For Vegan MOFO I decided I needed to branch out and try some new vegan foods I haven’t tried before. You’ve all ready seen Butler Soy Curls in action in my Not Beef Stew, but I wanted to see how they’d perform as the star of the show. For those of you who are afraid of soy curls, check out the photo below, the soybeans are grown pesticide free and this is the ingredient label: Soy Curls are made from delicately textured select, non GMO, whole soybeans. Compare that to other faux 20 something ingredient vegan meat substitutes! Did I mention they are gluten free and suitable for celiacs? Take that seitan!
Vegan BBQ Sandwich
- 1/2 package Butler Soy Curls: prepared according to package directions and drained on paper towels, press the water out
- 1 red onion, sliced into thin slivers
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 8 oz diced portobello mushrooms.
Method: In a non-stick skillet, water saute all the veggies until the onion is slightly soft. Add the soy curls and 1 recipe sriracha BBQ sauce:
Sriracha BBQ Sauce:
combine:
- 1/2 C. organic ketchup
- 2 T. molasses
- 2 T. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
- 1 T. apple cider vinegar
- 1 t. agave
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 t. liquid smoke
- 1 to 2 t. Sriracha Hot Sauce (to taste)
- few grinds of black pepper.
Continue cooking until most of the sauce is absorbed and soy curls start to get a bit browned. Serve on a whole grain pretzel bun with Susan Voisin’s tofu cashew mayonnaise, lettuce, pickles and whatever other fixins’ float your boat.
Verdict, my family literally asked if we’d gone off our vegan diet. I’m not sure if that’s gross or not, but no-one left a crumb on their plate.
Vedged Out 
I have GOT to get my hands on some of these dang soy curls!!! I would be all over this BBQ sandwich and even better, this is something I could make for mom and dad – both of whom love sandwiches like this. Whole Foods: where are you hiding the soy curls?!
Girl, I bought a case online because I couldn’t bother scouring the globe for some. I’ll give you some of mine. Your mom and dad would be in LOVE with these!
Can I let them think it’s meat ;-)? Would that be wrong?
Ha! I double dog dare you. To tell the truth, I didn’t say a thing to my family, I just served it up. As soon as we were eating the raised eyebrows and questioning began. It fooled mini AJ the most. Lets just say BBQ pork sandwiches used to be one of her favorites….
Two words for you: pulled pork. My mom and Little AJ are simpatico. Okay, it’s a done deal. They are so eating these.
I can’t wait for the report….
Hey Somer – where did you buy the soy curls online? They look super awesome!
Here you go!!!
http://butlerfoods.com/wheretobuy/orderonline.html
to quote another blogger: I’ll eat my hat if you don’t like them 🙂
I’ve never even heard of soy curls! I do like a meaty vegan sandwich, though–I bet I could riff on this with tofu. 🙂
We’ve done a similar sandwich with tofu. This one is really different, I don’t think the product is any more processed than tofu, but it might just fool the carnivores!
Yummy!!! This looks delicious!
Thanks!
Reblogged this on Hippie Lessons and commented:
Oh yum!
I’ve bought these babies online at Food Fight Grocery. These seriously rock. great sandwich. They are perfect on sandwiches…
Thanks babe! I can’t believe I waited so long to try them. I thought they were some mutant processed food. Nope. Just soy beans. Pretty radical.
Great recipe! I have a similar one that uses seitan, but I’m currently looking for a gluten free meat substitute. Do the soy curls have gluten in them?
Nope, the ONLY ingredient is whole, non-GMO, pesticide free soy beans! 🙂 No gluten here!
I remember buying some soy curls 8 years ago when I first stopped eating meat (I don’t remember if they were Butler though). I think it was too soon after I’d had the real thing, so I was at a loss as to how to prepare and enjoy them.
Next time, try them NC BBQ style! You could use your BBQ sauce recipe but up the vinegar, probably a 1/4 to half a cup. I also remember eating those sandwiches with cole-slaw on top. I miss the family BBQs, but not the meat 🙂
Good tips! The cool thing about these soy curls is that they just absorb the flavor of whatever you make them with so they’re super versatile. I’ll totally try upping the vinegar. That sounds awesome! I got invited to a wedding this weekend and it’s my first real situation where I’m not sure how to handle the food. Is it rude to bring your own? Clearly there won’t be many (if any) options there for me….
Hmmm… I would say just eat well before you go so you’re not starving, and just enjoy the wedding. Surely they will have a veggie tray of some sort, and while boring, it’s still something clean to munch on.
And don’t forget that most wine and champagne is NOT vegan! 🙂
Good tips! Thanks Brian! I’m not a drinker (Mormon) so alcohol isn’t an issue 😉
http://lovelyseasonscomeandgo.wordpress.com
Hi thank you for liking my post “thoughts about my diet goals” and I am really enjoying your blogs with lots of recipe ideas for vegan types of foods. Take care. Betty
Thanks Betty! Keep up the good work!
ok you are so encouraging.
🙂
Reblogged this on lovelyseasonscomeandgo and commented:
I would definately like to try this recipe, it looks absolutely delicious
Holy Moley Somer! These look sinful! I kept looking away in shame, then looking back curiously. I think I’ll make these next time my husband has a “guys nite” they wont know what hit them!
It’s crazy! Food that should be bad, but is oh so good 😉 Perfect for the guys nite!
When I saw this picture I wondered if you had gone off of your vegan diet too – looks delicious.
It’s totally deceiving! Not sure why I waited so long to try them. Really, really good!
Gotta check out these Butler soy curl thangs! Very intriguing and of course, as always – the picture and the recipe look delicious!
You won’t regret getting them. They are super versatile and even come with recipe ideas in the box. Super surprised at the results!
Drools.I never heard of soy curls, thanks for the intro!
No worries! They’re highly addictive!
Just put in my first order of curls. Can’t wait!
Fine. Cook some and let me try them. I am hesitant since i don’t really miss meat.
Lunch next week? I don’t really miss meat either, it was for MOFO, but they were really good…..
Did you get them yet?
Reblogged this on Healthy Cancer Chick and commented:
Doesn’t this look amazing! Love the “Veged Out” Blogger….check her out.
-Kristen
Choosing healthy living over dying 🙂
This sandwich looks amazing! I am hungry now, and wish I had a yummy sandwich in front of me! 🙂
You are a sweetheart! I would love to eat any kind of sandwich you would whip up my dear!
Looks insanely good!
Thanks Rayni!
I need to bite the bullet and just order some of the soy curls online so I can finally try them. This sandwich looks so tasty!
Do it! Bobbie, they are great and they store really well! You’ll love them!
Soy Curls are the best. Hands down, in taste and texture. And they are minimally processed and shining stars in my xgfx world. xo kittee
Aren’t they delicious. I might have to cook some up for lunch! Thanks Kittee! xx
I need to try some soy curls. It’s final. I just do. This just looks too amazing. And with portobello! Girl, you are killing me! 😉
Yes, yes you do!!! Let me know what you think. p.s. Cadry likes them too…
Soy curls? Never heard of such a thing!! I must try to pin down…
Geez, girl. You sure are keeping me busy in the kitchen and shopping. LOL
Tee hee. Oh the things you find when you go vegan. They are pretty good and the label is surprisingly clean!
The last line of this post made me laugh! I made Smoky Soy Curls for my non-vegan parents (the veggie bacon from Vegan Diner), and they were in love. The curls are great in a sandwich with the usual lettuce & tomato or with avocado & sauerkraut Reuben-style. However, I have a hard time not just eating them by hand on their own. Soo good! I still have some leftover homemade barbecue sauce from last week’s polenta stack. I think I’ve found its use…
Oh girl that sounds delicious. K, I have to know is Vegan Diner a book? I guess I just need to get my butt on Amazon. I’m in the dark here!
Yes, it’s a cookbook from Julie Hasson. I’ve made a lot of really awesome recipes from it, but the Smoky Soy Curls are easily in the top five. Definitely check it out!!
On the “to order” list. How many vegan cookbooks can one girl have?
I don’t know. Let’s find out! 😉
Deal!
Unless I can magically extrude my own soy curls I am, alas, to remail Butler curly free…this looks seriously delicious though Somer and most definately something to tempt the pickiest Omni 🙂
Blast, if postage wasn’t so crazy, I’d include everywhere, I did that over the summer and learned my lesson. Sorry Fran!
I consider myself a pioneer narf…I have to make my own vegan alternatives and it has most certainly made me a much more experimental cook. That’s why I love sites like yours where I can get some amazing foundation recipes like cheeses etc. and customise them further. Butler soy curl equivalents may just be possible using “Little Pig” my old school style juice extractor that also makes great Korean rice cakes (extruded). Time to fire up little pig!
atta girl! someone dreamed up soy curls, way to dream and invent!
i love that bbq sauce. it is always good that people ask you to confirm if the things they ate was vegan and finish everything! :))
Thanks Richa, yep, we pretty much licked our plates! 🙂
Soy curls blow my mind… I can’t understand how they make them just out of soy beans, but I’m sooo happy they do!
Me too Barb, they’re amazing!
I haven’t seen these yet in the UK, I will keep my eyes open. Thanks for the tip
Mark
http://herbifit.wordpress.com
I don’t know if they’re over there, but a clean TVP would provide similar results.
I have seen these soy curls come up in a few posts as of late But i can’t find them in my area – I am going to have to dig a little deeper! And those rolls, total food porn 🙂
I took the plunge and ordered the case online thinking I could always flog them off if I didn’t like them. It was worthwhile. I think you’d enjoy them.
Uh, sorry to comment-elbow-in, but I don’t like making special trips to special stores (it’s a chore to get to our Whole Foods). I ordered mine on Amazon and they magically appeared on my porch with a couple of books I’d also been waiting to buy (super-saver shipping!). Worth the wait. I think I’ll go for bulk next time.
I love comment elbow ins! Girl, I wish we were neighbors so we could go in on a case of these babies, they have a huge box on the Butler site that is a great deal. 🙂
I’m tellin’ ya. Someone should open up a blogger compound and we could all move and live happily ever after. LOL There are several of you I’d love to have around the corner. 🙂
For reals girl!!! Wouldn’t it be fun and we could all take shifts doing the cooking (and the cleaning up!)
LOL I could’ve used you. We were so tired last night (husband just got home from being gone 2 weeks) and family-snuggly that the dishes sat on the counter and in the sink for morning. What a way to wake up.
That happens around here far too often. Not enough hours in the day. I would’ve cleaned em right up for you 😉
All I can say is, Woman, you are my hero!! You have gone 2 for 3 with a picky, snotty, reluctant-vegan 10-yr-old. These soy curls are the best. I ordered some through Amazon (I think our Whole Foods has them so I will go tomorrow) and had a teriyaki version for myself for lunch — which were awSOME — and then made a “not-chicken chicken fajitas” for all the kids for dinner. Ha!! Totally fooled that kid.
Now, in my pre-vegan days, I grilled me some mean chicken fajitas, so for him to tell me that these ROCKED (I think those were his actual words) means a lot. You should take all the credit since I never would have found out about these little gems had it not been for your blog.
(BTW, I will totally be blogging about them when I get back into the stream. I hope if you don’t mind a ping back.)
Sorry I’ve been away. Life has taken some unexpected and extraordinary turns these last few weeks that have kept me away from blogging. Hope all’s well, Somer. Miss our regular contact!
Hope your doing well Shannon! I took a little break after MOFO, but I’m back. Blogging is a tricky balance for sure.
I’m so glad that your family loved the soy curls. I think they’re great. Much better than other vegan meat subs because they really are a whole food! Oh and I never mind pingbacks 😉 !
I was disappointed that our Whole Foods didn’t have them, but I think the manager is very interested in stocking them. Perhaps I should get a commission from Butler Foods! Waiting now for my next shipment…I should’ve bought more the first time.
Hey shoot em an email if you post a recipe with the fajitas. I did just because I like to thank people that create great products. They ended up sending me a whole case gratis! 🙂
When I get my shipment, and I can post the recipe (which is super-duper easy) with some yummy food porn photos, I will ping your BBQ post too. That recipe, by the way will be tried too! If it wasn’t for you, I never would have found this gem.
Blogging is not a priority at the moment; I’m just trying to keep my head above water. I’m working on a DirtNKids post (funny story!) at the moment. I need to write this morning to clear my head and get a break from the kids!
I hear you about the blogging break. I sometimes wonder why I do it. Then someone contacts me and says they changed their diet and have lost weight/improved health/and are off meds and it keeps me going.
Ping backs are always appreciated!
Can’t wait for your post my dear….
Made this tonight. Excellent! Delicious! Straightforward and pretty quick, too. Had some chow chow on the side – my new obsession.
Thanks for the recipe. ..first time using soy curls…this was awesome…. I left out mushrooms as I dont like them…used orange pepper vs green…. the bbq sauce so good
mmmmm sriracha and bbq. yum!
Made this last night; great recipe; I used 5 cups of soy curls (dry measure), and doubled the recipe. Fed 8 easily.