Soy Meat with Onion and Tomato Paste

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather your ingredients: soy meat (textured soy protein), tomato paste, onion, and salt. Add black pepper or other spices if you like.

2. Step 2:

   

   Put the pieces of soy meat in a deep bowl or pot.

3. Step 3:

   

   Bring fresh filtered water to a boil in a kettle or saucepan and pour it over the dry, porous pieces right away. Cover and let the soy meat rehydrate for 20 minutes so it swells and plumps up. After the first 10 minutes, lift the lid and top up with more boiling water if needed, then leave it to soak for another 10 minutes.

4. Step 4:

   

   While the soy meat soaks, get the onion ready for the skillet: peel it and cut it into small dice. Pour a little vegetable oil into a pan and set it over the heat. Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat until lightly golden, then transfer it out of the pan.

5. Step 5:

   

   Once the soy meat has swelled up, drain it in a colander and let it cool a bit — you'll be handling it with your hands. When the pieces are just warm, take a handful at a time and squeeze out all the excess water, then drop them into the skillet you used for the onion. Repeat with the rest of the pieces.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the cooked onion and the tomato paste to the soy meat and keep cooking everything together for another 8–10 minutes. At the end, season with salt and stir well.