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Soy Curls Fajitas with Peppers and Onions

Today’s vegan soy curls fajitas recipe has become one of our family’s current weeknight favorites. It makes a delicious and easy filling for plant-based tacos, fajitas, burritos, burrito bowls; makes a great protein option for vegan meal prep, etc.

Vegan soy curls fajitas with peppers and onions

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This vegan chicken fajitas recipe is so simple that for a while I didn’t even consider it blog-worthy. But since the demand for easy, quick and tasty vegan meals is always there, I decided to finally post it here today.

Back in our pre-vegan days, fajitas were one of my favorite things to order at Mexican restaurants. I loved the assortment of sizzling hot, slightly charred crisp vegetables tossed with strips of chicken or steak, served in a hot cast iron pan.

Topping each individual fajita with guacamole, sour cream, rice, and whatever toppings each restaurant could come up with was always so much fun!

Then I went vegan, and for the most part the appeal of fajitas went away because without meat, they just didn’t seem worth it.

I tried to recreate the magical fajita filling at home with various ‘fake meats’, but something was missing.

Then it dawned on me – I’ve got to try soy curls here! So this is how my easy soy curls fajitas fajitas were born.

I like this recipe so much that I devoted an episode of my new YouTube cooking show to it:

I’m not usually a fan of vegan meat substitutes, but soy curls have a pass in my kitchen. Butler Soy Curls is the brand I’ve tried and liked a lot (please note: Butler is not paying me to say these nice things about them, so all opinions in this post are my own.)

Butler Soy Curls are made from whole, non-GMO soybeans – not soy protein isolate like TSP or TVP – so even though the beans are processed, they are technically a whole food.

Butler Soy curls are used to make vegan fajita filling

Soy curls are sold dehydrated, so they need to be reconstituted in hot water for a few minutes for best results.

I don’t eat soy curls very often, but when I do, I find the texture very reminiscent of chicken or pork, which makes them ideal as vegan Barbecue pulled pork – or vegan chicken fajitas!

Peppers and onions make a great addition to soy curls: I like to keep their cooking time to a minimum to retain their crunch. Cooking them in a hot skillet with a tiny bit of oil allows them to get slightly charred in a few spots, which adds some delicious smokiness to the taste of this fajita filling.

If you have some smoked paprika in your spice cabinet, it could be very handy here!

By the way, this recipe is one of the 15 kid friendly vegan recipes from the blog that have been approved by my 2 year-old daughter.

Vegan chicken fajitas made with Butler soy curls

To complete your perfect soy curls fajitas, serve them with warmed corn or flour tortillas along with whatever toppings fit your fancy.

I often go simple and just add my Easy Chunky Guacamole, shredded lettuce and Sriracha. Feel free to go for the whole shebang of refried beans and rice, vegan sour cream (or cashew cream), Pico de Gallo – the list goes on!

Besides these soy curl fajitas, I also like to use soy curls to make spectacular vegan BBQ pulled ‘pork’ sandwiches! I cook the soy curls the same way as described below, then mix in my Easy Barbecue Sauce, and voilà – a delicious sandwich filling that will wow even the most skeptical meat eater!

Another fantastic way to use soy curls is making my delicious vegan bolognese pasta with soy curls! This Italian-inspired classic has a “meaty” texture achieved without using any meat.

How to Make Soy Curls Fajitas with Peppers and Onions

(See ingredient amounts in the printable recipe card below.)

In a large bowl, pour boiling hot water over the soy curls to cover them fully.

Mix in 1 tablespoon of No-Chicken stock base into the hot water. Set aside to soak for 10-15 minutes.

Slice onions and red bell pepper; chop scallions and cilantro while the soy curls are soaking.

Heat a nonstick pan (I love this one) over medium heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of avocado oil (oil free option: use the no-chicken broth that the soy curls were soaking in).

Once pan and the oil/broth are hot, add the soy curls and all of the no-chicken broth into the pan (oil-free option: reserve 2-3 Tbsp of broth for later).

Bring to a simmer, then cook until all of the water evaporates.

Continue cooking the soy curls, stirring them often, until they turn golden and develop some seared spots.

Take the soy curls out of the pan and set aside.

Return the pan to the stove and heat it up on medium-high. Add up to 1 Tbsp avocado oil/reserved no-chicken broth.

Cook sliced peppers and onions for 2-3 minutes. The vegetables should get slightly charred in a few spots but retain their crispness.

Put the soy curls back into the pan with the vegetables. Add cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, and salt and pepper.

Toss everything together to mix well. Let the soy curls warm up again, 1-2 minutes. Mix in scallions and cilantro if using. Turn off heat.

Serve along with warm tortillas, Easy Guacamole and any additional toppings of choice. Enjoy!

Meatless fajitas recipe: vegan soy curl fajitas with peppers and onions

Butler Soy Curls website can be found here. You can also order soy curls on Amazon over here (affiliate links).

Yield: Makes enough for 6-8 individual fajitas or tacos

Vegan Fajita Filling with Soy Curls, Peppers and Onions

Soy curl fajitas vegan recipe

A delicious vegan fajita filling made with soy curls, peppers and onions. Soy curls have a texture similar to chicken, which works really well in this simple and quick recipe. Can also be used in tacos, burritos, etc.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes

Ingredients

Spices and seasoning:

  • 1 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp sweet or smoked paprika
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp chipotle chili powder, to taste
  • Salt, black pepper to taste

To serve:

  • 6-8 warm corn or flour tortillas, preferably organic
  • One recipe of Easy Guacamole or any favorite guacamole
  • Any other toppings of choice (optional) - salsa, hot sauce, cashew cream, vegan cheese shreds, etc.

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, pour boiling hot water over the soy curls to cover them fully. Mix in 1 Tbsp of No-Chicken stock base. Set aside to soak for 10-15 minutes.
  2. Slice onions and red bell pepper, chop scallions and cilantro while the soy curls are soaking.
  3. Heat a nonstick pan (this one is my current favorite) over medium heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of avocado oil (oil free option: use the no-chicken broth that the soy curls were soaking in). Once pan and the oil/broth are hot, add the soy curls and all of the no-chicken broth into the pan (oil-free option: reserve 2-3 Tbsp of broth for later).
  4. Bring the soy curls to a simmer, then cook until all of the broth evaporates. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the soy curls turn golden and develop some seared spots. Take the soy curls out of the pan and set aside.
  5. Return the pan to the stove and heat it up on medium-high. Add up to 1 Tbsp avocado oil/reserved no-chicken broth.. Cook sliced peppers and onions for 2-3 minutes. The vegetables should get slightly charred in a few spots but retain their crispness.
  6. Put the soy curls back into the pan with the vegetables. Add cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, and salt and pepper. Toss everything together to mix well. Let the soy curls warm up again, 1-2 minutes. Mix in scallions and cilantro if using. Turn off heat.
  7. Serve along with warm tortillas, Easy Guacamole and any additional toppings of choice. Enjoy!

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

5

Serving Size:

2 fajitas

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 281Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 6gSugar: 12gProtein: 10g

Please note that the provided nutritional information data is approximate.

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Let me know how your vegan soy curls fajitas turned out!

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author avatar
Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats
Alina first made a switch to a vegan diet in 2013 to optimize her athletic performance as a marathon runner. Eventually she embraced veganism as a way to be kinder to fellow living beings and the environment. Alina hopes that this blog helps its readers on their path to becoming vegan and making this world a better place.
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Coleen

Tuesday 15th of June 2021

To answer your question first, yes I have used soy curls many times. One of my favorite preparations is in "chicken" with broccoli over brown rice. I soak my soy curls in Better-than-Bouillon's un-chicken broth, then do a standard stir fry. We also LOVE your bolognese. Can I tell you how yummy it is with rice instead of pasta? Love it~!

Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Tuesday 15th of June 2021

Thank you Coleen, I haven't thought of serving it with rice - sounds delicious!

Jackie

Sunday 9th of August 2020

Thank you for the recipe, I love soy curls, and this a good way...I’m going to make that today...

Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Monday 10th of August 2020

Thanks Jackie, let me know how they come out!

Jennifer

Friday 3rd of July 2020

For those of us who buy soy curls in bulk, can you give a weight or other measurement for the soy curls? My bag is 3 pounds -- I'm assuming a third of it would be too much ;0)

Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Friday 3rd of July 2020

Hi Jennifer! Wow, that must be a huge bag given how light soy curls are :) I buy 8-ounce bags of soy curls, so a third of that is just under 3 ounces.

Jeff Beckman

Thursday 21st of May 2020

I/3 bag of soy curls, one pepper and one onion, and you're going to fill 6 tortillas? You've got to be joking. I'd hate to get an invite to your house for dinner!

Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Thursday 21st of May 2020

Have you made this recipe, or anything with soy curls before? Those amounts work just fine for 6 tacos (not burritos) with some additional trimmings like avocado, lettuce, shredded cabbage, etc. People who have attended taco parties at my house have always been very pleased ?

Tori

Wednesday 20th of May 2020

Made this as part of our lunch meal prep. It was amazing. The texture of the soy curl is indiscernible from chicken. Seasonings were spot on and peppers were cooked just right. Adding this to our rotation.

Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Thursday 21st of May 2020

Thank you Tori, glad to hear it came out good!

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