Jump up for soy strips!
Soy strips with satay sauce is an easy Indonesian-inspired recipe that bakes up in just a few minutes. If you’ve not used soy strips before, here’s your chance to give them a whirl complete with smothering them in creamy, spicy tahini-sriracha sauce.
Soy strips (soy curls)
I remember the day that my husband came home with a few bags of dried soy strips. They reminded me a bit of the cookies I used to feed my horses, but when I read the ingredients list, I was immediately more impressed. Nothing in there but soybeans.
What are soy strips?
Soy strips, aka soy curls, are a natural meat alternative made from soybeans that are cooked, texturized and then dehydrated. Most that you will find are made from non-GMO soybeans , but double-check the label if you’re not familiar with the brand. Soybeans are notorious for containing GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Let’s keep it pure when we can.
Where can I buy soy strips?
We found soy strips in our local veggie shop and were pleased that they are so inexpensive. We gave up on the processed vegan meats when I realized how much added oil and other ingredients they contained. This made soy strips a welcomed surprise. In the US, soy strips are branded as soy curls by Butler Foods. I did a quick search to discover that they are available in places like Whole Foods and Target as well as Amazon where you can buy them in bulk.
Re-hydrate
I have the same strategy for re-hydrating dried soy as I do for preparing tempeh. Simmer in a flavorful liquid. Veggie broth is the best base for simmering. Usually this involves throwing in a veggie cube, letting the water come to simmer, giving it a quick stir and then tossing in the soy strips. If you want a bit of a ‘beefier’ flavor, add a bit of soy sauce or liquid smoke it you want it smoky. In 10 minutes, your soy is back to life. Drain it and give it a press to get out some of the moisture.
Satay sauce
Satay is an Indonesian or Malaysian dish with a sauce that usually contains peanuts. Not one to conform, I ditched the peanuts in favor of tahini and spiced it up with sriracha sauce. Add to this some minced ginger and garlic and another one of my standbys – Ketjap Manis. It's satay time people.
What is Ketjap manis?
Think thick, sweet soy sauce and there you are. This is another food staple courtesy of Malaysia and Indonesia. If you can find this, stock up. It’s my favorite quick sauce for stir fry or over a bowl of grains and veggies. If you can't find ketjap manis, use 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 2 teaspoon liquid sweetener as a substitute.
In the moment, or later
I can happily report that you can make soy strips with satay sauce ahead and pop it in the fridge to bake the next day. I sometimes make a double recipe, so I can enjoy the sigh and smile that comes with a prepared meal that needs no thinking, just 10-15 minutes in the oven. The soy strips hold together nicely no matter when you bake them.
Yes, it’s this easy
I was so excited when I first made soy strips with satay sauce that I went a bit wild with ideas to serve it. All for the sake of thorough recipe testing, all about the testing. Wouldn’t want to steer my readers in the wrong direction.
Cumin-lime cauliflower rice
You're going to love soy strips with satay sauce over cumin-lime cauliflower rice (which takes about 15 minutes to put together). Put that together with a bit of spicy cucumber salad and you have a quick, delicious meal.
Yes, it wraps
Satay lettuce wraps? Most certainly, and may I have another? Seriously, a bit of cumin-lime rice, some satay, in crisp lettuce. Delicious simplicity that is worth a platter as an appetizer.
Final thoughts
One of the principles of whole food plant-based eating is right there in the name – whole food. This means we should always try to seek out foods that are minimally processed with no added ingredients. Pure food with nothing unnecessary. This approach doesn’t limit you. On the contrary, you are freed from label reading, calorie counting and measuring out portions. Uncomplicated, uncompromised, guilt-free eating. That’s what its all about. Peace.
soy strips with satay sauce
Soy strips with satay sauce are the best plant-based, oil free keep ‘em coming recipe for healthy lettuce wraps, appetizers or main dishes with wow.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Courses
- Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients
Soy strips
- 2 cups soy strips (soy curls)
- 6 cups veggie broth (or 6 cups water + 1 ½ cubes vegetable bullion)
Satay sauce
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 Tbsp. Ketjap Manis (sweet soy sauce) or use 1 tbsp. regular soy sauce + 2 tsp. agave syrup or another liquid sweetener.
- 2 gloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
- 1-2 tsp. Sriracha sauce
- 3-4 Tbsp. water (depending on consistency you like)
Cumin-lime cauliflower rice
- ½ head cauliflower
- 2 tsp. cumin seeds
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro (coriander) – optional
Crisp lettuce, if making wraps (iceberg or romaine works well here)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add 6 cups of veggie bullion or water to a simmer (if using water, add 1 ½ cubes veggie bullion).
- Add 2 cups dried soy strips and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes until the strips are fully re-hydrated.
- While the soy strips are simmering, prepare the satay sauce by mincing the garlic and ginger and add these, ¼ cup tahini, 1 Tbsp. ketjap mannis, 1-2 tsp. sriracha and 3 Tbsp. water in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Once the soy strips are rehydrated, drain them press against the side of the colander to get some of the moisture out.
- Preheat the oven to 4250 F (2200C)
- Grab a mixing bowl and add the soy strips and about half the satay sauce. Coat the pieces using a spoon (or your hands).
- Place the smothered strips on a baking sheet (line with parchment paper to reduce mess if desired). Bake the satay strips for 10 minutes and then flip them over and bake for another 5-10 minutes until they are firm and a bit browned on the outside.
- Serve with the remaining sauce.
Cumin-lime cauliflower rice
- While your satay is baking, let’s make cumin-lime cauliflower rice.
- Cut ½ head cauliflower into medium florets.
- Make ‘rice’ by grating the cauliflower or use a food processor on a fine grate. Pat the grated ‘rice’ by pressing between 2 paper towels to absorb extra moisture.
- Heat a medium fry pan and add the cumin seeds. Toast the seeds for 2 minutes until they are fragrant, but not browned.
- Add the cauliflower, 2 tsp. ground cumin, ¼ cup lime juice and chopped cilantro (coriander).
- Stir and heat through for about 3-5 minutes. It’s done.
To make lettuce leaves, simple spoon rice onto lettuce leaves, at the soy strips and add a bit of the remaining satay sauce.
Notes
- Make this dish ahead of time by preparing simmering the soy curls, drying them and covering with half the satay sauce. Keep in an airtight container for several days and then bake as directed.Although I highly recommend using sriracha sauce, you can use chili paste or even hot sauce. Just taste as you go.
- Tahini, sesame seed paste, makes this satay really special; however, you can use creamy peanut butter or even almond butter. Just be sure to check the labels for added oil.
Keywords: soy strips with satay sauce
Debora Tallio
Thank you for this delicious recipe. You posted it on Facebook yesterday which is where I saw it. I made a few alterations since I follow Dr. McDougall's way of eating so include starches. Instead of cauliflower, I used rice though seasoned it as you described. Also, since I did not have Ketjap Manis for the sauce I put the soy sauce, 2 dates and the other ingredients in my Vitamix until well blended. I ended up making a double batch of the sauce since it was so good. My husband can be hard to please but he really enjoyed this. I will soon be posting your recipe on my Facebook page so my patients can give it a try and I will provide the link to your web page.
Denise
I am so excited that you like the satay sauce and you made some wonderful adjustments. The sauce is really good with baked cauliflower too. Again, thanks for your kind comments. Big smile on my face today.
Su
This recipe sounds great but I need to watch my sodium intake. Are you sure it’s as high as listed? How much sodium is in the veggie broth and is it all absorbed by the soy strips? I found something called frozen soy strips in my Asian market and wonder if it’s the same as the dehydrated ones.
Thanks.
Denise
Hi, I checked the nutritional analysis and the sodium is in the vegetable broth. Most of this gets drained off. If you use salt-free broth and low sodium soy sauce, that should eliminate most of the salt. Cheers!