I prepared a soya chunks stew a couple of nights ago with the intention of bringing it to the office for lunch. Recently, my colleague Andrea transitioned from being a vegetarian to embracing a vegan lifestyle. He often struggles with finding suitable lunch options, so I thought a soy stew would be an excellent choice for both of us.

I prepared the stew with minimal confidence, anticipating it might turn out less than appealing, as raw dehydrated soy stew isn’t exactly known for its aesthetic charm – it actually resembles dog food, to be honest! Surprisingly, when I microwaved the Tupperware container in the office kitchen, my colleagues were immediately captivated by the delightful aroma wafting from the dish and eagerly awaited the chance to sample this peculiar vegetarian fare.

I would not recommend a soya chunks stew to anyone who normally can eat meat, because it is objectively a strange food: the raw morsels have a really unappealing odor which might deter you from even trying to prepare the dish, and the texture of the finished product is strangely spongy, not what you would expect from a stew. I must say, however, that everyone loved the dish, even the most unrepentant carnivores like my friend Manuel, so here it is. Just don’t judge it by comparing it to actual meat, because clearly, the comparison is unfair. If your conscience allows you to eat beef you should take advantage of it, but if you really want to experience the thrill of spongy, chunky soya stew, do it with my recipe, which is at least simple and flavorful.