When I think of my former café, Babolino, many dishes immediately come to mind. Among them are my Babolino patties, which our guests particularly loved, and even some “meat lovers” praised them. For me, this recipe is more than just a dish, it's a piece of The history of BabolinoAn expression of creativity and proof that vegan cuisine can be hearty, traditional, and full of soul.
Here I reveal my original recipe, how it came about, and what you may not yet know about soy (or me).
I couldn't find out exactly. But recipes for meatballs, or similar minced meat dishes, already existed in Roman times. In Apicius (a collection of Roman recipes, probably from the 1st to 4th centuries), there are variations in which meat, bread, and spices were mixed together, fried, or cooked in soup.
Meatballs/patties were often a luxury dish. In poorer families, meat was mixed with bread not only out of ideology, but out of necessity. Today, there are new necessities: sustainability, animal welfare, health, ethics. A vegan alternative is therefore not just a trend, but a historical echo.
The idea for this dish originated in the early days of Babolinowhen I was looking for a vegan alternative to classic meat patties with gravy. I wanted something that tasted familiar but embodied my new values.
I found many good recipes on the internet, but my perfectionism whispered: “There's still room for improvement.” I don't want to belittle all the great recipes out there, but I felt the desire to create something of my own. Something that conveys coziness and home cooking. Something that reminds me of the past, of childhood, family, the smell from the kitchen, home.
So I set out to find soy granules that were not only vegan, but also organic and gluten-free. And between you and me, I hadn't taken any notes. I stood in my new café kitchen early one morning and just started. The packaging said: "Soak the soy granules in water..." My thought: “Why with water?” I wanted flavor from the start, so I did my own thing.
The gravy was another challenge. I was always told that boiled vegetables should be thrown away because they no longer contained any vitamins. That may be true, but they still have flavor. So why waste them? I decided to give this idea a try and not waste the flavor.
I have been cooking by feel for many years, rarely following recipes. I love this freedom; no one tells me how to be creative in my kitchen. Of course, there was a difference between cooking just for myself and cooking for my guests at the café. But the joy was the same. Creating something with heart that reminds people of home, without any animal suffering.
Even though I no longer have my café, I hope that my Babolino patties will find a place in your kitchen. I hope that they bring you and your family as much joy as they did my guests back then, and still do for my family today.
For 5 people
250 g dry soy mince
2 onions
4 garlic cloves
1 carrot
80 g celery
100 g button mushrooms
2-3 EL Cornflour
200 g potato flakes or flour
50 g breadcrumbs
200 ml of water
2-3 liter Vegetable soup
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon paprika powder (smoked)
1 tablespoon sweet paprika powder
Salt
Pepper
Caraway
Thyme
Marjoram
Basil
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon mustard
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Liquid smoke to taste
Oil for frying
1) Prepare the soy:
Bring 1 liter of vegetable soup to a boil with sweet paprika powder, 2 bay leaves, salt, pepper, thyme, and marjoram. Add the dry soybeans, remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let soften for 10 minutes. Strain, remove the bay leaves, and set aside for later.
2) Prepare the vegetables:
Wash, peel, and roughly chop the carrots and celery. Clean the mushrooms and chop them into large pieces. Peel the onion and garlic, roughly chop one onion, and finely chop the second onion.
3) For the patties:
Mix breadcrumbs with paprika powder (smoked) and water, set aside for later. Fry the finely chopped onion in a little oil until light brown, set aside.
4) Prepare the sauce:
Sauté the coarsely chopped onion in oil. Add the carrots, celery, and mushrooms and sauté until nicely browned. Add the tomato paste, mustard, soy sauce, and 2 cloves of garlic. Season with salt, pepper, marjoram, and thyme, and sauté briefly. Pour in 1.5 liters of broth, add the bay leaf, and simmer for 20 minutes. Then strain the vegetables (do not throw them away!) and collect the sauce. Remove the bay leaf, purée half of the cooked vegetables with the sauce, and purée the other half separately with a ladleful of sauce.
5) Prepare the patty mixture: Lightly squeeze the cooled soy mixture and place in a bowl. Add the previously sautéed onion and puréed vegetables to the soy mixture. Press 2 garlic cloves and add to the mixture. Add the breadcrumb paste, cornstarch, salt, pepper, caraway seeds, thyme, marjoram, and basil to the mixture and mix everything well. Let the mixture rest for about 20 minutes, adding potato flakes or flour if necessary.
6) Finish the sauce:
Bring the sauce to a boil with butter and thicken with 2–3 tablespoons of cornstarch + water as needed. Optionally, add up to 0.5 L of water. Season to taste and, if available, season with liquid smoke.
7) Shape patties and fry:
Form about 15 patties from the mixture. Roll them in breadcrumbs. Fry them in oil on both sides until they are golden brown.
With up to 38-40% protein content in dried form, soy provides all nine essential amino acids.
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in particular support the heart and circulation.
These promote digestion and help regulate cholesterol levels.
Soy can help maintain bone density.
Isoflavones, the secondary plant compounds in soy, can have a mitigating effect on women going through menopause.
Yes, I know there are also critical voices regarding soy, for example with regard to the environment. Rainforest deforestation and the resulting climate damage. If you are interested in the environmental issues surrounding soy, please read my article. "How soy damages the climate" In it, I share my research on this topic and also address two preconceptions.
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