You won’t miss the beef in these tasty Mongolian soy curls! This dish is my vegan take on the popular dish from PF Chang’s.
I don’t miss too many foods since going vegan but every once in a while when I pass by a PF Chang’s I think about the Mongolian beef. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t actually miss the beef, it’s more the sauce that I sometimes crave. Since one of my favorite things to do is try to re-create dishes that I used to enjoy before going veg, I thought I’d try to recreate the beef in a healthy vegan way.
Tofu was going to me my choice for the “beef” until I found my soy curls when cleaning out the fridge. Butler’s Soy Curls are one of the best meat alternatives I’ve found. The texture of them is very “meaty” and can replace chicken or beef in many recipes. I thought I’ve give the soy curls a try and they turned out to be a great sub for the steak in this recipe and my Mongolian soy curls were born!
I found a “copycat” recipe for the P.F. Chang Mongolian beef from Food.com so I kind of took the gist of that recipe and put my vegan spin on it. The recipes called for 2/3 cup of sugar and I felt that was just too much so the version I came up with only uses 2 TB of maple syrup to keep the sugar low.
I also didn’t want to use a full cup of oil to fry my Mongolian soy curls so I baked them instead. They still crisped up a bit without all the extra calories. Some fat is good but we don’t need too much.
You won't miss the beef in these tasty Mongolian soy curls! Click To Tweet
Mongolian Soy Curls
You won’t miss the beef in these tasty Mongolian soy curls! This dish is my vegan take on the popular dish from PF Chang’s.
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
- 1/4 C tamari or soy sauce if not gf
- 1/2 C veggie broth
- 2 cloves of garlic , minced
- 1/2 Tsp gincer , minced
- 1 TB maple syrup
- 1/2-1 TB red pepper flakes (depending on how hot you like it)
Instructions
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Soak soy curls in boiling water for 10 minutes (or until fully rehydrated).
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Preheat oven or toaster over to 375 degrees.
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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.
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Cover baking pan with oil so soy curls do not stick to it.
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Add soy curls to baking pan and bake for 15 minutes, turning a few times so that nothing is sticking to the pan.
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While soy curls are baking, mix sauce ingredients together, add to sauce pot and heat to a boil.
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Once boiling, turn down heat and cook for a few minutes until sauce thickens just a bit.
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Pour over soy curls and enjoy!
This looks so good! I’m not sure we have soy curls in the UK (thanks for the link so I could see what they were)! so do you think this would work with tofu? I’d love this for dinner tonight it sounds very tasty! Thanks for sharing at Healthy Vegan Fridays 🙂
Thanks so much! The texture wouldn’t be exactly the same but the taste would still be there from the sauce. I would think it would still work if you cubed and baked the tofu.
If you try it let me know how the tofu works!
I’ve never tried soy curls before, but the results look fantastic! I’ve had some of the most amazing veganized takeout foods lately – like Korean style fried cauliflower. Too many great things to try!
Thanks Margaret! Soy curls are really easy to use and can be a great substitute for meat in so many recipes.
The Korean style cauliflower sounds awesome!
This looks wonderful! I have not used soy curls in awhile, but need to get some for this. Thanks!
Thanks Christine! Let me know if you try them. 🙂
How have I never heard of soy curls?? I need to find those asap. Thanks for linking up today
They’re so good and a great sub for meat!
I can’t eat soy but I do love the flavors and the curls look like the perfect sub for meat! Thanks so much for linking up and sharing! 🙂
Thanks Annmarie!
I have never heard of soy curls or seen them but now I’ll be on the hunt to check them out! I recently tried to start adding soy back in (even though I’ve been told to eliminate it) and thought I could do it in moderation but whole bags of edamame isn’t moderation. The vegan meats from the Vegan Butcher have vital wheat gluten so I keep trying those but have the same issues I did when we first bought all the things on opening day with lots of bloating and issues. SO I’m buying only limited soy, only what I need, and not in bulk or stocking up. I will definitely be on the look out for these though for one of those times to try. Do you find them in the vegan meats section? Thank you for linking up with us for Meatless Monday!
Thanks Sarah! I actually had to purchase them off of amazon although I’ve heard some people say they can find them in their local health food stores. They’re dehydrated soy so they’re shelf stable but I actually put them in the fridge after I open them to keep them a little fresher. Maybe if you keep them in the back of the fridge like I did that would keep you from using them too much – that’s actually what I do and then I was so excited when I found them back there.
Did your doctor or nutritionist tell you to eliminate it because of allergies or was it some other issue? I find soy is fine for most people in moderation so long as you’re not allergic to it. I can see that vital wheat gluten could cause some bloating and other problems especially in those that have some gluten intolerance. I can have a little wheat gluten but not too much or I have problems too.
I’ve never even heard of soy curls! But this looks awesome so now I want to make it. Must hit up Whole Foods, stat!
Thanks so much Rachel! I’ve never been able to find them at Whole Foods but let me know if you do, I’d love it if my Whole Foods would start carrying them. 🙂
I have not come across Soy Curls, but I have a few local places in mind that I will look for them at. this recipe sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing at the Sunday Fitness & Food Link-Up 🙂
Thanks so much Angela! I hope you can find them, they’re fun to use. 🙂
I just made this and am eating it now. It is amazing. I agree that the sugar content from another recipe was too much and used Maple Syrup. It tastes amazing. Spot on. I love soy curls. I wonder if when vegan restaurants start taking off that they will use these as a meat substitute. Thank you again and much love.
Johnathan, thank you so much for your kind words! I’m so glad you liked the recipe. I’m hoping that more restaurants catch on to using these. It would open up so many more options for those that done eat meat.
Yes, please!! I love asian flavors, but don’t cook enough with them. This inspires me!
Thanks so much Julie! I’ve been obsessing over Asian flavors lately. I always find they work so well with veg-based foods. 🙂
I’ve not tried soy curls before, but will have to give it a go!
Let me know if you try them Vicki!
I love recreating old favourites from restaurants =) I’ve only had soy curls once, but quite enjoyed them. They make a nice texture that is “meaty” without being too “meaty” haha ;p It sounds like a great dish and I like how you lightened it up.
Thanks so much for sharing this at Healthy Vegan Fridays! I’m pinning & sharing =) Have a great week Mary Ellen!
Yes, that’s how I would describe them too, Kimmy – meaty but not too meaty lol.
I have not worked with soy curls so this should be a fun recipe to try at home. I am so delighted that you shared your healthy and delicious Mongolian Soy Curls at the Healthy Happy Green Natural Party! I’m Pinning and sharing this!
I’ve never had beef in my life, yet this vegan version looks so so delicious. We don’t have soy curls in the UK, so I am wondering what to sub. it with instead as i really would love to try this. Visiting from Healthy Happy Fridays
Hi Shaheen! Thanks for stopping by! The sauce is really what makes the whole dish. I was thinking of making it with tofu to being with until I remember I has some soy curls so baked tofu might be an option.
I was reading about some type of soy product on a UK blog that looked so good but it was only available in there. I wish I remembered what that was because that would have worked in this dish. If I find it, I’ll let you know!
I love soy curls and constantly looking for new recipes. This looks great. They work well with saucy dishes. 🙂
Thanks Janet! Love then with saucy dishes. 🙂
Those sound soooo tasty and look so inviting! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much Clotilde! Let me one if you try them!
I’m excited to try this recipe, hopefully tonight. I’m just a little confused with the directions, It calls for soy sauce twice, once with the beef and once with the sauce. Do I add soy sauce to the re-hydrating water? I was also wondering if I could re-hydrate in a vegan Un-beef broth?
Hi Annette! Sorry about the directions being unclear. I fixed them. I bet re-hydrating them with un-beef broth would be extra tasty! Let me know what you think if you try them. 🙂
Yum! How many does this serve..assuming you’re serving over rice?
Hi Tracey, thanks for stopping by. I’m sorry that I didn’t have that info in there – I have updated it. It makes about a cup so I would say about 3-4 servings if you’re having it with some rice and veggies. 🙂
I just tried these curls and they’re so delicious. This recipe looks so good- thank you for sharing it! This may sound like a dumb question, but how long do soy curls last in the refrigerator after they have been rehydrated?
Hi Elaine! I’m so glad like my soy curls! I have kept them in the fridge for 2-3 days after re-hydrating them and they were still good. I can’t say from experience how they would be for longer than that – I actually love them so much I usually eat the leftovers within a day or so. 🙂
Butler foods, the creator of soy curls, has places that carry the product on their site.
I have found that boiling water isn’t necessary. I heat water to the hot but not boiling stage and pour it over the curls. They hydrate in about 15 minutes.
Hi Judd, thanks for posting about the boiling water. My site does not allow for links in comments so I had to leave your links off for the comment to show up. I hope you get to try my soy curls!
Are there directions or just an ingredient list? Maybe your site just doesn’t work on iPhone!?
It’s back up and ready now Jessica! Sorry for the confusion, moving my recipes to another recipe card on the site has been a nightmare!