I’ve been curious about soy curls for years, but they are apparently made by only one company–Butler–and are difficult to find in Canada. I mentioned this in passing to Frankie once, and when I saw her in July, she generously gave me TWO packages she’d purchased on a trip down south. I was delighted and have been considering what to make since I received them.

Today was the day, and I decided to try my hand at converting this well-reviewed recipe for sweet-and-sour chicken to a vegan version. The result was fantastic.

If you have difficulty finding soy curls, you can use 500 grams of shredded chickwheat or even cubed tofu.

Vegan Sweet-and-Sour Chick’n

Serves 4 to 6

Step 1: Place the soy curls in the broth and let sit for twenty minutes:

• 1 package of Butler’s soy curls (will reconstitute to about 1.5 lbs) or 500 grams chickwheat
• 4 cups hot vegan chicken broth (I use the powdered stuff from Bulk Barn), unnecessary if using chickwheat

Step 2: Drain the soy curls and mix together:

• 1 cup aquafaba (from one can of chickpeas)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1.5 TBS tapioca starch

Toss drained soy curls in the mixture.

Step 3: Make the sauce by mixing the following in the Vitamix:

• 1/2 cup pineapple juice (or any kind of tropical juice)
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 TBS soy sauce
• 3 TBS tapioca starch
• 2 TBS fresh grated ginger
• 1 tsp sea salt kosher salt 
• 5 TBS brown sugar

Set aside the sauce.

Step 4: Saute the soy curls until nicely browned in…

• 1 TBS sunflower oil

Remove the soy curls to a bowl and set aside.

Step 5: heat the oil and saute the following for a couple of minutes:

• 1 TBS sunflower oil
• 2 cups sliced button mushrooms
• 1 cup white onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 4 stalks of celery, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup cashews

Add:

• 15 ounces of frozen pineapple, thawed

Step 6: Add the sauce and let simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.

Step 7: Add the sauteed soy curls to the pan and let simmer for a few minutes until everything is heated through.

Serve over basmati rice with a sprinkle of sesame seeds!

This was a perfect Jamie meal, and he was absolutely delighted with it (I enjoyed it as well)!

And the song of the day is Great Lake Swimmers’ “Concrete Heart,” which is apparently about Toronto, a city I love (and the city of my birth…though I have no recollection of living there since we moved to Montreal when I was only two).