If you are looking for substitutes for soy flour, here are a few things you should know; Soy flour is gluten-free, soy flour is an exceptional thickening agent and coating, and soy flour is good for baking too. So substitution would largely depend on what you want your soy flour for.
There are many end products of soybeans; tofu, soy milk, soy sauce, and soy flour. Soy flour is an excellent source of calcium and other chocked-filled nutrients.
Little wonder, baking experts recommend soy flour for not only its sweet taste but also its nutritional value and health benefits. Read on to know about other flours that can serve as a substitute for your soy flour in times of need.
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What you need to know about soy flour
The scientific name of soybeans is glycine max, a type of legume from the family of Fabaceae. And although soybeans have their origin in China, it is widely grown in other parts of Asia and South America.
Soybeans are nutritious and, since it has antioxidants and phytonutrients, the health benefits are mind-blowing. It helps in the reduction of health issues like coronary heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.
Read: 5 Best Substitute For Millet Flour
Best substitutes for soy flour
Now, let’s walk you through every one of these substitutes. Be patient enough because you would which are great for baking, thickening, coating, cooking, and the substitute for gluten-free.
Shall we?
1.Rice flour
Rice is a cereal plant; the seed complements a good number of dishes. Rice in its natural form is 100% gluten-free. So whether white rice or brown rice celiac is free from skepticism.
And as soy flour is an end product of soybeans, rice flour is the end product of rice.
Rice flour is an excellent substitute for soy flour because they share all most the same nutritional value. Above all rice flour has a plain and subtle flavor that is not too daring. So if you are worried that replacing soy flour with rice flour would affect the taste of your meal, worry no more!
Since rice flour is mild and adaptable, it would with ease blend into the recipe. And though rice flour is gluten-free, it would bake some foods too. Bake your muffins and cookies bread with rice flour and enjoy it!
2. Quinoa flour
Although quinoa is a flowering plant, it does a great job of replacing rice in recipes. It has a similar texture to the rice.
Quinoa is filled with nutrients; fiber, protein, and unique flavor add some nutritious light to the recipe you would use it for. Quinoa is ground into flour and then used to complement other recipes. The best part is if you are on a gluten-free diet, quinoa would do justice to your gluten-free recipe.
It has a mild and nutty flavor that won’t stand in the way of your ingredients. Use it in the same proportion as you would use your soy flour. Bake cookies, cakes, and bread with it to explore your culinary skills.
3. Buckwheat flour
Do you still need some flour for your diet recipe? Well, here’s another one.
Buckwheat is a healthy gluten-free food. The buckwheat relates to the rhubarb plant. The grain is versatile and can replace rice and other grains in some recipes that permit it.
And like quinoa, it has a high level of fiber, so if you want some additional fiber for your recipe, then allow buckwheat to do it right.
The health benefits of buckwheat speak for it as well. Buckwheat flour is an excellent substitute for soy flour. And like soy flour, it has a nutty and slightly bitter flavor, just in case you want to maintain a similar flavor to soy flour.
4. Coconut flour
Everybody can attest to the goodness coconut offers to any recipe it finds itself in. coconut added rice is a full course and tasty meal. It is notable for its fragrance and irreplaceable flavor.
Coconut flour is filled with nutritional value and its health benefits are admirable.
Congratulations, you just found an excellent replacement for your soybeans. However, if you plan on using coconut flour as a thickening agent, it might not do so great in it.
Coconut flour, because of its fragrance, might absorb a lot more liquid than you would expect. But if you would want to risk it, then you should adjust other ingredients. If you do that well, then you get a rewarding result.
If you are baking with coconut flour and you don’t want too much taste in it, ensure you add just a pinch. Whatever the case might be always check your recipe.
5. Lupin flour
If you are looking forward to achieving some fluffy texture, then lupin flour is a great achiever. Although it has some traces of bitterness in it, which can affect your food, it would do great as a substitute for soy flour.
Are you worried that the bitterness of lupin flour would alter the taste of your recipe? Then do not add too much flour.
6. Almond flour
Almond is a versatile staple in the kitchen that is widely used in many recipes. It offers great taste and nutritional value to whichever meal you use it in.
Almond has a light nutty flavor that is suited for baking. So it is a wonderful substitute for soybeans if the recipe is gluten-free then it’s a plus for you.
Note: almond has more moisture, so ensure you add other ingredients slowly to get the best measurements.
7. Legumes flour
Earlier in this guide, we said soybeans are a type of legume. And naturally, legumes are gluten-free.
So nothing would be more pleasing as a substitute for soy flour than other legumes. Legumes flour would do great replacing soybeans in whatever recipe you choose to add it to.
There is other flour to test our, urad flour, besan flour.
8. Chickpea flour
Chickpea is good food for your digestive organs. It is high in protein, and if you are looking forward to having a wide proteinous diet in your recipe, chickpea flour is excellent.
It has this umami flavor that would replace soy flour without altering the flavor. And if you are looking to enhance the taste of your recipe, chickpea is a great substitute for soy flour.
Fret not! Because this flour is not overwhelming, it won’t affect the other ingredients.
9. Wheat flour
Wheat flour is also an excellent substitute if you are not on a gluten-free diet. While it might be unhealthy for celiac, it is great for baking, so incorporate wheat flour in your recipe if gluten wouldn’t be an issue.
It is an outstanding substitute for soy flour. You can bake bread, biscuits, cookies, and even cakes with wheat flour. Wheat flour is high in protein.
10. All-purpose flour
This is non-gluten-free flour that most people use in varieties of recipes. All-purpose flour is also an excellent thickening agent in case you are looking forward to having a thicker soup, stew, or chili.
It is ground from hard red wheat or a blend of hard and soft wheat. Since it is versatile flour, you can use it to bake varieties of baked goods. Bake with all-purpose flour to get sweet bread, biscuits, pizza cookies, and muffins.
11. Water chestnut starch
This is made from dried ground water chestnuts. Although it is an excellent thickening agent, most people would use it for other purposes.
Water chestnut starch is a great substitute for soy flour when the need calls for it.
These are excellent substitutes for soy flour. Remember, ensure you know your recipe and how other substitutes can replace soy flour successfully.
For thickening agents: water chestnut flour and all-purpose flour are great substitutes for soy flour.
For baking: there is no better substitute than rice flour, quinoa, buckwheat, almond flour, chickpea flour, and coconut flour.
For gluten-free recipes: rice flour, buckwheat, lupin, legumes, almond, quinoa, chickpea flour, coconut flour.
Frequently asked questions
Are soy flour and soy powder the same?
No, soy flour and soy powder are not the same. Both are ground from soybeans, but the processes are different. While soy flour is roasted after grinding to improve flavor and digestibility, soy powder is made by cooking the soybeans before grinding.
Is soy flour an excellent thickening agent?
Soy flour is not just popular in baking and cooking, soy flour is also best at thickening thin stew, and chili. And it would do so without altering the original taste of your meal.
So yes, soy flour is an excellent thickening agent.
Read: 9 Best Substitutes For Cassava Flour
Conclusion
You can find excellent substitutes for soy flour if you are intentional about your recipe. And it would not cost you an arm and a leg to do so.
And if you are intentional, then you have a list of substitutes for soy flour; ensure you refer to this guide to see which one works best for you.
Properly use these substitutes by knowing what flour works for what recipe. This way, you achieve a remarkable result.