Can I substitute soy milk when a recipe calls for milk?

 Depends on how much of a soy convert you are. Soy milk (made by grinding soybeans, cooking them briefly, then squeezing them to release their liquid) can be added to recipes in place of cow’s milk, in a one-to-one ratio. But in taste tests in the Ochef test kitchen, we found that no soy milk tastes like cow's milk, and all soy milks are not alike. The variation in flavor and color from one brand of soy milk to the next can be huge.

The soy milks sold in aseptic packages are generally on the sweet side, so may be most appropriate for use in desserts. In savory dishes, soy milk can work fine, as long as the other flavors of the dish don’t fight with the somewhat sweet and beany taste of the soy milk. Soy milk will also curdle when boiled, but that may not matter in stews or other thick dishes. To avoid curdling, use it in dishes that contain little or no acid, add it at the end of the cooking process, and don’t let it come to a boil.

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