Make delicious ivory silky soy milk at home in minutes (after a day or two of soaking the beans) and without using any special equipment – other than your pressure cooker!
Making your own soy milk means that you can carefully control the origin and quality of soybeans that go into the milk, there are no added preservatives and it can be flavored as you like. The whole soybean is used so nothing goes to waste – you get to keep and use the left-over nutritious bean pulp, called Okara, to bulk-up the nutrition of any baking project.
Figuring out the process
I first heard about making soy milk with the pressure cooker in this video from a nice Italian lady, but it just seemed too complicated, fussy and requiring the use (and clean-up) of too many tools – not hip.
Then, through a web ad no less, I discovered soy milk makers that soak, blend and cook the soybeans and turn them into milk for you. That’s when I realized I could make soy milk using tools I already had (immersion blender with chopper attachment, pressure cooker, and fine-mesh strainer) without unwieldy cleanup – totally hip.
I tried several methods, including cooking the soy first and blending it later and even adding Kombu for extra viscosity and nutrition – the results were hit-and-miss. In the end, I found that following the exact same process as soy milk maker appliance (soak, blend raw soy and cook) to be the least time consuming and the most reliable way to make soy milk at home. Oh… I’ve added an extra step (skimming) to ensure soy foam does not spray out of your pressure cooker to re-decorate your kitchen.
| Pressure Cooker | Accessories | Pr. Cook Time | Pr. Level | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 L or larger | none | 7-9 min. | High(2) | Natural |
(per serving)
- Serves: 4
- Serving size: 8 fl oz
- Calories: 113.4
- TOTAL Fat: 5g
- Saturated fat: .7g
- TOTAL Carbs: 8g
- Sugar Carbs: 2.3g
- Sodium: 38.8mg
- Fiber Carbs: 2.3g
- Protein: 9.1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- ½ cup (100g) organic yellow soybeans
- 5 cups (1250 ml) water, plus more for blending (see instructions)
- ½ teaspoon raw sugar (optional)
- 1 vanilla bean (optional)
- 1 pinch sea salt (optional)
- Soak the yellow soybeans 24 to 36 hours in abundant water. Strain, rinse and change the water about half-way through this soaking period (or every 12 hours if soaking longer). Strain and rinse the soybeans before using.
- In a small chopper, such as the one that comes with your immersion blender, add the soaked soy and ½ a cup of water.
- Puree at the highest setting (liquefy and/or turbo) for 90 seconds.
- Plop the raw soy pulp into the pressure cooker using a heat-safe spatula.
- Add the 5 cups (1250ml) water and mix everything together well - ensure that the contents of the pressure cooker do not exceed the ½ full mark.
- Bring the uncovered pressure cooker to a boil stirring occasionally with the spatula. You will know the soy is boiling when the foam increases in volume quickly.
- Using a skimmer, remove the foam from the top and discard and then wipe down the sides of the pressure cooker with the spatula with and give the contents one last stir.
- Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker.
- Electric pressure cookers: Cook for 9 minutes at high pressure.
Stovetop pressure cookers: Turn the heat up to high and when the cooker indicates it has reached high pressure, lower to the heat to maintain it and begin counting 7 minutes pressure cooking time. - When time is up, open the pressure cooker with the Natural pressure release.
Electric pressure cookers: Disengage the “keep warm” mode, or unplug the cooker, and open the lid when the pressure indicator/lid-lock has gone down (about 20 to 30 minutes).
Stovetop pressure cookers: Move the cooker off the burner and wait for the pressure to come down on its own (about 10 minutes). - In the meantime, prepare a wide-mouth pitcher or bowl, and add the sugar, vanilla bean and salt (if using) inside and top it off with a fine mesh strainer.
- Carefully pour the hot contents of the pressure cooker through the fine-mesh strainer. Then push down on the pulp with the spatula to wring out any remaining milk from the pulp.
- Mix the contents in the pitcher well and let cool and then remove and rinse off the vanilla bean to use for your next batch.
- Save the soybean pulp (Okara) for making other dishes such as home-made bread.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate - keeps for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- Shake before using.
Yields about 4 cups (1l) of soy milk.
This is a great recipe and I love making fresh soy milk. It is a good idea as suggested to soak the beans a day or two. It is best to soak them just as they are beginning to sprout or as they are sprouting. Soaking and cooking gets rid of the phytic acid that tends to block vital nutrients from being absorbed in the digestive tract and makes the food more digestible. Using the pressure cooker is the only way to go for soy or any bean milk. It makes it easier to strain out the skins too. This method saves a lot of labor.
Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge!
Ciao,
L
Thank you very much for this information. I cannot wait to try this method of making my own soy milk. I am wondering if you can share the brand of soy nuts you use from Italy. I am having no luck finding a European supplier.
With Gratitude
Shawna
Shawna,
I have it easy because I am in Italy. I would say to keep an eye out in the health-food bulk bin isle to see the origin of the soy beans and ask the store if they source soy beans from any other area. I’m looking online and will post a link if I can find it – readers feel free to do the same.
Ciao,
L
Laura
Thank you for your prompt response and excellent ideas. I will give my local Food Co-op a call. I will also continue to search online!
Sincerely
Shawna
Hi Laura
Thanks for this info – the cost of soya milk has gone up that much lately that I’m going to try making it at home. Just slightly confused re the vanilla – do you reuse the bean ? I think that’s what you are saying but wasn’t quite sure.
Thanks
Clare
Hi there..I am wondering if this works in an electric pressure cooker. I have an insta-pot. If it does , can I boil the liquid with the pressure cooker lid off? I really want to try this recipe. I also wonder if this milk will work to make yogurt in the pressure cooker? Thanks so much!!
Yes, you can use the Instant Pot. Use the “saute'” button to bring the contents to a boil without the lid, and follow the rest of the instructions as written.
I do not have experience making soy yogurt in the Instant Pot, but if you read the comments on the yogurt instructions page you’ll find lots of suggestions and ideas:
http://www.hippressurecooking.com/video-how-to-make-yogurt-in-instant-pot-duo/
Ciao,
L
I make soy yogurt all the time with the InstantPot. It works great. Follow directions in the manual for “Yogurt” setting. It’s very important to make sure you sterilize your utensils and work area to prevent contamination.
1) Add sugar and salt if soy milk is home made (i.e., not sweetened). Bacteria need this. 1 Tbs sugar and 1/4 tsp salt per quart of soy milk.
1) bring soy milk to a boil in InstantPot using “Boil” setting (“Yogurt” + “Adjust”).
2) cool in water bath to 110 degrees F.
3) add starter
4) “Yogurt” button, setting time = 12 hours
5) when yogurt is finished, set aside a cup in a sterilized jar as starter for your next batch.
Home made soy milk makes the best yogurt, because you can make really thick by using a higher soy beans to water ratio in the soy milk recipe. Experiment.
David, what’s your procedure for making the homemade soy milk?
Thanks for the response. I am going to try the soy milk in my instant pot.
Haven’t seen this post before and I thought I had seen them all:)
Have you tried making kefir with this soy milk?
No, I haven’t. I occasionally make this milk for my lactose-intolerant neighbor – she loves it – but I don’t consume it regularly myself. I only make kefir with whole milk.
Ciao,
L
Have you tried this with almonds – to make almond milk?
No, I have not. Almond milk is made by soaking raw almonds as far as I know!
Ciao,
L
Hello, trying out this recipe as we speak! Just a question about point 9.: any suggestion how to setup instant pot for high pressure but low heat as described above? Didn’t find this combination… Thanks for any tips or correction if I misunderstood.
Those instructions are for stovetop pressure cookers, I’ve updated the recipe so it’s clear that for electric pressure cookers you just need to punch-in 9 minutes!
Ciao,
L
Hi. Thanks for the recipe. In step 1, should that be “24 to 36 HOURS”?
Yes, it should be hours. I have added the word “hours” the recipe. Thanks!
Ciao,
L
This was much better than any store bought soy milk that I’ve ever bought. Even better, there are no thickening or smoothing agents.
Hi there, you mention using the leftover pulp for bread! Sounds great do you have a recipe?
Thankyou
No, I don’t have a recipe for including soy pulp in bread. I would say to weigh the pulb and reduce the amount of flour in a bread recipe by that much. It will be too much (since the soy pulp is wet) but then sprinkle in extra handfuls of flour until your bread mixture reaches the right consistency.
Ciao,
L
My old-fashioned stove top pressure cooker spat out half of the pump as soon as it reached high pressure… Any suggestions or ideas how to avoid such a disaster? Grazie! Lyne
The foam-related boil-over is similar to that which (beer) brewers experience, I think maybe for the same reason: long-chain proteins in the grain-based brewing liquor create a sort of “scaffold” that foam bubbles can build upon, and boy do they ever! :) A few drops of simethicone – often sold as a milky white liquid to help with infant gas in your supermarket – are a very safe way to prevent this from happening. Last batch of soy milk didn’t foam up or boil over at all, though ymmv.
As well, in that batch, I did a sort of double-boiler scenario: the soy mixture in a pressure-safe metal vessel inside my pressure cooker, with water in the bottom of the PC. While I didn’t observe any boiling of the soy mixture when the water bath was at a strong boil before sealing the PC, the results seem to have come out just as nice as previous batch. IDK if this also contributed to the lack of foaming.
Any ideas about pressure-*canning* the resulting milk? I’d love to be able to double the batch size and have shelf-stable cans of soy milk for a couple of weeks.
Hello, this recipe calls for 1/2 cup soybeans and 5 cups water, can you double that to 1 cup soybeans and 10 cups water to pressure cook all at one time, using a 6 quart pressure cooker? Or is the issue the amount of foam.
Thank you,
Judith
Thank you, I figured it out, guess I wasn’t figuring in the amount of foam.
Judith
Hi, thanks for this recipe! I’m excited to give it a try. I was wondering, how beany does this taste without adding vanilla? I’m trying to stay away from vanilla since it’s not local (and yeah, I am not completely local but trying to do what I can — baby steps!). Does the salt help remove the beany flavor? Any other tips for that? Others who’ve tried this, how has this tasted? I really enjoy Silk and Eden Organic’s soy milk at the moment. Thanks!
Sara, you can make it without the Vanilla, and if you don’t like the results just boil the finished product with vanilla.
Ciao,
L
Wow. Fantastic recipe that is so easy. I doubled the recipe and used my 8 quart Instant Pot. I ended up with 2 1/2 quarts of delicious soymilk. I have tried many recipes and 2 different soy milk makers. This recipe shines above all other attempts. Thank you.