If you're wondering how to cook soy curls, this is your sign to try BBQ soy curls! The soy curls are rehydrated in BBQ sauce then pan-fried until crisp and golden in under 30 minutes.
If you're looking for the best way to cook soy curls, I will always vote BBQ soy curls. Just rehydrate them for 10 minutes in BBQ sauce and vegetable broth, pan-fry, and voila.
They soak up the flavor of whatever they are rehydrated in, and pan-frying them results in a crispy golden exterior with a chewy, shockingly meaty interior.
BBQ soy curls are perfect piled high on a bun or served alongside vegan mac and cheese or cheesy broccoli pasta.
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What are soy curls?
Soy curls are just one ingredient: soybeans. They are made by boiling an dehydrating soybeans. Soy curls are sold dehydrated, then rehydrated before cooking.
Because soy curls are just soybeans, they are a good source of protein. One cup dehydrated soy curls has about 13 grams of protein, and they double in size when rehydrated.
Soy curls are not available at most major grocery stores, but you should be able to find that at health food stores that have bulk aisles. I buy my soy curls online from Butler foods.
Ingredients
- Soy curls: I buy Butler brand soy curls online either from their website or on Amazon, but some health food stores carry them in bulk. You can use any leftover soy curls in my vegan chicken pot pie!
- BBQ Sauce: Any brand works, just choose a brand that you love. My favorite is Kinder's sweet and spicy BBQ sauce.
- Vegetable bouillon: I use Better than Bouillon vegetable base. I like using bouillon more than broth because it has a stronger flavor and is more cost-effective, but an equal amount of vegetable broth works in place of water and bouillon.
Step-by-step instructions
Bring water to a boil in a kettle or on the stove. In a heat safe bowl or pot, pour the water into the BBQ sauce and vegetable bouillon, whisking to combine.
Sprinkle in the soy curls, stirring to coat in the liquid. Cover with a plate or lid to trap the steam. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Remove the lid and check that the soy curls have fully rehydrated. They should be squishy. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with oil. Once hot, add the soy curls and any liquid in the bowl.
Pan-fry over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquids evaporate completely. The soy curls are ready when golden and even blackened in places. Serve drizzled with additional BBQ sauce, if desired. Enjoy!
Top tips
- Soy curls are bland on their own, so it's all about the seasoning! This is why I recommend rehydrating in broth and BBQ sauce instead of water, as the package recommends. The dry soy curls soak up all of that flavor.
- Don't skip the oil. In order to brown and get that crispy exterior, soy curls need a little bit of fat.
- If you like BBQ chicken pizza, I highly recommend chopping up the cooked soy curls and putting them on my BBQ tofu pizza in place of the tofu.
Storage tips
- Storage: Leftover BBQ soy curls keep well for 3-4 days. Keep refrigerated in a closed container.
- Reheating: I typically reheat soy curls in the microwave, but to re-crisp them you can heat them in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot.
- Freezing: I have not tried freezing soy curls. I will update this post if I do.
More of my favorite plant-based proteins
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BBQ Soy Curls
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon vegetable base
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce optional
- pinch salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup dehydrated soy curls see note #1
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a kettle or on the stove. Add the BBQ sauce, vegetable bouillon, hot sauce, pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper, to taste, to a heat safe bowl or sauce pot. Pour the boiling water into the bowl, whisking to combine.
- Sprinkle in the soy curls, stirring to coat in the liquid. Cover with a plate or lid to trap the steam. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and check that the soy curls have fully rehydrated. They should be squishy. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with oil. Once hot, add the soy curls and any liquid in the skillet.
- Pan-fry over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquids evaporate completely. The soy curls are ready when golden and even blackened in places, about 10 minutes. Serve drizzled with additional BBQ sauce, if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Soy curls: I buy Butler brand soy curls online either from their website or on Amazon, but some health food stores carry them in bulk. Most grocery stores do not sell soy curls.
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