Vegan Soy Curl Jerky (gluten-free, too!)

Now that I’m vegan, I crave food that I never craved or even ate as a omnivore! Don’t get me wrong, I liked the taste of meat as a kid — in fact, I loved it. But, I don’t remember craving or eating jerky all that much (my parents may say otherwise, though!) Yet now, as a vegan, I could go through bags of the stuff! So, I decided to come up with a recipe, which brings us to this vegan Soy Curl Jerky, which is also gluten-free!

This recipe is really easy to make and doesn’t require much effort other than letting the jerky sit in the oven! It’s also not ~perfect~ jerky, if you know what I mean. This recipe might not be as salty or as chewy as jerky-eaters are used to, but I find it is a great, tasty, protein-packed snack to help get me through the day!

Vegan Soy Curl Jerky

So, what are these made of? From a tasty, tasty food called soy curls! Until recently, they weren’t available in my city (I believe they are pretty readily available in the US, though) so I would bulk order them. Just the other week I saw them at my local health food grocer and am so excited!

You’ll see that the marinade for this vegan jerky is pretty simple, and resembles some “bacon” marinades. You can definitely play with the flavours here, but this a nice, standard seasoning in my opinion.

The process

The soy curls first need to be soaked in boiling water to rehydrate — but only for a minute or two! You’ll then rinse them and drain them really well — I’m talking pushing that extra liquid out with a spatula! They don’t have to be squeezed so well that there is no water left, but enough that the soy curls will absorb the marinade and actually taste like jerky!

After you toss them in the marinade and let them absorb all that liquid (sometimes you’ll have a little bit that hasn’t absorbed, thats okay — it happen to me, too!) you’ll spread them out on a baking sheet. You want to spread them out well, and you also want to make sure that if there was any extra liquid, it stays in the bowl and does not go on the baking sheet! The extra liquid will effect the “jerky” making process — aka, it won’t dehydrate well enough.

The soy curl jerky will then cook in a 300 degree Fahrenheit oven for 45-60 minutes, depending on your oven’s temperature and the texture you’d like to achieve. Check on the jerky in those last 20 minutes to make sure it’s not getting crispy (unless you like it that way!)

I like to snack on this vegan soy curl jerky straight out of the oven, but they do get a better texture after they’ve cooled and have sat in a container or plastic bag for a day or so.

More salty vegan and gluten-free snack recipes:

• Cauliflower Pakoras
• Tofu Strips with Maple Dill Sauce
• Cauliflower Wings

Happy snacking!

5 from 6 votes

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Vegan Soy Curl Jerky

This recipe for chewy, salty, and delicious Vegan Soy Curl Jerky is so easy to make, and even easier to eat! 

Servings: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry soy curls
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp liquid smoke
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 3/4 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare the soy curls by covering them with the boiling water. Let rehydrate for 2 minutes. Then drain them and rinse them well. Squeeze out as much water as you can.

2. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl.

3. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
   

4. In a medium sized bowl, combine the soy curls with the sauce. Let sit while the oven preheats.
   

5. When the oven is ready, place the soy curls on the baking sheet, making sure to spread them out. The soy curls should have absorbed most, if not all, the liquid, but if they didn't - make sure you don't get that extra liquid onto the baking sheet or these won't dry out the way they should.
   

6. Bake for 30 minutes, then stir. Bake for another 15 - 30 minutes. Important note: if the soy curls were squeezed really well and soaked up all the marinade no problem, they'll likely only need another 15 minutes otherwise they'll get crunchy. If they were a little "wetter", the soy curls will take longer to dehydrate. You don't want them crispy or soft, so keep an eye on them in the last 15 - 30 minutes of baking.
   

7. Let the soy curls cool on the baking sheet. When they're cool you can store them in a ziplock bag or in a tupperware container.
   

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