You won’t miss the beef in these tasty Mongolian soy curls! This soy curls recipe is a delicious vegan take on the popular Mongolian Beef dish from PF Chang’s.
Did you use to love Mongolian beef before going vegan and want a substitute? I know I did – that’s why I made my own vegan version!
I don’t miss too many foods since going vegan but every once in a while when I passed by a PF Chang’s I would think about the Mongolian beef.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t actually miss the beef, it’s more the sauce that I crave. I love the flavor of sweet, salty, and a little hint of heat.
Since one of my favorite things to do is try to re-create dishes that I used to enjoy before going vegan (check out my Cashew Mac & Cheese, Ranch Pasta Salad and Chipotle Queso for some of my other favs), I thought I’d try to recreate the beef in a healthy vegan way.
Where’s the Vegan Beef?
Tofu was going to be my choice for the “beef” until I found some soy curls when cleaning out the fridge.
Butler’s Soy Curls are one of the best meat alternatives I’ve found. They can take the place of both chicken and beef equally well.
I figured I could give the soy curls a try and they turned out to be a great sub for the steak in this vegan Mongolian beef recipe.
Are Soy Curls Healthy?
According to Butler Foods (the company that makes soy curls), the curls are certified non-GMO (yay) and are also grown without chemical pesticides. They don’t contain any chemicals, additives, or preservatives.
That said, they are more of a processed product (unlike tempeh or even tofu). As a nutritionist, I try to have most of my diet filled with unrefined foods like veggies, fruits, whole grains, and legumes but I don’t obsess over being perfect. It’s okay to have some fun meat alternatives sometimes too.
That’s why I think soy curls are a great alternative to meat every now and then. Why not make this vegan version of Mongolian beef if it’s tasty & non-GMO and you can save some cows?
Vegan Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe
I found a “copycat” recipe for the P.F. Chang’s Mongolian beef from Food.com. I took a bit of an idea from that recipe and put my healthy vegan spin on it.
Their sauce recipe calls for 2/3 cup of sugar and I felt that was just too much so my Mongolian soy curls, I came up with a recipe only uses 1 TB of maple syrup to keep the sugar low.
I also didn’t want to fry them in a cup of oil so I decided to bake the soy curls. They still crisped up but without all the extra calories. Some fat is good but we don’t need too much.
Vegan Mongolian Soy Curls
While I haven’t had PF Chang’s Mongolian beef in a long time, I feel that soy curls recipe tastes just like I remember. Who needs the beef when you can have Mongolian soy curls?
I love vegan Mongolian beef recipe because:
- it’s healthier than the restaurant version (less fat and sugar)
- you don’t have to go out to a restaurant (or spend money) to have this tasty version
- it’s still full of protein
- it’s vegan!
If you make this vegan Mongolian beef recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below.
Looking for a few more Vegan Meat Substitutes? Check these out!
Mongolian Soy Curls
Ingredients
FOR THE SOY CURL “BEEF”
- 2 C soy curls
- Boiling water (enough to cover soy curls)
- 1 TB olive oil or melted coconut oil
FOR THE SAUCE
- 1 TB cornstarch mixed with 1 TB of warm water
- 3 TB tamari or soy sauce if not gf
- 1/3 C veggie broth (more if the sauce gets too thick)
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 Tsp ginger minced
- 1 TB maple syrup
- 1/2-1 TB red pepper flakes (depending on how hot you like it)
Instructions
- Soak soy curls in boiling water for 10 minutes (or until fully rehydrated).
- Preheat oven or toaster over to 375 degrees.
- Drain soy curls and press all the water out of them. I usually rinse them with cold water then wring them out with my hands. You want as much water out of them as possible.
- Cover baking pan with oil so soy curls do not stick to it.
- Add soy curls to baking pan and bake for 15 minutes, turning a few times so that nothing is sticking to the pan.
- While soy curls are baking, mix sauce ingredients together, add to sauce pot and heat to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn down heat and cook for a few minutes until sauce thickens just a bit. If sauce gets too thick add a bit more veggie broth.
- Pour over soy curls and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Mary Ellen Valverde MS, CNS, LDN is a Licensed Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Specialist who helps vegans find ways to make mealtimes easier (and healthier).
When she’s not creating new recipes for her blog, you can find Mary Ellen doting on her two shih tzus or exploring the world with her husband.
Julie says
My family and I really enjoyed this. I will definitely be making it again!
Mary Ellen says
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it, Julie! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a review!
Connie Moultroup says
Just made your Mongolian soy curls with broccoli. Delicious!!! And easy. Thank you!!!
Mary Ellen says
Hi Connie! So happy you enjoyed it. Love the addition of the broccoli!
Thanks for coming back and leaving a rating.
Laurel says
This was my first time using soy curls and it was pretty good! I may reconstitute the curls in broth next time, instead of plain water. I used Connie’s idea of including broccoli. I was glad I had doubled the sauce since it needed to coat the broccoli, too. My non-vegan mother-in-law loved it. I’ll probably make this again, thank you!
Mary Ellen says
Hi Laurel! Happy you enjoyed it! Yes, using broth instead of water will add a little more flavor. I do that with my chick’n noodle soup. Thanks so much for coming back to review!
Zoe says
Just made this and my whole family loved it! They are not all vegan. Definitely making this again 🙂
Mary Ellen says
So glad the whole family like it, Zoe! I love it when non-vegans enjoy vegan food too!
Nikita says
This looks so tasty!
I just wanted to say that soy curls are actually even less processed than tofu. They’re just ground up soy beans that are cooked, then dehydrated into strips: https://www.iamgoingvegan.com/are-soy-curls-healthy/. They’re one of the least-processed ways to eat soy, which is why they’re a go-to in my house!
I can’t wait to try this recipe, it looks fantastic~
Mary Ellen says
Oh that’s good to know how soy curls are made – thanks! I hope you enjoy when you try it, Nikita.
Lisa says
This was an excellent dish and I’ll make it again for sure. We served it with rice and broccoli. Your recipe calls for 1/2 to 1 TB of crushed red pepper. This seems to be a significant amount. I added 1/2 tsp with the sauce doubled and it was plenty and I love spicy!
Mary Ellen says
Hi Lisa, thanks for coming back and leaving a comment. I’m so happy you liked it and I’m glad you went with less pepper if you’re into spicy and still didn’t need that much. 🙂 I’ll have to make a note of it.
KC says
This was just delicious! Like others, I doubled the sauce and added steamed broccoli…served over cooked Faro. Just delish!
Mary Ellen says
So glad you enjoyed it, KC! Doubling the sauce is the way to go! Thanks for coming back and leaving a review!