If you haven’t tried soy curls yet, they are seriously what’s up! So easy to use, they take on any flavor you want, they’re cheap and high in protein. Plus you can keep them around forever since they come dried. Then you just soak them in water or broth to re-hydrate them and use them in any number of recipes. These vegan crispy citrus soy curls are my twist on classic orange chicken that you can get from most takeout Chinese restaurants. This recipe is hands down, better than any take out I’ve ever gotten, and much healthier for you!
These citrus soy curls are so easy to make and the sauce is everything. Soak your soy curls in water, toss them in cornstarch and salt, fry until crispy. Make the super simple citrus sauce that takes 5 minutes. Toss the soy curls in the sauce, serve over rice and/or with veggies and enjoy! The first time I tested this recipe, I actually gasped when taking my first bite, because it was that freaking good.
Where can you find soy curls?
I generally get mine at my local Asian market which is why these look thicker than many brands you will find, that is just the kind they have. You can also very often find Butler’s brand soy curls at Whole Foods or other health food stores. If you can’t find any kind of soy curls at a local store, you can always order them on Amazon!
This citrus sauce is a much healthier version of Asian orange sauce. I replaced all the sugar with agave! I also used orange juice, tangerine juice and lemon juice. However, if you want to just go with a classic orange chicken style sauce, just use all orange juice and a splash of lemon juice for some much needed tang. The sauce is incredible and such a great compliment to the soy curls. These vegan crispy citrus soy curls are a new favorite of everyone in my house!
Vegan Crispy Citrus Soy Curls
Ingredients
- 4 Ounces Soy curls * (about 1/2 a bag)
- 1/2 Cup Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- Vegetable oil for frying
For The Citrus Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Vegetable oil
- 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Fresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes **
- 1/2 Cup Orange juice
- 1/4 Cup Tangerine juice
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons Soy sauce or Tamari
- 3 Tablespoons Agave syrup
- 2 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce, vegan
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons Water
Instructions
- Add your soy curls to a bowl and cover with water. Soak them to re-hydrate for 8-10 minutes or until they are no longer hard. Drain all the water.
- Then sprinkle the cornstarch and salt over the soy curls and toss to coat all of the soy curls completely in cornstarch.
- Next, heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil on medium high in a large non-stick skillet or wok.
- Once the oil is hot, add the soy curls, you may need to do them in batches because you don't want to over crowd the skillet.
- Fry the soy curls for 2-4 minutes or until they are nice and brown and crispy. Remove the soy curls from the skillet and place them on a paper towel while you make the sauce.
- Make the sauce. In a large non-stick skillet or wok, heat the vegetable oil on medium high. Then add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Saute, reducing heat as needed for 1-2 minutes.
- Then add the orange juice, tangerine juice, lemon juice, soy sauce, agave and hoisin. Whisk to combine and bring to a simmer. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- While the sauce simmers, whisk together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Then add it to the sauce. Whisk to combine and simmer for another 1-2 minutes and it will get nice and thick. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Add the soy curls to the sauce and toss to coat. Serve with rice if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Thank you for this recipe. The sauce was fantastic!
I wanted to mention one additional step when cooking soy curls that’s made a huge difference for me: squeezing as much water as possible out of them after they’ve soaked. This greatly improves their meaty texture and crispiness when frying.
I do this by pressing my soy curls between two mixing bowls of slightly different sizes and squeezing as hard as I can with my hands. This doesn’t damage soy curls like it would with tofu!
I just squeeze them with my hands. You can get way more water out, trust
Soooooo good! I couldn’t find soy curls at a local store, I’m def gonna order some but I was too impatient to wait so I used puffed tofu instead. I also sautéed a bit of onion and added it to the sauce, and used maple syrup instead of agave as that’s what I had on hand. The flavour of this was legit so bold and amazing. Would def make again and I’ll def try with soy curls too as I bet that’s amazing. Thanks for a great recipe!
Absolutely delicious! My first time cooking soy curls – what a game changer! I’ve been missing making Chinese chicken dishes and now I can have that again without the cruelty! Thank you for creating this delicious recipe, Lauren!
Wow no one would be able to distinguish between soy curls and chicken when eating this. So delicious!!
This was delicious! First time having these types of flavors since going vegan. I threw some sriracha on top and it really transported me back to those Panda Express days.
Very good!! The sauce would go well on just about anything.
BUY SOY CURLS directly from Butler Foods! Best price if you order the 12 lb. bag. Keep in freezer or refrigerator for long term storage of this amount. Will last well beyond a year and alway there when you need them.
First of all, thanks for the introduction to soy curls, second of all this was a huge hit at my dinner party. No one was vegan, but everyone loved it. Everyone was going back for seconds and thirds until it was all gone. Very similar to a chicken strip, but with a nice uniform consistency that doesn’t make it seem like it’s trying to be meat.
This is our favourite meal. We love it!
Thank you for introducing us to Soy Curls.
I tried this recipe today. Very good and so easy. Thank you. Now I can’t wait to see what other great recipes you have.
This was easy and delicious! I tossed in some mandarin orange sections at the end, which added a little extra citrus and visual appeal.
Omg this was AMAZING!! First time trying soy curls and I’m blown away. So so so good. My boyfriend loves meat and he said “let’s make this a staple” 🙂 Thanks so much for the delicious recipe!
Do you think you could use an air fryer instead of coooo kit my in oil?
Sorry meant to write cooking it in oil
I do think an air fryer would work, but I have not tried that with this recipe, so I’m not sure what temp and time they would need.