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 and are also grown without chemical pesticides. They don’t contain any chemicals, additives, or preservatives and contain 10 grams of protein in every serving.
They’re not like most meat alternatives that are made out of soy protein isolates which can be filled with all sorts of unhealthy added ingredients.
Soy curls are dehydrated strips of soy protein made out of whole non-GMO soybeans. They are cooked slowly until they’re soft, made into strands, then dried at a low temperature and packaged. There’s no added fat or flour.
That’s why I think soy curls are a great alternative to meat. 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!
📖 Recipe
Mongolian Soy Curls
Ingredients
FOR THE SOY CURL “BEEF”
- 2 C soy curls
- Boiling water (enough to cover soy curls)
- 1 TB avocado oil or melted coconut oil (optional)
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 or use parchment paper.
- 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 empowers vegans to feel confident creating sustainable habits that align with their values and health goals. She shares easy plant-powered food to nourish your body + satisfy your tastebuds. Mary Ellen’s recipes and nutrition info have been featured on Yahoo News, Parade, VegNews, LIVESTRONG, Dr. Axe, Greatist, LIVEKINDLY, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more. She lives in NJ with her husband & two sweet shih tzus, Firenze & Sophie.
Nicole says
SO GOOD and so easy. Meat eating bf loved it. Thank you! Will be making again for sure.
Mary Ellen says
So happy both you and your husband both enjoyed it, Nicole. 🙂
Judy says
I don’t see the mg for sodium in your nutritional information.
Do you know what it is?
Mary Ellen says
Hi Judy! Sorry for not seeing this comment before. If you use low-sodium soy sauce and veggie broth, the sodium content would be about 440 mg/serving.