The benefits of eating soy are bountiful. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, one cup of cooked soybeans contains as much protein as 100 grams of cooked meat, chicken or fish. Soy has no cholesterol and contains healthy minerals such as calcium, iron and zinc. Also, though soy is higher in fat than other legumes, it's healthier fats like monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega-3 fats.

But, soy lovers beware! Though soy is beneficial to your diet, it is also important to note a few things. The Public Health Agency of Canada warns that soy protein, unlike protein from animals, does not contain all of the essential amino acids that your body needs. If you daily diet does not include animal proteins, be sure to include legumes, nuts, grains and cereals in your menu.

Here are 8 great soy recipes, tested for best results:

1. Chinese Vegetarian Gongbao
Gongbao (or kung pao) is a Szechuan cooking style that -- with added peanuts -- is now popular in Beijing. Make sure your dried hot peppers are whole or the seeds will make the stir-fry too hot. Serve with rice.

2. Braised Mushrooms and Tofu
This is a wonderfully rich Chinese-style vegetarian dish. For a nice consistency, fry sliced tofu in oil until golden; drain on paper towels. Don't worry if the different kinds of mushrooms aren't available; just use the same amount of another mushroom.

3. Baby Corn and Soy Bean Stir-Fry
Fresh frozen soy beans (edamame in Japanese) are now commonly available at grocery stores. Shelled or in the pods, they are often preboiled and need no further cooking before stir-frying. If not, boil until tender-crisp, about five minutes; do not overcook.

4. Spiced Tofu Kebabs with Tamarind Dipping Sauce
You'll find the tamarind pulp for the dipping sauce in large supermarkets or Asian grocers. Serve with a brown rice and currant pilaf.

5. Spicy Stir-Fried Cabbage, Tofu and Peanuts
Perfect with rice, this Chinese homestyle vegetarian dish features plenty of healthy ingredients. Seed the hot peppers, if desired.

6. Mushroom Miso Soup with Noodles
Use barley, brown rice or dark miso for the best flavour in this easy-to-make Japanese-style soup with noodles.

7. Beans with Miso Dressing
You can serve this low-fat, low-calorie bean salad as a side dish with almost any meal. It's especially good with the Oven-Steamed Mushroom-Scented Halibut (see recipe link at bottom of page). You can also use Italian flat beans, pole beans, Chinese long beans or yellow string beans, if desired.

8. Miso-Marinated Broiled Fish
The miso-paste marinade flavours the fish and makes for a lovely glazed exterior. This recipe works best with thicker firm-fleshed fish fillets or steaks, such as halibut, salmon (especially wild) or swordfish.