The stability of plant-based yoghurt has long been a critical issue that needs to be addressed.This study found that using Weissella confusa SY628 as a starter culture enabled the production of set-style soybean yogurt with high shear resistance, excellent stability, and no whey separation.Additionally, this study investigated the effects of different soy milk protein concentrations on the stability of soybean yogurt.Results indicated that with the increase of soy milk protein concentration, a significant rise in exopolysaccharide content from (1.92±0.10) g/100 g to (2.48±0.16) g/100 g, marked improvements in all textural properties, and enhanced water-holding capacity from (95.97±0.42)% to (99.64±0.15)%.Compared to soybean yogurt prepared with lower protein concentrations (SY2.5, SY3.0), the high-protein sample (SY3.5) exhibited the superior viscoelastic properties with maximum storage modulus[(546.30±0.10) Pa] and loss modulus[(124.10±0.05) Pa], along with significantly higher viscosity.Its surface hydrophobicity was significantly lower than SY2.5, but showed no significant difference from SY3.0.During the 28-day storage period, all three sample types maintained stable quality.In conclusion, fermenting soybean yogurt with varying soy milk protein concentrations, without adding stabilizers, could form a stable gel system with excellent storage stability.These findings could facilitate the development of “clean-label” plant-based yogurt, meeting diverse consumer demands.
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