Home Cooking: My Recurring 20-Minute Affordable and Protein-Rich Vegetarian Delight

For those on parental leave or seeking quick, nutritious meals, a recurring lunch option features crispy soy strips served with salad, rice, pasta, or potatoes. These versatile strips are also suitable for filling tortillas.

The preparation involves three main steps: soaking, draining, and frying. Soy strips can be soaked by microwaving them in water for about three minutes or by steeping them in boiling water for ten minutes. Boiling them in a pot for five minutes also works. After soaking, excess water is drained using a sieve, and the strips are pressed to remove more moisture.

Seasoning can be customized. A "crispy chicken" spice mix from the supermarket's Tex-Mex section can yield results similar to fast-food soy tortillas. Alternatively, Moroccan Ras el Hanout spice blend, which includes paprika, ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cloves, cayenne pepper, and cardamom, can be used. Garlic powder is also a good addition. The amount of spice is a matter of personal preference, with the goal being to coat the strips evenly.

For cooking, soy strips can be made crispy in an air fryer between 9–13 minutes, requiring a shake halfway through. Alternatively, they can be baked on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for about 20–30 minutes, flipping them halfway. A mild, spicy dipping sauce can be made by mixing sriracha chili sauce into Turkish yogurt to taste.