Butler Soy Curls are easy to cook and incredibly versatile, as well as hearty and delicious! They can be added to stir-fries, stuffed into sandwiches or wraps, and loaded into tortillas for tacos or fajitas. Some of my favorite Soy Curl recipes include Sweet and Sour Soy Curls, Kung Pao Soy Curls, and Buffalo Soy Curl Wraps.
What are Soy Curls?
Soy Curls are made by Butler Foods, and they’re a great alternative to meat. They have one ingredient: non-gmo whole soy beans. They have a meaty texture that’s similar to seitan, so they’re a good option for those who follow a gluten-free diet.
I love Soy Curls because they are:
- Made with whole soy beans
- Made with non-gmo soy
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Minimally processed
- High in protein
- Cholesterol-free
- Full of fiber
- Incredibly versatile
My First Taste
I first heard about Soy Curls at a vegan potluck where the hostess raved about them. I didn’t get to try them, though, until I attended the second Vida Vegan Con in Portland in 2013. On the first night in town, my friend Jenna and I went to The Sweet Hereafter with our friend Julie, who lives in Portland. We both ordered Buffalo Soy Curl sandwiches, and we agreed that it was one of the best sandwiches we had every experienced. And just like that, I was hooked on Soy Curls.
While in Portland, we went to the vegan mini mall in hopes of picking up some of this magical food at Food Fight Grocery, but the store was packed with other hungry vegan bloggers who had the same idea. Instead of battling the crowd, I placed an order for them when I got home. At first, I wasn’t really sure what to do with them, but I’ve since become a Soy Curl pro.
Where to Buy Soy Curls
I have yet to find Soy Curls in a store in my area, so I buy them in bulk from Amazon. They can be purchased in 8-ounce packages or 12-pound bulk boxes. I recommend storing them in your fridge or freezer, because the natural oils in them can go bad.
Cooking with Soy Curls
Soy Curls have a meaty texture and can be used in just about any type of recipe. Quiet often I use them in the place of meat in omnivore recipes I come across in magazines. If you follow a gluten-free diet, you can use them in the place of seitan in vegan dishes. I’ve made my French Mustard Seitan recipe with them several times, and it’s delicious.
They soak up marinades and sauces really well. I love to add them to stir-fries and stews, but they’re also great in salads, wraps, sandwiches, fajitas, and tacos. They can be baked, air-fried, stir-fried, or sautéed. There’s really nothing a Soy Curl can’t do.
To Prepare Soy Curls
Soy Curls come dry and need to be rehydrated in order to cook them. They will increase in size as they soak, so an 8-ounce package will actually weigh about 1½ pounds after it’s been rehydrated. You need to soak for only about 10 minutes. They then need to be drained of any excess water. I like to soak them in a colander sitting inside a metal bowl that’s just slighter larger. I drain them by pulling out the colander, and then I squeeze out any extra water by placing the bowl inside the colander and pressing down. This is done over a sink, of course, to avoid a mess in the kitchen.
After they’ve been soaked and drained, they can be seasoned and sautéed or stir-fried. I like to use vegan bouillon to add a little flavor to them. Edward and Sons Not-Beef Bouillon Cubes or Not-Chicken Bouillon Cubes are my favorites, but I also like Vegetarian Better Than Bouillon No Beef Base and No Chicken Base.
I like to sautée them until they’re slightly brown and a little crisp, before adding stir-fry vegetables and sauce. They can also be breaded and baked. They cook up nicely in the air fryer, too.
To Cook Soy Curls:
- Soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes. Half of an 8-ounce package will need 2 or 3 cups of water.
- Drain them and squeeze out an excess water.
- Season and sautée over medium-high heat until slightly brown and crispy.
- Add to your favorite recipe!
- You can also bread them and bake them.
Some of My Favorite Vegan Butler Soy Curl Recipes Include:
Vegan Shawarma with Soy Curls – Grab a napkin, because things are about to get messy! Loaded with vegetables, and drizzled with sauce, Vegan Shawarma is lunchtime perfection.
Buffalo Soy Curl Wraps – Inspired by the sandwich that started my love affair with Soy Curls, this spicy wrap is the ultimate lunchtime dish.
Soy Curl and Kimchi Tacos – A vegan take on Korean Kimchi Tacos, this easy-to-make recipe is perfect for busy weeknights, and it’s sure to become a Taco Tuesday favorite!
Spanish Style Soy Curls – This spicy dish can be baked in the oven or cooked in the air-fryer. They’re a great main dish for dinner with Spanish Rice and sautéed vegetables.
Soy Curl Marsla – This dish comes together quickly, but it looks like it took much longer. It’s fancy enough to serve weekend dinner party guests, too.
Kung Pao Soy Curls – Spice things up with a little Kung Pao. This meal comes together quicker than you can pick up take-out, and it’s a great weeknight meal.
Sweet and Soy Soy Curls – If you’re looking for a quick and easy weeknight dinner, look no further than this recipe from The Mindful Vegan by Lani Muelrath.
Spicy Soy Curl Stir-Fry – Garlic chili sauce gives this dish a spicy kick!
Soy Curl Fajitas – These fajitas are a fun and easy-to-make weeknight dinner.
What’s your favorite soy curl recipe?
Wow, you really have a lot of Soy Curls recipes!! I tend to go in phases with them for whatever reason. But oh, my gosh, you have me craving them now.
I do! I cook with them every two weeks or so. My current favorite is soy curl fajitas, so I’ll be sharing that recipe soon!
Hi! Is the serving size on the package for rehydrated curls or dry curls? I am on a diet and weight all of my food, if I am understanding correctly, I should weigh out the serving before I rehydrate it? Thank you so much in advance for any advice!
Hi, Killian! I don’t see anything on the package that specifies if a serving size is dry or rehydrated soy curls, and I don’t want to guess. Someone at Butler would be able to tell you for sure. https://butlerfoods.com/contact.html
Great recipe ideas I love soy curls! Just a little info you can buy them directly from Butler foods and they always include a generous sample of some of their other products.
Thanks, Tracy! That’s good to know!
Wow! I can’t believe I’ve never cooked with soy curls before! I have eaten them before (in Portland:) and they were so good! All your recipes look amazing! Definitely going to try several of them. Yum! (Just ordered my curls!) thanks!
I hope you enjoy them, Jess!
Hi Diane!
Can you put sautéed or baked crispy soy curls in the food processor to make crumbles to imitate ground beef or sausage? Thank you.
Hi Christine! I’ve never tried to do that, but it might work. I know it works with seitan, so it will probably work with soy curls. Let me know if you try it!
Hi! Your recipes looks delicious, and I plan to try them. I’m also wondering if they need to be cooked before eating? (I’m a backpacker, and looking for something I can rehydrate on the trail and then eat without any additional cooking). Any suggestions? Thanks!
Hi, Cindy! Thank you! I think they probably should be cooked after rehydrating them. I can’t think of anything that doesn’t, unfortunately.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’ve never tried to cook soy curls but I want to do it. It’s very important for vegans to eat more protein.
I hope you get a chance to try them! There’s plenty of protein in vegan foods, so we don’t really need to worry about it too much.