Small legume, great satisfaction! I believe I am kicking off the year very well. I am cooking soy beans, need to say more? Do I need to say that soy beans contain lot of proteins (approximately 35%), lipids (20%) most of them unsaturated (the good ones) and that they help lower cholesterol and protect the arteries from the attacks of animal fats?

Maybe this is all well known to you. What you may ignore, instead, is that soybeans must be considered and used for what they are: just legumes, not a miracle! Therefore, they should not be consumed daily, but just two or three times a week. Warnings being said, now let me go to the core of this post and introduce you to my hearty recipe. Heart-shaped soy bean veggie burger (or patties if you prefer).

Let’s be honest: soy beans do not taste like a yummy legume, they are beans with a faded, slightly perceived by the taste buds, flavor. Therefore, it is necessary to spice them up. Supplement them with other vegetables, too. In my recipe you will find plenty of soy beans but also carrots and zucchini. What about the final result? The visual result is shown in the following pictures. And the taste? Simply great. My mum’s word.

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Hearty Soy Bean Patties

  • 200 g dry soy beans
  • 2 grated zucchini
  • 2 grated carrots
  • 100 g bread crumbs
  • 40 g flour (optional, to thicken the mix, if needed)
  • half tsp chilli powder
  • olive oil
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • salt and pepper
  1. Drain and rinse beans in a colander. Soak them overnight in warm water.
  2. Change the water and cook the beans for about one hour.
  3. Stir fry the grated vegetables for a few minutes in a pan.
  4. Once the beans are cooked mash them up as best as you can with a fork. You get the best result if you use a food processor (with a little bit of cooking water). Add 2 tsp of olive oil while blending, then the spices, turmeric, chilli, salt and pepper.
  5. Mix the soy beans paste in a separate bowl with the vegetables. You can taste it now and see if you want to add salt or more chilli powder or other spices.
  6. Shape it into large patties. Coat both sides of the patties in the crumbs. Let them rest for a while.
  7. Heat the oil (not too much, just a thin layer) in a skillet over medium heat.
  8. Fry on both sides until very crisp and brown; this will take about 2-3 minutes on each side.