Going vegan: Soy Curls a new -- and wonderful -- way to bump up plant-based protein (2024)

View full sizeDoug Beghtel/The OregonianChef Julie Hasson grills barbecued soy curls at Native Bowl, a tasty vegan food cart in the Mississippi Marketplace cart pod.

When you eliminate meat from your diet, you need to kick up the plant-based protein to keep the engine running. Fortunately there are all sorts of options, from vegan staples like tofu and tempeh to the wide range of legumes and protein-packed whole grains like quinoa.

Recipe included with this story:

And there's a relatively new protein added to the mix with Soy Curls, a textured soy product that closely resembles the texture and mouth feel of meat, and is made exclusively by the Grand Ronde company

. But Soy Curls aren't one of those faux meats made out of soy protein isolates, which can be loaded with chemicals, artificial ingredients and plenty of added fat.

So what exactly are Soy Curls?

They're dehydrated strips of soy protein made out of whole, non-GMO soybeans that are slowly cooked until they're soft, then processed by a machine that breaks them into strands. Then they're slowly dried at a low temperature and packaged. That's it. No added fat or flour -- just soybeans that have been transformed, leaving them high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, with 10 grams of protein in every serving.

The website for Butler Foods (no relation, by the way) offers

that incorporate Soy Curls into soups, chili, pasta and even holiday stuffing. But to enjoy their true versatility, you only have to hit some of the Portland restaurants that incorporate the Curls into their menu. At the Southeast Division Street taqueria

, they're combined in a spicy mixture of beans and grilled veggies for soft tacos, or stuffed into huaraches, an oblong version of a sope, a traditional fried masa cake. At Irvington's

, they get tossed into Indian-themed stir-fries with autumn vegetables and curried cashews.

View full sizeDoug Beghtel/The OregonianIn their dehydrated state, soy curls don't look very appetizing. But when they soak in hot water that's steeped with herbs and spices, they pick up delicious flavors and a meat-like texture that some people mistake for chicken.

One of the best places using Soy Curls is

, a terrific cart in North Portland's Mississippi Marketplace where chef Julie Hasson and husband Jay create modern takes on traditional bento bowls. The dishes are named after Portland streets -- Alberta, Broadway, Couch -- and feature homemade Asian sauces and intense flavors. My favorite, though, is the Mississippi Bowl, which tastes like a bento from America's heartland, with Soy Curls doused in two kinds of barbecue sauce, served with tangy coleslaw, jasmine rice and a vegan ranch dressing.

To see how the Curls are transformed from their unappetizing-looking dried state into a barbecue bonanza, Julie Hasson invited me into the trailer one morning last month for a sort of Soy Curl 101.

Hasson, a 20-year food-industry veteran who also operates the vegan cooking website

, says that because Soy Curls have such a neutral flavor, how you season them is crucial. While you can rehydrate them in plain hot water, you can give them more depth by putting seasoning in their soaking bath.

"The important thing when you're making Soy Curls is to taste your marinade to make sure it's not too salty," Hasson said. "You want to give them flavor, but it's easy to make them too salty."

So she goes easy on spice mixes that are loaded with salt, opting instead for things like a poultry seasoning blend that's got sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, mace and black pepper. Because these are flavors people associate with chicken, she's had customers ask if they've accidentally been served meat.

Going vegan

"We have had people come back and say, 'Are you sure there's no chicken in here?'" she said. "And we've had carnivores who say, 'I love my meat, but I come back for my Soy Curl fix.' And there have been a couple of people who gave up meat after they had Soy Curls, and they realized they could live without meat if there was something that has everything they like about it."

After letting them soak for 10 minutes, she drains them, extruding as much water as possible before tossing them onto a piping hot commercial griddle. After a few minutes, the Curls start to turn crispy and brown, and Hasson flips them a few times before dousing them with barbecue sauce, letting them stay on the griddle just long enough so the sauce starts to brown a little. Now the Curls are ready to join other ingredients in the finished bento bowl.

Hasson uses Soy Curls at home to make potstickers and a cold chicken-style salad, while her husband likes to bread and fry them for vegan takes on General Tso's chicken and Chinese orange chicken. She likes to reserve the smaller flakes that drift down to the bottom of a bag for veggie burgers or to sprinkle into soups. Because they're light and won't spoil in their dehydrated state, they've become an essential ingredient for camp-stove cookery.

Armed with Hasson's Soy Curl tricks, I re-created her barbecue Curls at home using a heavy cast-iron skillet. Because it can be pulled together in less than 30 minutes, it's a great addition to the mix of weeknight dishes.

Next, I plan to tinker around with Asian flavors, using curry powder or five-spice powder during rehydration before tossing them into a hot wok. And for Mexi-style Soy Curls, ground cumin and oregano seem a natural seasoning combo before grilling them with jalapeño and onions.

And that's the fun of discovering Soy Curls. Because you can transform them so many different ways, where you take them is limited only by your own creativity.

Where to find Soy Curls, and how to use them

Where to purchase them:

Dehydrated Soy Curls are sold in 8-ounce packages for around $3.75. In the metro area, you can purchase them at Portland's Food Fight! Vegan Grocery, Milwaukie's Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Store and at ABC Gladstone. They can also be

, including a money-saving 12-pound bulk bag for $47.95, which comes to less than $2 per 8-ounce portion.

Rehydration:

Soy Curls are ready to use in a flash. Just combine the desired amount with nearly boiling water to cover, and let them soak for 10 minutes. For added flavor, dissolve 1 tablespoon of a favorite spice blend (such as Old Bay Seasoning) or chicken-flavored vegetarian bouillon granules in the water before adding the Curls.

After soaking, drain the rehydrated Curls in a colander, pressing them firmly with your hands or the back of a large spoon to squeeze out as much excess water as possible.

Cooking:

The Soy Curls can now be used in the same manner as cooked chicken strips. They can be chopped and used in a mock chicken salad. For fajitas, toss them in a lightly oiled skillet with strips of green bell pepper and onion with seasonings. For a stir-fry, brown them in a wok first, remove from the heat, then re-add them just before the dish is ready to serve, giving them a sufficient toss to coat them with the stir-fry seasonings.

Storage:

The dehydrated Curls are shelf-stable and keep indefinitely, though using them within six months of purchase is recommended. Rehydrated Soy Curls can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to four days before using. Rehydrated Soy Curls also can be tossed into a quart-size freezer bag and frozen. To prevent freezer burn, squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible while sealing.

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