Lait de soja frais (Doujiang)

Soak the soybeans

Rinse the dried soybeans well, then cover with the cold water in a large bowl. Soak at room temperature for 8–12 hours, or overnight; the beans will roughly double in size and feel soft when pressed.

• 200 g dried soybeans
• 1.5 litres cold water

✅ C'est prêt quand : the beans are plump, pale and easy to squash between two fingers

Drain and rinse

Drain off the soaking water completely and rinse the swollen beans once under fresh running water. This gets rid of the slightly sour smell soybeans can develop while soaking.

• 200 g soaked soybeans (from step 1)

✅ C'est prêt quand : the beans look clean and smell fresh, not sour

Grind with water

Working in two or three batches, blend the beans with the fresh water on high speed for 2–3 minutes per batch, until completely smooth with no gritty bits. A good blender ratio is about 1 part beans to 8 parts water, so the milk isn't too thick to simmer safely.

• 200 g soaked soybeans
• 1.8 litres fresh water

✅ C'est prêt quand : the mixture looks like a smooth, pale, slightly frothy slurry with no visible bean pieces

Strain the milk

Pour the slurry through a nut-milk bag or a few layers of cheesecloth set over a large pot, squeezing firmly to push out all the milk. For an extra-smooth cup, strain a second time through a finer cloth. Save the leftover pulp (okara) for soups or baking if you like.

✅ C'est prêt quand : the liquid runs smooth and milky, with the dry pulp left behind in the cloth

Simmer thoroughly

Bring the strained milk to a full boil over medium-high heat, stirring often so it doesn't catch on the bottom. As soon as foam rises to the top, turn the heat down and stir to settle it, then let it rise and settle two more times. This full boiling is essential: raw soy milk contains a compound that upsets the stomach, and only a proper simmer destroys it, so never drink it underboiled.

• 1.8 litres strained soy milk

✅ C'est prêt quand : the milk has come to a full rolling boil and simmered gently for about 15 minutes, smelling toasty and nutty instead of raw and grassy

Sweeten and serve

Stir in sugar to taste while the milk is still hot, if you want it sweet; it dissolves instantly. Serve the doujiang hot in bowls or mugs, or cool it and chill for a refreshing cold drink.

• 40 g sugar (optional)

✅ C'est prêt quand : the sugar is fully dissolved and the milk is at the temperature you like