Soyfoods Lighten Up Your Spring Celebrations
- Soyfoodscouncil
- 11 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Linda Funk
Executive Director
The Soyfoods Council
Photos Included
Ankeny, Iowa, April 15, 2025—Looking for light, luscious recipe ideas to celebrate Mother’s Day and Memorial Day? The Soyfoods Council suggests several new spins on springtime eating. Soyingredients such as edamame, canned black soybeans and tofu can lighten up classic fare and create new favorites.
For Memorial Day picnics, try feed-a-crowd favorites such as Edamame Bean Salad or Calico Beans.
Edamame Bean Salad adds high-quality soy protein and a note of freshness to classic three bean salad. One cup of frozen prepared edamame provides 18 grams of complete protein. A half-cup serving of canned black soybeans provide about 11 grams of protein, almost two times more protein than typical canned black beans. Make it with one can each of drained black soybeans, green beans and yellow wax beans, along with 2 packages of frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions. Add diced onion and celery to the beans. For the dressing, combine ½ cup soybean oil, ¾ cup vinegar and ½ cup sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Pour cooled dressing over the beans.
Calico Beans are the perfect make-ahead variation on baked beans, made in a slow cooker. Combine a 16-oz. can of baked beans, two 15-oz. cans of drained black soybeans, a package of frozen shelled edamame and 1 cup maple syrup or barbecue sauce. Add ¼ cup cooked pork or turkey bacon, broken into small pieces. Simmer on slow cooker’s high setting for 3 to 4 hours, or 6 to 8 hours on low.
Homemade Chocolate Tofu Ice Cream is an easy-to-make treat in an ice cream freezer. To start, microwave 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin in ¼ cup water for 15-20 seconds to dissolve gelatin. Stir in a cup of chocolate soymilk. In a blender container, add another cup of chocolate soymilk, 8 oz. of drained soft silken tofu and blend until smooth. Add gelatin/soymilk mixture to blender, with ½ cup chocolate syrup, ½ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Blend. Place in ice cream freezer container and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. A 3-ounce serving of silken tofu provides 8.5 grams of protein.
Soyfoods help you create easy, flavorful side dishes to serve with your favorite entrees forMother’s Day celebrations. Sweet Potatoes with Miso Butter can be presented Hasselback-style (thinly sliced partway through the skin, resulting in an attractive, accordian-like appearance). Cook the slicedsweet potatoes in the microwave. Meanwhile, mix 2 or 3 Tablespoons butter with 2 teaspoons red or white miso per sweet potato. Microwave the mixture for 30 seconds. Stir and continue to cook for 10 more seconds if not combined. Brush mixture on each cooked sweet potato.
For a robust, creative salad combination try Cauliflower, Butter Bean and Edamame Salad. The cauliflower is roasted. If desired, top the salad with grilled seafoodf or chicken. The bright-tasting dressing is made with soybean oil, fresh lemon juice, honey, chopped fresh basil leaves, Dijon mustard and minced garlic.
Easy dessert ideas include Chocolate Soynut Butter Pie. Use a pre-made graham cracker crust, and make the filling in a blender. Melt 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips and ¼ cup dark chocolate chips and ½ Tablespoon butter in a microwave safe bowl. In a blender container, combine ½ cup chocolate soymilk, a box of firm silken tofu, and ½ cup Wowbutter® (soybean nut butter). Add melted chocolate and blend until smooth. Add filling to crust and chill for at least 12 hours.
You’ll find complete, step-by-step recipes on The Soyfoods Council website at www.thesoyfoodscouncil.com. Download the free digital cookbooks: Just Add Soy and Easy Snackable Soy. The website is frequently updated with new recipes and the latest information on soyfoods and your health.
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About soyfoods and sustainability: Sustainability is a soy tradition. U. S. soybean farmers have been practicing sustainable agriculture methods for decades. Currently, 95% of U.S. soy growers arecommitted to sustainable farming practices and partner with the USDA to implement conservation programs. Soyfoods may play a significant role as a source of protein that minimally contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in comparison to other protein sources.
About the Soyfoods Council: The Soyfoods Council is a non-profit organization, created and funded by Iowa soybean farmers, providing a complete resource to increase awareness of soyfoods, educate and inform media, healthcare professionals, consumers and the retail and foodservice markets about the many benefits of Soyfoods.
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