Instead of throwing away the okara (soy milk pulp) left over from your homemade soy milk, turn it into this creamy, zesty Okara Hummus!
My friend is a genius.
I have a new friend from America that recently moved to our city and she has been such a gift to me. She makes me laugh as much as my sister does--and that's saying a lot. She also loves to watch movies, drink boba tea, experiment in the kitchen, eat vegan food, etc.
Plus, she's a soy milk drinker.
Yay for creamy, dreamy soy milk!
Not long after she moved to China I helped her buy a soy milk maker like the one I've been using for over a year. Soy milk makers (I don't know what else to call them) really are a brilliant invention and I've definitely gotten my money's worth out of mine, considering a bag of soy beans costs less than a dollar and I make about 1-2 liters of soy milk a week. I also love that, unlike the soy milk you buy in cartons in America, this soy milk is made with just two ingredients: soy beans and water. No need for any of those weird additives and thickeners!
What is okara?
My friend had never tried okara before until she bought her own soy milk maker. Okara is the pulp left over after you make and strain soy milk. It's basically watery soy bean pulp and it's delicious. My friend has been eating it by itself with her fingers and mixing it into her oatmeal ever since she discovered it. But she also had the brilliant idea that, since it's basically beans, we should try to make hummus out of it. Now why didn't I think of that?!
How can I add okara to other foods?
In addition to using okara to make hummus, there are lots of different ways you can add okara to your food. It is naturally pretty bland so you don't have to worry about it adding a potent bean-y taste to your food. You can add it to smoothies, oatmeal, and baked goods for added nutrition or volume. I find it has the consistency of pumpkin puree, so sometimes I'll use it as I would pumpkin puree in baked goods. You can also use it to make delicious vegetable "crab" cakes!
How long does okara last? Can you freeze okara?
If you don't plan to use the okara leftover from your soy milk right away, I would recommend freezing it. There have been countless times that I've placed it in some tupperware in the fridge with good intentions to use it later, only to forget about it. A few days later I remember I have some in the fridge, but by that point it's already gone bad. I find okara doesn't last much longer than three days in the fridge before spoiling. So yeah, definitely use your okara right away to make something else or freeze it for later!
Is okara healthy?
I know there's a lot of controversy over soy products and whether or not they're harmful to our bodies, so I suggest you do your own research. As for me, I'm okay with eating soy at the moment and am going to fully embrace this creamy, cheap ingredient! However, I do think it's best to buy organic soy products when possible. Since okara is the pulp from soy beans, it contains lots of fiber, protein, and calcium and can be a great addition to oatmeal, smoothies, baked goods and especially this homemade okara hummus!
Can you eat okara raw?
I have only used okara that is leftover from making homemade soy milk. I use a soy milk maker which heats my soy milk and therefore cooks the okara. However, I don't recommend using raw okara that has not been heated or cooked!
Other okara recipes
In addition to this delicious okara hummus, there are lots of other amazing okara recipes available. Be sure to check out some of the ones below and let me know if you try any of them out! If you happen to be someone who makes their own soy milk, I'd love to know how you make use of your leftover okara!
Unohana - Sautéed Okara with Vegetables
Okara (Soy Milk Pulp) Hummus:
Please rate the recipe (in the recipe card), leave a review, and share it with others.
I'd also love to see your creation! If you make this recipe, please take a picture and tag #theconscientiouseater on Instagram so I can see it!
Okara (Soy Milk Pulp) Hummus
Instead of throwing away the okara (soy milk pulp) left over from your homemade soy milk, turn it into this creamy, zesty Okara Hummus!
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups Okara*
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 3-5 tablespoons water or olive oil*
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients, starting with just 3 tablespoons of water, into your food processor or high speed blender and blend until smooth.
- Add more water if the hummus is too thick or until you reach your desired consistency.
- Add more spices to taste.
- Store in an airtight container in your fridge.
Notes
*Make sure that your okara has been heated or cooked and then cooled before using. Don't use raw okara!
*The amount of water or olive oil you add depends on how thick you want your hummus to be or how strong your blender is
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Nutrition Information
Yield 5 Serving Size ½ cupAmount Per Serving Calories 117Total Fat 8ggSaturated Fat 1ggTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 368mgCarbohydrates 8gNet Carbohydrates 0gFiber 5gSugar 0gSugar Alcohols 0gProtein 4g
Nutrition information provided by verywellfit.com
Shelly says
This is really delicious! My only note would be to encourage people to use water instead of olive oil, or at least limit the oil to 1 TBS as I did. It's fabulous and rich with 1 TBS. 3-5 TBS would add 42-70 grams of fat and 360-600 calories to the dish. Considering most people are already consuming more fat than they need, cutting back in areas where it's easy to do so needs to be encouraged! Thanks for sharing this recipe - my successful first time playing around with Okara.
Faith VanderMolen says
Thanks for sharing these tips Shelly! Yes, substituting the oil with water or even aquafaba is a great way to cut back on fat and calories if needed.
Wei says
Would be helpful to explain the amount of water present in okara so that readers can ajust the moisture level of their own okara. A simple way to do that is to give the weight of dry soy bean and the weight of okara after your milk extraction before being used as an ingredient in this recipe.
Faith VanderMolen says
Thanks for the suggestion and tip Wei!
Jacq says
Hi! may I know what I can replace tahini with? thanks!
Faith VanderMolen says
Hi Jacq! Unfortunately the tahini is a pretty important ingredient in hummus, but you could try to omit it and just add more water or olive oil. You could also try substituting a more neutral tasting nut or seed butter such as cashew butter. I haven't tried either of this substitutions, but I hope you're able to find something that works for you!
ana says
I used sesame oil and it tasted so good!
Faith VanderMolen says
That's great to know Ana! Thanks for sharing!
Tom says
You should really put a warning on this as raw okara is generally not safe for human consumption. Some recipes for tofu have raw okara that is squeezed out, and using this could lead to poisoning. I learnt this after I had made this and given it to my dad, and am now worried about the consequences.
Faith VanderMolen says
Hi Tom! Thanks for your comment. I wrote this post using soy milk pulp leftover from making soy milk in a soy milk maker. My soy milk maker would heat the milk, and therefore my okara was never raw, but I never thought about people wanting to use raw okara from other homemade products like tofu. I'll definitely include a warning!
Olga says
This is why I asked a question about you boiling it.
Because I've been making tofu for almost a decade without ever boiling okara.
There are multiple ways how to make tofu 🙂
And I totally agree with Tom that this recipe without a warning can cause unwanted damage!
Olga says
Do you boil okara before you make hummus out of it? 🙂
Faith VanderMolen says
Hi Olga! Okara has technically been cooked before making the hummus. When making soy milk, the milk has to be heated up. So when you strain the milk to get the okara it has already be cooked through. So no, you don't have to boil the okara before making hummus...super easy right?! I hope it works out for you!
Olga says
Hmmm I guess you have a different tofu making recipe!
I soak soybeans overnight and then blend then with water and strain!
Then I boils the liquid and add lemon juice and make super firm tofu out of that!
So my okara is always raw!
Faith VanderMolen says
Oh sorry for the confusion Olga! I use okara from soy milk, not homemade tofu. So good question...maybe it would be best to somehow cook the okara before you use it in the hummus. I'm not as familiar with okara from tofu, so I'm sorry I can't give you a more specific answer!
Keira says
Whoa - ah-mazing.
I've just made my first batch of soy milk ever and you were fortunately my first find when I googled 'what do I do with all that pulp..?'
Delicious, ingenious.
Thank you and happy new year!!
Faith VanderMolen says
So glad you found my recipe and enjoyed it Keira! Thanks so much for commenting to let me know. Isn't it so cool how soy beans can give you both milk and hummus?! Enjoy and Happy New Year!
Jim Comer says
I made this and sent the recipe to a hummus-crazed pal. Tasty stuff!
Faith VanderMolen says
So good to hear Jim! Glad you could share the deliciousness too:) If you have a minute to rate the recipe using the stars in the recipe card, that would be so helpful. Thanks again Jim!
Jenai says
Yes!!! This was an amazing idea and there’s so many variations of this so I’m so excited. Just made it then. Thank you for sharing!
Faith says
That's great news Jenai! Thanks so much for sharing your success with us!
Loretta Joseph says
Just tried this it is delicious! I added olive oil and cayenne. I have tossed out a lot of okara. Not anymore! "Free hummus!" Thank you!
Faith says
That's great to hear Loretta! And the addition of olive oil and cayenne sounds amazing. Thanks so much for sharing! If you have a minute to spare, I'd so appreciate if you added a star rating for the recipe. That would really help my blog out! Thanks!
Denise says
I made fresh soy milk yesterday in a Presto Pure maker and didn’t know what to do with the pulp so put it in the fridge. Your recipe came up in a search on Google. My okara was a bit wet so I didn’t add water. It was tasty but even though I have a powerful food processor the mixture wasn’t creamy enough for my husband so I added a can of drained garbanzo beans and adjusted the ingredients for the added volume. Delicious! I will be using okara to add more fiber to our hummus now. Whenever I make soy milk I will freeze the okara like one other person who commented here does to have it handy in recipes instead of throwing it away. Great way to get more fiber and use the okara! Thanks so much!
Faith says
I’m so so glad you found a way to use that leftover Okara Denise! It sound like you got your first batch to work with the added chickpeas. Enjoy experimenting and thanks so much for sharing!
Evan says
Great Idea!
I love beans, love hummus and soy milk. So I finally took the plunge and bought a soy milk maker yesterday!!!
I also hate to waste food products and was a bit distressed about what to do with the spent beans, now I have a great solution and if I make the Hummus immediately after making the soy milk everything will be easy to clean and fresh!
Thanks for a great idea and recipe to follow.
Faith says
We have a lot of similar loves! So glad this recipe will be helpful for you Evan! Let me know what you think of the hummus once you give it a go!
eliz says
I'm new to making soymilk, but actually like the taste of plain okara with a bit of salt. I will definitely make the hummus. Does okara hummus last the same amount of time in the fridge as other bean hummus? My chickpea hummus lasts at least a week, but when I was researching okara, it mentioned it spoils quickly?
Faith says
Hi Eliz! I have a friend who loves okara too and eats it plain. I don't mind it either, but probably prefer it in hummus. I think mine has lasted about 5-7 days, but I can't remember exactly. You could try freezing half and just letting it thaw in the fridge once you finish the first half?? I hope it works out for you!
moo says
Is your okara cooked or raw? My soy milk method leaves the okara raw/uncooked -- will this be a problem? The taste seems fine, just worried about the longevity in the fridge.
Faith says
Hi! Good question. I'm guessing mine is cooked because I use a soy milk maker which heats up the milk after blending the beans and water together. I'm not sure how this would work with raw okara! I would love to know how it works out for you!
Ian says
Oh we just had a little taste of the okara hummus and it’s simply delicious. I never afraid to do my own thing. This time I added quite a bit more. I used half of the water and half soy milk from the milk we made. I also added 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I had mint and basil pesto leftover from a batch I made yesterday- about 2 tablespoon full and a pinch of lemon pepper (1/8 tsp), and the same amount of black pepper. Spread on whole-wheat and flax crackers, we had to control ourselves. Thank you Nichola for the inspiration and so easy to make.
Faith says
I am so glad you liked this recipe Ian! Thanks so much for sharing and for including all the fun add-ins you experimented with!
Nichola Todd says
Thank you for this recipe! I usually make "chicken" nuggets out of them but this looks really good.
Faith says
Hi Nichola! First of all, you have a beautiful name. Also, that's such a fun idea to make "chicken" nuggets out of okara. I'm hoping to come up with more creative ideas like that for the future too. I hope you can try out this hummus though. It's delicious and so easy to make!
di tulan says
I make soybean milk and also eat the okara at the end adding some chocolate powder or honey. It is much convenient. I have searched a lot if any bad effect in eating okara like this but could not find any. Does anyone have the idea.
Faith says
That sounds like a delicious way to use up leftover okara to me! And I haven't studied the nutritional benefits (or concerns) of eating lots of okara. Hopefully someone else can speak into this question. Thanks for sharing!
Ruth says
Thanks so much for this recipe. Finally have a way to use up the okara.
Faith says
So glad it was helpful Ruth! And you have my sister's name:) Beautiful!
Wiebke says
Hi Faith,
thank you for sharing this recipe. I followed Karissa's example and only stirred the ingredients; that works quite well (and spares you having to clean a blender). I used a bit less garlic and a bit more tahini, and replaced the water with olive oil - there's enough water in the okara, I think, and it adds tastiness. Me and my husband really enjoyed this hummus.
As we both drink the homemade soy milk, there's plenty of okara left. Your hummus is a great way of using it - maybe you have more ingenious ideas what to do with it, if there is no appetite for hummus?
Faith says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for letting me know and for sharing your tweaks. I hope to come up with more ways to use okara in the future. I hate to throw it away! Thanks again!
Becki says
I make my soy milk with just a vitamix and nut milk bag and cook the milk it after straining it, so the okara is raw. I'm thinking the soy milk maker may cook everything, so the pulp is cooked. Does it need to be cooked for this hummus? I don't want to get a stomach ache!
Faith says
That's a good question that I don't have the answer to Becki! I would think it would need to be cooked. I wish I could give you a definite answer, but I can't. I hope you find a solution! Let me know!
Ann-Jane Wong says
I use the soy milk maker to make almond milk...wanted to know what to do with the pulp...used it in a chicken dish to thicken the sauce... I am sure there are other uses for the pulp...would appreciate any suggestions.
Faith says
That's so cool you use almonds in your soy milk maker. I hope to experiment more with different nuts and grains once I get back to China. As for the pulp, I believe you can lay it out flat on a baking tray and bake it at a low heat until it becomes dehydrated. Then you could use that as almond flour. You could also just add the pulp to smoothies or oatmeal for added nutrition!
Lorraine Humes says
I like to put nut pulp in waffles or bread. It also makes a good addition to pasta sauce or some kinds of soups.
Faith VanderMolen says
That's a great idea Lorraine! Thanks for sharing!
Dinnerbelle says
Soy milk maker? I thought that was a Vitamix and nut milk bag, will look into
It? Have you tried mixing okara and garbanzo in your hummus yet?
Faith says
There are at-home methods to making Homemade Soy Milk but I have a specific soy milk maker which I love! And I've never mixed okara and chickpeas together, but I'm sure I'd love it. Thanks for the suggestion!
Louise says
Hi Faith! I can't wait to try this. But first I need to buy a soy milk maker. I have been vegan for 6 years, and vegetarian some years before that and never heard of one of these. And I love to cook vegan food - surprised I never heard of one of these beauties. May I ask what brand did you buy or recommend? Thanks so much. Love your blog!
Faith says
Hi Louise! I hadn't heard of a machine like this until I moved to China either, but they're amazing! I have the Joyoung brand, which I bought off Taobao in China and I love it. I'm sure you can find it off some American websites as well. I haven't tried any other brands, so don't have any other recommendations, but I do love my Joyoung brand. I hope you find one you like and can use for years!
Jane says
I made my own soy milk, way back when, in the early 70s. I would love to have a soy milk maker and get into drinking soy milk again. The store bought is so inferior. And it wasn't too hard, just took a while. And I had 2 toddlers on me! Maybe I have more time to do it from scratch again! Thanks for the inspiration! I loved it hot with honey in it right after I made it before it cooled. Yum
Faith says
I'm impressed you can make homemade soy milk Jane! I've tried it once, but my soy milk maker is a life saver, considering how fast I drink soy milk. I hope you can get back into it soon and use the leftover okara for fun experiments!
Danielle says
Hello Faith! I will certainly try your recipe. Sone people point out that the okara from one recipe of soymilk to another might give a wetter okara. Is it possible to give the weight of your okara that you use for this recipe? And also, this machine to make soymilk is very interesting, but I am wondering if tou find a difference taste wise between the soymilk made let’s say by hand and the one made by your machine. Are the thickness and taste the same?
Faith VanderMolen says
Hi Danielle! Thanks so much for your comment! Unfortunately I don't have my soy milk maker anymore (and therefore don't have Okara) so I can't weigh it out or you. I'd just start with less water and add more as needed!
Dean says
I just bought a midzu soy milk maker. It also does soup very well (assuming you like smooth soup). It is very easy to use and produce decent soy milk). It's a bit expensive (about£100) but where I live, soy milk costs about £3 for a litre so and tofu is pretty much non-existant. 100g of dried beans (soaked for 8 hrs) makes 1.5 litre of milk and take 28 minutes.
Faith says
Thanks for sharing Dean! And I definitely think that soy milk makers eventually pay for themselves with how much you save on making it at home. I'm glad that you shared about the Midzu brand as well. Thanks!
angelita says
Happy to have found this blog, thank you!
1 question, no Olive oil needed?
Faith says
So glad you found my blog and said hi! And I find that I like hummus just the same with or without olive oil so I often omit it. It's not needed in this recipe!
angelita says
Awesome! Thanks for your reply! Trying it out right now!
Faith says
I hope it works out for you Angelita! Let me know the results!
Beverly says
I just did an Internet search of, "okara hummus," and got your site with this recipe. I made it immediately from fresh soybean pulp in my "Jamba" blender (sold by Jamba Juice, a juice restaurant in the US), and it blended the okara as finely as store-bought hummus, and it's delicious!
I am so excited that I will be able to use all my protein-packed soybean pulp/fiber that I've been storing in the freezer for the past 2 months. I couldn't bare to toss it, but I can only drink so many smoothies! I had tried to make crackers and bread with it, and only the crackers were edible and I still ended up throwing half of them away. Finally a recipe that is healthy & delicious!!
Thank you for this recipe! I will be making my own soybean hummus every week now. Yum!!
Faith says
Hi Beverly! Yay, that's great news! It always killed me to throw so much goodness away so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe and can make use of your okara too. Thanks so much for sharing and keep on enjoy your hummus!
Martina says
Thanks for the idea, I will be definitely trying this. I have some frozen okara, do you think it will be ok to use this?
Faith says
Hi Martina! If you thaw the okara completely before making the hummus, it should work out fine. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Sophie says
Thanks for this recipe, just made it with leftover black soybeans leftover after making soy milk.
It's delicious!
Faith says
Wow, black soybeans. That sounds amazing. I'm so glad the recipe worked out for you. Thanks so much for letting me know!
P. says
Soy milk makers are one of the best things about having lived in China. My dad also uses ours to make that sweet almond soup dessert which I thin into almond milk. And I suspect you can make a lot of other nut milks with it too. I love the idea of using the pulp to make hummus, shall try it this week!
Faith says
My language teacher has been telling me all the other milks and soups I can make with my soy milk maker, but I've yet to start experimenting. I would love the Sweet Almond Soup Dessert recipe if your father still has it! Please let me know if you make the hummus and how it turns out. Thanks!
Karissa says
Yum! I can't wait to try this. My soy milk maker came yesterday and I made three batches today. Unfortunately I threw out the okara but I'll definitely put it to good use next time!
Faith says
Wow. You already bought a soy milk maker?! So great Karissa! And glad you'll have a recipe to use the Okara for. Let me know what you think!
Karissa says
I've been making soy milk for the past week and a half and I love love love it. I kept the okara each time but was a little intimidated by trying to make it into hummus and ended up tossing it. I shouldn't have been worried. I actually didn't blend the ingredients. I just used my garlic press to break that down but stirred everything else in. My husband, six kids and I all loved it. I will be doing this probably every other day! Delicious!
Faith says
This makes me so happy Karissa! So glad you found an easy way to make it without having to whip out a blender too and that your husband and 6 kids (wow!) enjoy it as well. I'll be making another batch today. Thanks!!