Here is a fresh vegan take on your classic “Chicken Fried Rice,” made with Soy Curls and Quinoa. If you’re craving a take-out classic, but also want to keep it a little healthy, I highly recommend you try this recipe!
What are Soy Curls, you ask? They are the whole soy-bean that has been boiled and then dehydrated. Their texture is very much like meat, but unlike other faux meat, they are natural and un-processed. This is a huge win in the faux meat world! Soy Curls also offer a great deal of protein and fiber. They are gluten free and non GMO which is another plus! If you haven’t tried Soy Curls, I highly recommend checking them out! Head to butlerfoods.com to find these culinary gems and other fun items they sell!
I also used Quinoa in this recipe to up the nutrition value. Quinoa has about double the protein of a regular serving of rice and also contains loads of fiber.
Fried rice also usually has some egg in it. I don’t necessarily miss the texture of the egg in this, but I do think that egg adds a lot of flavor! To establish an “eggy flavor,” I use black salt. It has a potent smell, but adds great taste. It is also healthy! Black salt aids in digestion and has a good amount of potassium in it! To find black salt go here, and to find out more about Black Salt and other vegan essential go to my Vegan Essential Guide! It is super helpful!
I basically took the classic take out Chicken Fried Rice, veganized it, and made it WAY healthier. If you are in need of some extra protein and fiber in your diet, and also want something delicious, this is the recipe for you!
Okay, here goes… this is my beautiful Soy Curl Fried Quinoa!
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of plain cooked Quinoa
- 1/2 bag of Soy Curls (4 oz dehydrated)
- 4 cups of boiling water
- 4 tsp “no chicken” bouillon
- 3 Tbs. Cornstarch
- 1/2 inch of ginger- finely minced
- 4 cloves of garlic- finely minced
- 2 Tbs. Olive Oil
- 4 tsp sesame oil (divided)
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 carrots (chopped)
- 1 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 4 Tbs. Soy Sauce (use Tamari if gluten free)
- 1 tsp. black salt
- Chopped Cilantro (optional garnish)
- 1/4 yellow onion thinly sliced (optional garnish)
Method:
- First, make your Quinoa if you haven’t already. Cook it per package instructions. When it is done, fluff and let as much steam to escape as possible. Leave uncovered until you are ready to make the stir-fry. It will “fry” up better later if it doesn’t have too much moisture and heat.
- Next, soak your soy curls to rehydrate them. Place them in a bowl, cover with 4 cups of boiling water, and add in the “no-chicken” bouillon. You could also use some veggie broth or “no chicken” broth here. Let these soak for about twenty minutes.
- While your soy curls are soaking, you have the perfect opportunity to chop up those veggies!
- When the soy curls have soaked for twenty minutes, drain the broth from the bowl. You can discard the broth, but I always save it! It’s great to have in the fridge to make a quick soup, cook pasta or rice in, or even flavor mashed potatoes!
- With most of the broth drained from the soy curls, toss in the 3 Tbs. of cornstarch and season with a little bit of salt and pepper. Make sure it is all well incorporated.
- Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium/high heat. When the oil is nice and hot, add in the soy curls and season them with 2 tsp. of sesame oil, 1 Tbs. of soy sauce, the cumin, and the cinnamon. Spread them out in an even layer. The more that you keep them in a single layer, the more crispy they will get!
- Let them fry for a few minutes before you start stirring. When you do start to toss them around, you may have to scrape up some crispy bits- no worries! That part is delicious!
- Cook the soy curls until a little crispy on the edges. This should take about 8-10 minutes. Then move the soy curls to the edges of the pan creating a big space in the center of the pan. Add in the minced ginger, garlic, and finely chopped carrots. Fry those up for about a minute or two until fragrant.
- Then, add in the quinoa, and stir everything together. Add in the other two tsp. of sesame oil, 3 Tbs. of soy sauce, 1 tsp of black salt, and the 1 1/2 cup of frozen peas. Fry all of this together for about five minutes.
- Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and finely slivered onions, and you have a beautiful dinner!
I hope that you enjoy this dinner! It has become on of my favorite meals! If you want to accompany it with a side dish, I would recommend my Shiitake Shallot Spinach Salad, or my Seared Bok Choy with Crispy Mushrooms. Happy and healthy eating my friends!
