Best Vegan BBQ Sandwich | Soy Curls
Have you heard of soy curls? Everyone has been talking about them, and I assumed they would be highly processed, but I was wrong. This soy curl recipe makes the best Vegan BBQ Soy Curl Sandwich ever.
If you’ve been looking for a healthy vegan dinner that can be pulled together and on the table in a matter of minutes, look no further!
I love these BBQ soy curl sandwiches because they’re…
- Ready in minutes
- Made with soy curls
- Smokey
- Tangy
- Super filling
- Loaded with healthy ingredients
- Amazingly delicious
This vegan soy curls recipe has made a believer out of me. The fact that they can help me have dinner on the table in minutes doesn’t hurt either.
How to make vegan BBQ sandwiches
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
Since soy curls are dried, they will need to be reconstituted using hot water or vegetable broth. I recommend using veggie broth because it adds so much flavor. It only takes about 30 minutes of soaking, then they are ready to be used in sandwiches, stir-fries, or anywhere you would have used chicken strips.
After soaking, drain the broth. No need to cook; just add them to your favorite dishes. They have a chewy, meaty texture and absorb the seasonings and sauces of whatever they are being used in. They taste kind of bland by themselves, but once you add the flavorings for the dish they are to be used in, they soak it right up.
For this recipe, just add your favorite barbecue sauce and heat for about a minute in the microwave or on the stovetop. I have included a link to oil-free Bone Suckin Sauce below, as well as a recipe link to a sauce you can make yourself.
We serve this soy curl recipe with fresh spinach leaves and onion slices. So easy and delicious!
To make this in a crockpot, simply follow step #1 by soaking the soy curls. Once they are reconstituted, add them and barbecue sauce to a large cooker and allow to cook on low for 1-2 hours. This will give them plenty of time to soak up the barbecue flavor and be even more delicious.
What are soy curls?
Soy curls are simply non-GMO soybeans that have been cooked to the point where the soy breaks apart into strands. Then they are dried and packaged. That’s it!
Take a look at the label for yourself–just soybeans. We even have a recipe for Garlic Ginger Vegan Chicken made from soy curls!
Learning about soy curls
Back in 2016, I was working at the Global Roots Plant-Based Cooking Summit with a friend and fellow Food for Life instructor, and she introduced me to these soy curls. As a matter of fact, she demonstrated how easy they were to cook with our whole group. And they taste delicious!
One thing she taught us was that, though the package says they can be rehydrated with hot water, the best way to do this is with hot veggie broth.
The broth gives the curls so much more flavor. Just give it a try! You won’t be disappointed!
My family has been making barbecue sandwiches with seitan strips for a long time, so they are always an option as well. If you would rather use seitan, it is available at Earth Fare, Whole Foods, and many other health food stores.
What is Seitan?
Seitan, also known as wheat meat, is a vegetarian meat substitute made from wheat gluten, soy sauce or tamari, ginger, garlic and seaweed.
This nonmeat alternative is high in protein, low in fat and a good source of iron.”–LiveStrong
BBQ Sauce options
There are so many dishes that could use a great barbecue sauce to enhance the flavors. With its sweet smoky flavor, a good BBQ sauce can transform a bland recipe into a culinary masterpiece. This 8-ingredient Healthy BBQ Sauce Recipe can do just that!
If you are looking for a premade barbecue sauce, we love this oil-free Bone Suckin’ Sauce.
These sandwiches happen to be one of my husband’s favorite meals. We just add fresh spinach leaves, onions, and pickles. Often we serve them with a garden salad, slaw, corn on the cob, or baked French fries.
I have two favorite slaw recipes to serve with these sandwiches. One is my traditional Country Cole Slaw, and the other is Carolina Red Slaw. Either one of these is terrific paired with barbecue!
These barbecue sandwiches will be a hit, no matter who you feed them to!
Other sandwich and burger recipes:
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
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If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
Soy Curls Recipe Best Vegan Barbecue Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 oz soy curls or seitan strips
- 1 cup veggie broth
- barbecue sauce your favorite
- whole grain buns
Instructions
- Since soy curls are dried, they will need to be reconstituted using hot water or vegetable broth. I recommend using veggie broth because it adds so much flavor. It only takes about 10 minutes of soaking, then they are ready to be used in sandwiches, stir-fries, or anywhere you would have used chicken strips.
- After soaking, drain the broth. No need to cook; just add them to your favorite dishes. They have a chewy, meaty texture and absorb the seasonings and sauces of whatever they are being used in. They taste kind of bland by themselves, but once you add the flavorings for the dish they are to be used in, they soak it right up.
- For this recipe, just add your favorite barbecue sauce and heat for about a minute in the microwave or on the stovetop. I have included a link to oil-free Bone Suckin Sauce below, as well as a recipe link to a sauce you can make yourself.
- We serve ours with fresh spinach leaves and onion slices. So easy and delicious!
- To make this in a crockpot, simply follow step #1 by soaking the soy curls. Once they are reconstituted, add them and barbecue sauce to a large cooker and allow to cook on low for 1-2 hours. This will give them plenty of time to soak up the barbecue flavor and be even more delicious.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
Can’t wait to try these!!
Now I am ” wondering ” If these 2 soy products ,would actually be better to eat than TOFU!? Being thier from the soy bean, is there really any difference health wise? Also what is the $$$ price difference? LOT of ???s thanks! I’m 73 now and want to learn more about what I’m putting into my body?
Josette, the seitan is actually a wheat product, and the soy curls are soy. I am not sure how exactly the curls compare nutritionally to tofu, but I would think they would be very similar. I cook with both tofu and soy curls. The texture is completely different, so I like having the diverse options for a variety of dishes. Price-wise, I think for the most part, tofu is less pricey. It’s exciting to hear that you are interested in learning more about your health. Best of luck and health to you!
To bad for me I can’t have gluten 🙁
The soy curls are gluten free, so you would just need to serve on GF bread.
And there are some delicious, GF, vegan buns in the market these days. 🙂
So cool. Actually, Indians, Sri Lankans, and I imagine several other South East asian cultures have been using dried soy products like these soy curls for eons. My Sri Lankan friend served me wonderful curries made with such products many years ago. Delicious and wonderful for creating a meat-like texture. Next time you are in an area with some good Indian groceries, check out the shelves for something like this. I’ll bet you anything they’ll be less expensive. I can’t remember the name they had for these products.
What terrific information! I actually buy many of my spices at an Indian grocery store and will definitely look for soy curls (or whatever they may call them) when I’m in there next time. Their prices are so much cheaper for spices and other items, I can’t wait to see if they have these curls. Thanks so much for sharing!
I ordered the soy curls and made this dish. It was great. I wanted to try and make vegan “shrimp & grits” using these. Any idea how I might season the soy curls?
Thanks!!
I have never made anything like that, but I think seasonings like nutritional yeast, paprika, and maybe even my ‘cheese’ sauce would be good to try. https://eatplant-based.com/recipe/creamy-vegan-cheese-sauce/
That sounds good!! I’ll try that. Thanks!
I finally got some Soy Curls and they are great. I highly recommend them. Thanks fir sharing your recipe Terri!
Are they amazing?! I did learn quickly to soak/rehydrate them with veggie broth instead of water to add lots of flavor.
Have you tried freezing it after you made it?
I have not tried freezing them but think they would do well, if you want to give it a try.
I freeze ot all the time. It’s perfect when thawed…. just reheat…I reheat in the microwave.
Great to know! Thank you!
I pay $1.80 a tub for organic tofu and because soy curls reconstitute three times their size, when I buy bulk from Butler, it also works out to about $1.80/lb including shipping. Soycurls are dried and extruded soybeans, that’s it, so very comparable to tofu with no additives or preservatives.
Never heard of these, so thank you! Amazon is showing delivery date in early March, so I ordered from fakemeats.com. Looking forward to trying something new!
Jackie- I rehydrate mine using vegetable broth instead of water. It really makes a big difference in the taste. I’m sure you’ll find all kinds of new dishes to use the soy curls in. 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight, and it was a hit! Next time I make it I will use the whole 8 oz. package of soy curls so there will be plenty of leftovers. The only change I made is after soaking the soy curls I drained and squeezed out the excess broth and cooked them in my air fryer for 10 minutes. Then when I put the barbecue sauce on them I added a little broth and covered with a lid to let them soak up the sauce for a while on low heat. For my taste, I prefer the soy curls cooked in the air fryer before adding the sauce for all the recipes I have tried. It seems to improve the texture. Thanks for a great recipe. It is definitely a keeper!
@Marsha M., can you tell me how long and what temperature you do your curls in the air fryer after draining and squeezing. I think I would like to try that too! Thanks
Bone suckin sause is cheaper at Lowes hardware store. You can find it in the outdoor furniture and bbq section of the store.
That’s great to know! I had no idea that Lowes even carries it. Thanks!