Textured soy protein is a versatile, dry, and protein-rich ingredient used to create plant-based products like burgers, meatballs, or sauces. It is also known as soy meat due to its fibrous appearance and its ability to mimic the texture of animal meat.

In this article, we explain how it is made, how to prepare textured soy protein, and why it could be an excellent option for your next recipes.

How to Prepare Textured Soy Protein

“How to prepare textured soy protein” is a common query, as it’s still a relatively unknown ingredient. Many people are unaware that it requires prior hydration before being incorporated into any recipe.

However, it is a standard ingredient in the food industry for making plant-based meatballs, veggie burgers, plant-based Bolognese sauces, or ready meal fillings.

Moreover, it easily absorbs marinades, broths, and seasonings, providing great potential for customisation to match different organoleptic profiles.

How to Make Textured Soy Protein and Enjoy It to the Fullest

If you’re wondering how to make textured soy protein to use as a plant-based base, here’s the usual process in 4 simple steps:

1. Rehydration: Add hot water in a 1:2 ratio. Let it hydrate for 15-20 minutes.
2. Draining and Pressing: Once hydrated, drain and lightly press it to remove excess water. This helps achieve a firmer, more consistent texture.
3. 💡 Tip: Rehydrate it in broth directly to help it absorb and retain more flavour.
4. Flavouring or Preprocessing: You can marinate it or mix it with seasonings. Its porous structure allows it to absorb flavours.
5. Final Application: It’s now ready to be used as an ingredient in fillings, meatballs, or veggie burgers…

This process can be adapted for industrial scale depending on the type of extruded soy used.

Benefits of Textured Soy Protein

If you’re developing meat-free products, reformulating recipes to improve their nutritional profile, or simply wish to add textured soy protein to your diet, here are some reasons why including it as an ingredient can make a difference:

• Source of plant-based protein, suitable for high-protein developments.
• High hydration capacity and flavour absorption.
• Can be stored at room temperature, ideal for long shelf-life products.
• Compatible with cooking, baking, or frying processes.
• Customisable flavour and texture, adaptable to multiple categories: refrigerated, frozen, or ambient dishes.
• Competitive cost compared to other plant-based protein sources.
• Can also be mixed with meat to reduce the percentage of animal-derived raw materials, maintaining juiciness and adding fibre. This helps reduce costs in meat formulations without losing nutritional value or texture.

What Are the Properties of Textured Soy Meat?

Commonly known as “textured soy meat”, it is made through an extrusion process from defatted soy flour. This gives it a fibrous structure, ideal for plant-based developments.

These are its main technical and functional properties:

• Chewy, fibrous texture similar to meat.
• Excellent liquid and marinade absorption capacity.
• High water retention, improving industrial performance.
• Can be combined with other ingredients like vegetables, legumes, or cereals.

Other Properties of Textured Soy Protein

Nutritional Characteristics of Textured Soy Protein

Textured soy protein is distinguished by its high content of plant-based protein and fibre, making it an ideal ingredient for high-protein formulations. Additionally, it is low in saturated fat, contains no cholesterol, and is suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets.

Depending on the type of extruded soy and the processing method, it can offer an excellent nutritional profile, being useful both in plant-based products and flexitarian developments, also known as hybrids

Complete, High-Quality Protein

Textured soy protein contains all essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. Its nutritional quality is comparable to that of animal sources, but without the associated drawbacks.

Low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol-Free

This ingredient is naturally low in saturated fat and free from cholesterol, two attributes increasingly valued in healthy and sustainable products.

Natural Source of Iron, Calcium, and Magnesium

In addition to protein, textured soy provides essential minerals such as iron (key for preventing anaemia), calcium (important for bones), and magnesium (crucial for the nervous and muscular systems).

These properties make textured soy protein ideal for functional products that are nutritionally balanced and aligned with evolving consumer demands.

Applications of Textured Soy Protein in the Food Industry

Thanks to its versatility, texture, and nutritional value, textured soy protein has become a benchmark ingredient among plant-based alternatives to meat.

Use in Meat Alternatives such as Vegan Burgers and Sausages

It is a key ingredient in plant-based burgers, nuggets, vegan sausages, and meatballs. Its firm texture after hydration mimics meat and easily absorbs seasonings.

Incorporation in Ready Meals and Convenience Foods

It is also used in ready meals, fillings, stews, Bolognese sauces, and school meals, providing plant protein without altering flavour or appearance.

How to Rehydrate and Cook Textured Soy Protein for Different Textures

Rehydrating textured soy protein is straightforward: simply soak it in water or broth for a few minutes. The longer the soaking time and the more liquid used, the juicier the result. This allows for texture adjustment according to the application.

For all these reasons, textured soy protein’s properties position it as a strategic ingredient for the food industry: economical, functional, and aligned with new consumption habits.

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