Let’s talk about soy curls.

It’s always a revelation to me when I realize that more people don’t know, let alone cook with soy curl protein. It’s a versatile and underappreciated ingredient that I’m excited to share with you.

Soy curls are very versatile and easy to work with. They are also cheaper compared to many commercial vegan meats. But what’s even more important, they are a powerhouse of nutrition, serving as a natural vegetarian protein.

Today, I want to share my “basic recipe” with soy curls. It’s soy sauce-wrapped chicken strips seasoned and lightly roasted for a better texture.

I spent much time tweaking this recipe, trying to figure out a ratio of effort that paid off. Finally, perfect.

Once you’ve made a batch of these curls, you can use them in many ways.

Let me explain how and why these bands are one of your most trusted plant-based proteins.

What is soy curly hair?

It still amazes me that a single ingredient—non-GMO soy—can be transformed into something as versatile as a soybean roll.

This is precisely what a soy roll is: soybeans are soaked, stirred, cooked, and then dehydrated at low temperatures.

After this dewatering process, the beans become light, breathable, and dry. When you pick up a soy burrito straight from the package, it weighs a gram.

However, their texture changes when you hydrate soy curls in any hot liquid. They become full, chewy, and light in color. That’s why soy burritos are a great vegetarian “chicken.”

If you bake it in the oven for 8-10 minutes, like the choices in this recipe, the texture becomes more realistic.

Is soy curly hair healthy?

I think “healthy” applies more to eating patterns and habits than specific foods. However, soy burritos provide the same nutrients as soy.

They are high in protein and contain Omega-3 fatty acids and phytoestrogens linked to disease prevention.

In this sense, soy curls are very healthy.

Soy wraps also contain solid nutritional products. A serving of 6 grams of dietary fiber is about three-quarters of a cup before hydration and about half after hydration.

Soy wraps also provide 10% of the recommended dietary amounts of iron and potassium.

And, of course, there’s the protein content: 11 grams per serving, which makes a big difference to the protein density of your plant-based diet.

Where can I buy soy curls?

Butler Foods produces soy rolls in the United States. You can buy them directly from Butler’s website, but you must purchase six packs or more.

You can also buy soy rolls on Amazon or in your local store. In New York, I love supporting the Orchard Grocer, and I go there often to buy.

I don’t know the brand name, but soy curl products are also available in some parts of Europe.

From a cost perspective, one 8-ounce bag of soy wraps will make about 8 servings of vegetarian “chicken.”

The most expensive soy rolls I’ve seen cost about $9 a bag. Even at that price point – it’s often possible to find soy wraps for less – it’s around $1.13 per serving. That’s valuable in the vegan meat world.

How to make vegetarian chicken with soy wraps

The most immediate thing you can do is rehydrate a bag of dried soy rolls in hot water or broth. Technically, they can be eaten as long as they are rehydrated.

Even so, soy rolls that are seasoned and hydrated taste better.

Suppose you want soy wraps as vegetarian meat in a recipe. In that case, seasoning them before tossing them into a pot of peppers, soups, stir-fries, etc., imparts more flavor and better texture.

That’s been my experience, anyway. That’s why I almost always turn my soy rolls into these chicken strips before adding them to the recipe.

Before I share the steps of this process, I want to mention that this recipe is four soy wraps. This is half a bag of Butler’s Food soy wraps, or 4 ounces / 120 grams.

You can double the recipe if you like! If you don’t know, soy rolls can be stored in a closed container in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 1 year, so there’s no need to eat the bag immediately.

Step 1: Preheat the oven

You don’t have to rehydrate the soy wrap before grilling it, but I prefer to do it that way for texture.

If you plan to bake them, preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C.

Step 2: Mix the soy rolls with the dry seasoning

Place the dried soy rolls in a mixing bowl with the smoked paprika and nutritional yeast. The former will give your yellow chickens a slightly smoky flavor, while the latter will add to their flavor.

Step 3: Bring the hot soup and liquid amino acids (or soy sauce) to a simmer

It would help if you had a hot liquid to hydrate your soy curls. I use a mixture of vegetarian broth and Bragg’s liquid amino acids.

You can easily substitute soy sauce or Japanese soy sauce for Bragg sauce. They can add saltiness and umami to the soy sauce-wrapped chicken.

What about the broth? I like to use vegetarian chicken soup for this dish.

My recent favorite is Born Simple’s concentrated broths. However, plenty of brands can make powdery, cube, or liquid broths. The Imagine brand has created a vegetarian chicken-free soup.

Vegetable soup instead of vegetarian chicken soup can also be used.

You can heat the broth in the microwave. I pour it into a large Pyrex measuring cup, cover it, and microwave it on high heat for 5-6 minutes. You can also heat the broth in a saucepan.

Next, pour the hot liquid over the soy roll and cover the bowl. I use my silicone bowl lid. Let the rolls soak for ten minutes to replenish the moisture.

Step 4: Drain and press the rolls

Next, you’re going to drain the soy rolls in a colander.

At this point, it is helpful to press a little to remove excess fluid.

My low-tech method is to use the bottom of the bowl I soaked to press them while they are in the colander. It works every time!

Step 5: Bake (optional)

It’s ready to eat once you’ve drained the moisture from the soy wrap.

If you want a more chicken-like texture, you can bake it in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.

When the soy rolls are ready, they are moist in the center but a little dry and crunchy around the edges. They should have a very chewy texture.

Step 6: Enjoy, store, or freeze

At this point, you can enjoy your soy curly chicken strips. You can also store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

You can freeze your prepared soy rolls for up to eight weeks if you want to store them for a longer period of time.

You can do many things with soy-wrapped chicken strips

I’ve found many uses for my soy-wrapped chicken strips.

In essence, I’m as dependent on them as I was on chicken before I became vegetarian and vegan.

Here is a very incomplete list of suggested uses:

• Add them to your favorite salad
• Make a vegetarian chicken Caesar roll with soy rolls and vegan Caesar sauce
• Pile them into tortillas
• Use them to make vegetarian chicken salad
• Add and stir
• Fold them into your favorite pasta for a protein boost

If you want to try some unique recipes, here are some of my favorites:

• Crispy barbecue soy rolls
• Grilled soy roll sandwich with cabbage and apple salad
• Soy roll stew
• Hearty vegetarian “chicken” beans and peppers
• Vegetarian “chicken” burrito casserole
• Creamed vegetarian chicken with rice in a frying pan for dinner

Here’s a basic recipe that will help you make all of them.

Ingredients

4 oz Butler Foods soy burritos (120g; That’s half the size of a standard bag of Butler’s soy burritos.

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Two tablespoons of nutritional yeast

3 cups vegan chicken broth in a carton or in explicit or condensed broth (720ml; You can use vegetable soup instead)

One tablespoon of Bragg liquid amino acids or soy sauce

Instructions

Season and hydrate the rolls

1. Add the soy rolls to a large bowl and stir with the smoked paprika and nutritional yeast.
2. Bring the broth and liquid amino acids to a boil in a medium pot and pour the liquid over the soy rolls. Cover the bowl and let the soy roll hydrate in the bowl for 10 minutes.
3. Drain the soy rolls in a colander or large sieve. Press the soy roll firmly against the sieve with the bottom of the bowl, making sure to remove as much of the hot marinade as possible.

Optional baking steps (for chewy and crunchy texture)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit / 220 degrees Celsius. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, or use non-stick paper.
2. Put the soy rolls on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then stir the soy rolls on a baking sheet. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the rolls brown. They should be moist in the center but crispy around the edges.
3. Soy rolls can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 8 weeks.