Savor your family holiday traditions this year while including new ingredients in the mix. Consider incorporating soyfoods into your recipes, which add plant-based protein, fiber, and heart-healthy fats. Whether you adapt cherished recipes with soyfood swaps or create completely new dishes with soy, the results are delicious. Get started with these ideas.
Holiday Appetizers and Starters
Edamame Hummus
Crave-worthy dips are a staple for any memorable party spread. Add a bold pop of green color to the table with edamame hummus. To make edamame hummus, blanch frozen edamame in boiling water or the microwave. Puree the edamame with tahini (sesame seed paste), lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Accent with herbs and spices.
Edamame hummus provides 3 grams protein[i] and 2 grams fiber in a 2-tablespoon serving.
Edamame Salad Ideas
Sprinkling edamame into holiday salads adds a creamy texture, fiber[ii], and protein. 1/4 cup of frozen, prepared, edamame contains 2 grams fiber and 4 grams protein.
Edamame salad pairs deliciously with pumpkin seeds, lemon, avocado, soy sauce, crumbled bacon, carrots, diced roasted chicken (or leftover turkey), ginger, mint, onions, quinoa, scallions, mushrooms, or dried tart cherries.
Dry Roasted Edamame Snack Mix
Small details can make your guest feel extra special, like a custom snack mix with crunchy, dry roasted edamame. Complementary ingredient pairings include dried cranberries, tamari almonds, sunflower seeds, cashews, pistachios, and coconut.
Holiday Main Courses
Beef and Tofu Lasagna
Enjoy the meaty taste and texture of beef plus the nutritional benefits and creaminess of soy protein in the same pan. Brown ground beef and diced tofu together before layering in the lasagna pan.
Thanksgiving Tofu
Pressed, firm tofu produces a delicious Thanksgiving dish. Cut into squares, marinate with soy sauce, garlic and onion powder, sage, rosemary, and thyme, and bake.
Swap Butter with Soy Margarine
Buttery spreads and baking sticks made with soybean oil can be used in place of butter in many recipes, like mashed potatoes, dressing, gravy, candied yams, and muffins. For baking, when crispness is desired, consider using half plant-based buttery sticks and half real butter for optimal results, like in cookies and pie crusts. Buttery plant-based spreads and sticks are cholesterol-free[iii] [iv] and contain 1.69g and 1.56g of saturated fat per tablespoon, respectively.
Soymilk Recipes
It’s easy to swap soymilk into your favorite recipes, like in mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, quick breads, and pancakes. Use unsweetened soymilk in savory recipes.
Soymilk offers 6 grams protein[v] per 8-ounce serving. Sip cozy, warm drinks with soymilk, including hot chocolate, soy eggnog, and soymilk lattes.
Tofu Dessert Recipe
Vegan French Silk Pie
For a chocolaty, rich dessert, make vegan French silk pie. Puree silken tofu with melted chocolate chips and full fat coconut milk or coconut cream. Pour into a baked pie crust.
As you can see, the options are endless, simple, and easy for incorporating nutritious soyfoods into your favorite holiday recipes. Get cooking this holiday season with soy!
[i] Dudash, M. (2019). Clean Eating for Busy Families, revised & expanded. p. 41. Quarto Publishing Group USA, Inc.
[ii] U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. Edamame, frozen, prepared. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168411/nutrients. Accessed 11/7/2022.
[iii] U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172348/nutrients. Accessed 11/8/2022.
[iv] U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171038/nutrients. Accessed 11/8/2022.
[v] U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/175215/nutrients. Accessed 11/8/2022.
