Sometimes we buy packaged food for convenience, and sometimes we believe that prepare them ourselves have to be difficult and expensive. This homemade soy yogurt is a clear example of how easy it can be to prepare food at home and in addition, we can save money.
To make homemade soy yogurt you're gonna need only two ingredients: soy milk and a starter (you can use store-bought or previously homemade soy yogurt or a yogurt starter powder). So simple and cheap.
I used to buy organic soy yogurt and it was quite expensive, but now I only need homemade soy milk and a homemade yogurt. That's all!
You only need to buy a store-bought yogurt or a yogurt starter powder for the first time, then you can use your own homemade soy yogurt as a starter.
You can also make homemade yogurt with others plant milks, we also make yogurt with coconut milk and a yogurt starter powder (we couldn't find coconut yogurt), it's really creamy, sweet and delicious.
We've used homemade soy milk, it's so cheap and easy to make, and it tastes so much better than store-bought, you should try! We'll share the recipe soon. Use not transgenic or genetically modified soy milk and with no additives, preservatives or sugar, you can add healthy sweeteners such as dates, stevia, coconut sugar, maple or agave syrup, etc.
We've used a teaspoon of agar agar powder for a thicker yogurt, but you can use other thickeners such as tapioca flour, carrageenan, corn starch or corn flour, xanthan gum, flax seed, etc. You can add more or less thickener, it depends on the consistency you want.
I have good news for you, you don't need any equipment, if you have an oven, you can make homemade yogurt! You only need to preheat the oven at 50 º C or 120 º F for a few minutes, turn off the oven and place the yogurt inside for about 8 hours.
You can add fruits, seeds and nuts to your yogurt, so it will be even healthier and more nutritious. This time we've added nuts, sesame seeds and goji berries, we love them!
We recommend you to make homemade soy yogurt, it's cheap and easy, and also it's healthy, creamy and it tastes amazing! If you don't like the soy flavor you can make homemade yogurt too, you only need your favorite plant milk and a yogurt starter powder and you'll make the best yogurt you can imagine. Seriously, it's awesome!
Soy Yogurt
Ingredients
- 4 cups soy milk
- 1 teaspoon agar agar powder
- ½ cup soy yogurt, or yogurt starter powder (the amount may vary, follow the package instructions)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 50º C or 120º F.
- Pour the soy milk in a saucepan, add the agar agar, stir and heat the mixture to 90º C or 195º F, but be careful because it shouldn't boil. You can use a thermometer, but it's not necessary.
- Pour the mixture in a bowl and let it cool to 40 or 50ºC (105º F or 120º F). If you don't have a thermometer you can put your finger in the mixture and when it's hot but not burn it's ready.
- Add the starter (soy yogurt or yogurt starter powder), stir and pour the mixture into glass jars or containers.
- Turn off the oven, place the glass jars or containers (without lids) inside and let stand for at least 8 hours. You mustn't open the oven during this process.
- Now you can cover the jars or containers and keep the yogurt in the fridge.
Maggie says
Hi and thanks for this recipe. I live in Spain, can you tell me where you purchased your starter?
Iosune says
Hi Maggie! You're so welcome 🙂 I bought it at a local drugstore in Seville. Have a nice day!
Jacqueline says
Hello ! I tried making a soy yogurt with a regular cows milk culture powder, and this morning it looks really good and thick but the taste is totally not like other soy yogurts i've tasted. I'm afraid to eat it because it tastes so weird. Have you ever tried to make soy yogurt with a milk yogurt culture?
Iosune says
Hi Jacqueline! I'm vegan, so I don't use animal foods. I can't help you, sorry!
Alejandra says
Hola! Muchas gracias por la receta. Quería saber como puedo hacer yogurt de frutas. En que momento se echan y que fruta queda bien para darle sabor. La idea es que el yogurt tenga algún sabor que le guste a mis niños como fresa o mango. Gracias de nuevo!!
Iosune says
Hola Alejandra! De nada 😀 Nunca he hecho yogur de frutas, así que no te puedo ayudar, lo siento!
Eithne says
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I've used it for a few weeks now. I made my first batch using a sachet of probiotic powder for my health food shop and a few tablespoons of each batch to start the next. I just use a large bowl with a lid on and pop it into my steam oven on the yogurt setting overnight. It has worked perfectly every time. I have also tried it in the dehydrator for a perfect result. I enjoyed reading all the comments too.
Iosune says
Hi Eithne! You're so welcome 🙂 Thanks a lot for your comment. Have a nice day!
Chua Xuan Yi says
Hi, how do I re-culture using the previous fermented yogurt? What's the ratio to fresh soy milk?
Iosune says
Hi Chua Xuan Yi! As you can see in the recipe you need 4 cups soy milk (1 liter), 1 teaspoon agar agar powder and 1/2 cup soy yogurt (125 grams). Have a nice day!
Nancy says
How many times can yogurt be used as a starter? For my first batch, I used plain soymilk and a store bought starter. Though the yogurt was a little runny, the taste was good. I don't want to keep using the store bought starter because it was rather expensive, but I don't know if I can keep using the yogurt itself.
Thanks!
Iosune says
Hi Nancy! You can make the yogurt and use it to make your next yogurt. Then you can use it again and repeat this process forever. Have a nice day!
Christine Salley says
Hello!My mom makes a delicious version of this. Unfortunately, her last batch came out with pink hue on top and an "off" smell.
What is this and can we still eat it??
No ingredients changed from her normal process.
Thank you!!
Iosune says
Hi Christine! I don't know, sorry! I wouldn't eat it, just in case... Have a nice day!
Deanna says
What do you do with the soy whey you get after straining your yogurt? There is so much and I hate to throw it away, but am not sure what to do with it. Any suggestions?
Iosune says
Hi Deanna! I discard it, so I can't help you, sorry!
Bunny says
Smoothie? Bread recipe? Gravy? Mashed potatoes? Soup?
Iosune says
Thanks a lot Bunny 🙂
JoAnn M Lakes says
You can use Okara for crackers, cookies, even dry it and use as soy flour. Try an "okara' search on google or Pinterest.
Iosune says
Hi JoAnn! Sounds great. Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂
bruce says
I don't have an oven...is it possible to just leave it at room temperature, or will it get moldy or just not grow at all? Also, is it possible to use soybean powder, and if so, should it be raw (uncooked) or cooked? I'm living in Korea where soybean powder is readily available in both forms, but I heard that raw is dangerous (actually mildly poisonous) so I'm wondering if the yogurt bacteria would change it to a safe form? I understand that the bacteria eat and digest the milk...so what do you think? I'd rather use raw because the cooked soybean powder has a flavor that doesn't match what yogurt should taste like.
Iosune says
Hi Bruce! I think it won't work, but you could try...I've never used soy bean powder, so I don't know. You could try these recipes: http://simpleveganblog.com/simple-vegan-cashew-yogurt/ or http://simpleveganblog.com/simple-vegan-coconut-yogurt/ You don't need an oven to make them. Have a nice day!
Bunny says
I think you can wrap the jars in a heating pad and leave it on low. That's what I'm going to try.
Iosune says
Hi Bunny! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂
Libera says
Hello,
Replacing the soy yogurt starter with a store bought soy yogurt, how much would I need to put?
Thank you
Iosune says
Hi Libera! ½ cup soy yogurt (125 grams). Have a nice day!
Elizabeth Hopswer says
Hi, Iosune
I've been making my own soy mild yoghurt for some time now (after having made it with cow mild for years the time I was only vegetarian). To begin with it was wonderful - taste and consistency, with only soy milk and 200g bought yoghurt and after that with my homemade one. But from one to the next time it was liquid. Even when I bought some as a new starter it wasn't any better - I don't know why. I still make it because I love the taste (it still tastes lovely) and as I add chia seeds to take it with me to work it is just fine. But it is weird nevertheless. How many soy beens do you use for the milk? Perhaps this is a reason. Do you use your homemade yoghurt WITH agar agar as a starter for the next one? If so, I'd have to try it out. Do you think guar flour might be another option? I'd prefer it without any additions though...
Thanks for your blog with all the delicious recipes - I love it! Liz
Iosune says
Hi Elizabeth! I've made this recipe using store-bought soy milk and also homemade soy milk (recipe: http://simpleveganblog.com/homemade-soy-milk/). No, the agar is not the starter, I use it to make the yogurt thicker. I've never tried guar flour, so I don't know if it could work... Have a nice day!
Iosune says
Hi Emily! I'm so sorry for the inconvenience, I'll try to fix it. Have a nice day!