Light and Satisfying Soyfoods Salads for Summer
- soyfoodscouncil
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
Linda Funk
Executive Director
The Soyfoods Council
Photos Available Upon Request
Ankeny, Iowa, May 13, 2025—In summertime, the living gets easier when you incorporate soyfoods into simple salads. The Soyfoods Council suggests the following ideas to lighten up your mealsand reduce time in the kitchen.
Soyfoods add protein to summer salads. Did you know that a serving of water-packed tofu or silken tofu provides approximately 8 grams of protein to salads? One cup of minimally processed edamame (fresh green soybeans) adds18 grams of protein, and contributes color and texture as well.
Similarly, a half-cup serving of canned black soybeans provides about 11 grams of protein, almost twice the amount found in typical canned blackbeans. Add edamame or black soybeans to your three-bean salad recipes, or sprinkle either one into tossed salads to add a quick burst of protein.
Soyfoods enhance salad dressings. Don’t overlook the culinary and health advantages of addingsilken tofu and soybean oil to salads. Both are versatile pantry ingredients for creating memorable dips and dressings. Tofu Ranch Dressing features a package of drained soft silken tofu, 5 Tablespoons soybean oil and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice. It’s made in a blender or food processor, and flavored with garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, salt and pepper. Enjoy it as a dip or a dressing.
Silken tofu makes a variety of other rich, creamy dressings, too. It also adds 8.5 grams of high-quality soy protein per 3-ounce serving. Tofu is a complete plant protein, meaning that it contains all nine essential amino acids that the body can’t produce on its own.
For salads, soybean oil is not only an ingredient that’s easy on your budget, it’s low in saturated fat, high in polyunsaturated fat, and contains both essential fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6. Soybean oil carries a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) qualified health claim because it may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease when used to replace saturated fat in the diet. To make an easy, all-purpose salad dressing, combine 4 Tablespoons soybean oil, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon each of Dijon mustard and honey. Add finely chopped fresh basil and minced garlic, with salt and pepper to taste. The dressing is ideal for Roasted Cauliflower, Butter Bean and Edamame Salad.
Sweet salads with tofu can double as dessert: When you go with berries galore, ambrosia saladjust may have to move over a little to make room for another sweet summery idea: Mixed Berry Delight.
Tofu, with its mild, neutral flavor, can help create sweetly satisfying recipes. Based on a recent survey from the International Food Information Council (IFIC), nearly 80% of Americans say it’s important to reduce sweetness in their diets in order to eat healthier, manage blood sugar, diabetes or weight, and support dental health. On the other hand 58% prefer sweetness as their favorite taste.
Mixed Berry Delight calls for a package of water-packed firm tofu (drained). Cook 16 ounces of frozen mixed berries cooked with 2½ Tablespoons cornstarch and ½ cup sugar until thickened. Allow to cool. In a blender container, blend 8 ounces cream cheese and tofu. Fold in 8 ounces whipped topping. Cool berry mixture is cool; fold into the tofu/cream cheese mixture. Chill. If desired, serve Mixed Berry Delight as a dessert in a graham cracker pie crust.
On The Soyfoods Council website at www.thesoyfoodscouncil.com, you’ll find these and othersummery recipe ideas in the free digital cookbooks: Just Add Soy, Easy Snackable Soy, and Really Fast, Really Easy, Really Good. The website is frequently updated with recipes and the healthinformation.
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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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