What Are Soy Curls?

Entering the world of vegetarianism/veganism can be a little daunting (there are so many foods that appear to be vegetarian/vegan, but aren’t, and it takes a lot of time to figure it all out). With that said, us veggies have it pretty easy these days. Even neighborhood groceries have started stocking their shelves with plenty of veggie friendly goodness.

Our favorite find since moving to Portland has been Soy Curls. People are constantly asking us about them, so we thought it’d be worth sharing.

Unlike most meat alternatives, Soy Curls aren’t made from the derived protein, they’re made from the whole soy bean. They’re a whole food … made from cooking & texturing the beans before drying. They are organic & preservative free. Win. Win. Win. Win.

When you buy them (we get them in the bulk bin section of our local food co-op), they’re dried up. They sort of look like chicken jerky. Then, you soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes until they’re rehydrated. Then, you can marinate/season/cook just like you’d prepare chicken or any other meat.

Here they are after being rehydrated. Looks like chicken.

We typically pan fry them with BBQ sauce, taco seasoning or just s&p. Today, we cooked them up with some onions. They turn out crispy & soooo good. It seriously tastes and feels JUST like chicken. I’m not lying, and yes, even though it’s been 4 years since I’ve eaten real meat, I still remember!

And for you assholes who ask, “Why would you be a vegetarian if you’re going to eat things that seem like meat?” … I didn’t stop eating meat because it tasted bad. So ssssuuucccckkkk it! I miss some of the tasty meals I grew up on, so this is a way to add a little more variety to our diets … all while not killing animals! :)

Thanks to Amy for introducing us … to Native Bowl (a food cart in Portland) for cooking up the first ones we ate … and to Butler Foods for making such a great product!

I should mention that they’re a bit hard to find, but the Butler Foods site has a Soy Curls locater … and I believe they ship them as well!