Hands up if you’ve never heard of soy curls before! If you’re vegetarian, or vegan, long enough, someone will eventually tell you about this amazing, versatile secret. I know it took several years before someone mentioned it to me. I ran out and bought a bag at Organic Planet in Wolseley and brought it home. Curious things. Didn’t look like soybeans, but the bag says it’s the whole bean and nothing else. Instructions are easy and it’s a nice amount of protein for any dish.

The problem with this ingredient, is they don’t tell you HOW to cook it so it comes out tasting amazing. You need to rehydrate the beans and then pan-fry (or air fry) so they become browned and a little crispy. But if all you do is soak them in water, you’re in for a surprise. They’re bland, bland, bland. What’s the secret? Soaking them in a concentrated broth. This recipe imitates a pulled pork, or chicken, sandwich and it’s really hard to tell it’s not meat if you do it right.

Pot or pan
Mesh strainer
Tongs

For the BBQ soy curls:

1/4 cup Butler Soy Curls
2 cups water
5 drops of liquid smoke
Your favorite BBQ sauce
1 Tbsp olive or other cooking oil

For the coleslaw:

1 200g coleslaw mix (or you can shred your own cabbage and carrots)
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp celery seed

Boiled dressing:

1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup white vinegar
1/8 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

COLESLAW

Empty entire bag of coleslaw mix into a bowl. Add celery seed and chopped green onions.
Add ingredients under Boiled Dressing to a small pan or pot and heat on medium until boiling. Remove from heat and pour over the coleslaw mix. Using tongs, mix the slaw until all of it is covered in the dressing. Put a lid on the bowl and let the coleslaw wilt and cool slowly. Once cool enough, place in the fridge for at least a couple four hours (preferably overnight). Remix the slaw after a few hours and just prior to serving.

BBQ SOY CURLS

Bring water and liquid smoke to a boil in a small pan or pot. Turn the element off. Soak soy curls until you can’t see a darker centre in the larger strips. Once they are rehydrated, strain the liquid out by pouring them into a strainer over the sink. Squeeze as much liquid out as you can by pressing them with the back of a spoon.

Heat your oil in a small pan on medium. Once the oil shimmers, drop your soy curls in and spread them out so they all contact the pan. Turn the head down to medium-low and flip the curls when they are browned on the bottom. Cook the other side until browned as well. Once they are done, turn the heat off and add your BBQ sauce. Stir to coat.

ASSEMBLE

Slice an Italian panino (panini is plural), or other bun, in half. I like a bit of plain mayo on my bun, but use your imagination (mashed avocado, spicy chipotle mayo)! Top the pulled curls with your coleslaw and enjoy!