Veggie broth is full of vitamins and minerals, but unfortunately it’s got nowhere near as much protein as its collagen-containing cousin. Sure, a minestrone or lentil soup will up the aminos, but if what you’re after is something more akin to good ol’ chicken noodle, then this recipe is the medicine you’re after. It’s soothing yet filling and full of quality plant protein thanks to an ingredient that looks and acts a lot like chicken.
Soy curls are essentially whole soybeans that have been boiled and dehydrated; when you look at them in the bag, they kinda resemble shredded meat. They differ from their pantry-perfect cousin TVP because they contain the entire soybean, not just defatted flour, which makes them rich in fiber as well as protein. They’ve got 10 grams of protein per ¾ cup serving and a texture, taste, and chew that, if prepared correctly, might just fool someone for chicken. Soy curls’ best quality is that they are shelf stable and only require a quick rehydration before they are ready to use.
There are a couple tricks for maximizing soy curl enjoyment. First, it’s best to choose a flavorful liquid to rehydrate them, like veggie broth or dashi. After that’s done, you can pack in more flavor by browning them, which makes for a nice crisp exterior while the insides stay chewy. You can do this either in the oven, in the air fryer, or on the stove. You could batch-cook them and treat them like a rotisserie chicken, adding them to wraps, salads, and stir-fries.
Another ingredient that might be unfamiliar is culantro, an aromatic whose flavor can be described as a stronger, citrusy cilantro. The leaves are long with saw-toothed edges, so they need a rough chop before wilting in the broth, which infuses it with flavor. If you can’t find it or don’t like the sound of a “stronger cilantro” you can definitely omit it.
We also added nutritional yeast for some B vitamins and umami, and, of course, swapped the bird for some seasoned, cooked soy curls. This recipe makes a big batch, so you can hoard it in your freezer or give some away as a get-well gift.
Soy Curl Soup for the Soul
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces soy curls
- 10 cups vegetable broth, divided
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
- 2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup mint leaves, loosely packed*
- 1 small bunch culantro, roughly chopped*
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 cup long grain white rice
Procedure:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Add the soy curls to a medium heat-safe bowl.
- Bring 2 cups vegetable broth to a boil and pour over the soy curls. Let them soak for 15 minutes. Drain the curls in a sieve or colander, pressing on them to release extra liquid. Reserve the liquid for the soup; you should have about a cup left. On a baking sheet, toss the curls with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaf, and remaining ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Sauté until the veggies are softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the mint leaves and culantro. Add the remaining 8 cups broth, reserved soaking liquid, and nutritional yeast and bring to a boil.
- Add the rice and cooked soy curls and cook until rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Season to taste with more salt and black pepper and remove the bay leaf before serving.
Notes and Substitutions:
- If you don’t love how whole mint leaves and big culantro pieces taste in the soup, you can finely chop both if you prefer.
- Leftover soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- You can substitute cilantro for culantro or omit it.
