Butler Soy Curls 3 Pack - 3 x 8 oz bags + 10.35 oz Chik-Style Seasoning

Being someone who follows a largely plant-based diet, I was happy to come across these delicious little gems. As a person who eats meat on occasion, but is always looking for more humane substitutes, sometimes I get a craving for something hearty and chewy and meat-like. Often I satisfy my craving for Vitamin M(eat) with cooked mushrooms, or any number of meat substitutes like juicy Beyond Meat burgers and Gardein sweet and tangy Mandarin Chick'n. We're living in an age where eating mostly plant-based has never been easier. Gone are the days of subsisting on tofu burgers and wheat sprouts and pinto beans...nowadays you can eat as healthy or as junky as you wish, and feel more than satisfied. There's nothing like a sloppy joe made from vegan "meat" crumbles to hit the comfort-food sweet spot. Vegetables are all well and good, but many of us prefer a more varied diet; a diet that includes plenty of health foods, but also allows us spacious room to satisfy our cravings. And that's where these soy curls come in. I can eat tofu only in very small amounts, such as the tiny chunks in miso soup; in larger quantities, it doesn't agree with me. You won't see me buying a tofurky for Thanksgiving! Because of that I've tended to shy away from soy products. But these curls aren't tofu, they don't appear to be processed in the same way. They're made from the whole soybean, and while some reviewers have compared their texture as similar to chicken, I'd liken them more to fried calamari. They're not as grainy as chicken, they're more chewy. Pro-tip: the longer you cook them, the chewier they get. If you only lightly cook them, they'll have a spongier, more airy tofu-like texture. So if you want something more substantial, keep cooking! If you're afraid of over-cooking and/or burning them, just remove them from heat and let them rest for a few minutes after cooking, to achieve the same chewy effect. When you first buy these, suck up the added expense and get them with the seasoning included. I haven't used the seasoning for anything but the soy curls yet, but I'm sure it would be delicious in a variety of other applications. I can see adding it to noodles for a vegan chicken flavored ramen, or to sauteed vegetables for additional flavor. Soups, stews, rice, you name it...anywhere you would use bouillon, you can use this seasoning. As for the curls themselves, I've added them to vegetable dishes as a meat-like component for a heartier texture and taste, as well as just made up a batch and munched on them cold for a satisfying snack. One of my favorite uses is after soaking the curls for the recommended 10 minutes to re-hydrate them, to then drain them well and pan-fry them in a small amount of vegetable oil. Towards the end of the cooking time I shake on some of the included seasoning, and add a dash of turmeric to bring out their richness and give them a nice color. At that point I'll put half of them aside to save for a cold snack later, and to the remaining half I'll add a dollop of hoisin sauce. I stir them until they're thinly coated, and then I serve them over chow mein noodles with Asian-style veggies. It's similar to Korean bbq pork, and it's just scrumptious. The amount of seasoning included is generous, so unless you're using the seasoning for other purposes, the next time you purchase, you can just buy the 3-pack of soy curls minus the seasoning for a lot cheaper. And fear not, a 3-pack is NOT too much. I stored my unopened packages in the freezer just to be safe, but in less than a month I've already gone through two bags and have put in an order for my next 3-pack...they're just that good. They taste pretty much how you're imagining they taste, but they're even better than that. If you're a seasoned vegan or someone just transitioning to a more plant-based diet, you really can't go wrong with these curls. Even if you're a die-hard meat-eater, you'll enjoy these as a snack or an addition to salads or as part of a "meatless-Monday" meal. Eating plant-based doesn't have to taste bad, or be uber-health conscious...it can be easy, and simple, and still satisfy every craving you have...and even some cravings you didn't know you had. When I first transitioned to eating mostly plant-based, I was nervous that I would feel lacking, or that I wouldn't know what to eat. Instead of being limiting, my diet has opened me up to a whole WORLD of delicious food that I never knew existed, and these curls are a small but integral part of that world. Enjoy.

I have used this many times. No one knows that it isn't real meat, unless I tell them. When reconstituted and cooked appropriately, they are a delicious and nutritious way to add protein to your meal without adding too many carbs. They are easy to use as directed.

As a vegan, soy curls will be an invaluable source of protein for my diet. I received these curls recently along with the Chik-style seasoning. I didn't have any issues with the packaging and the expiration date was best used by May of 2020. I usually cook half a bag at one time, and simply soak the dehydrated curls in a bowl and regular tap water for about 15 minutes. I drain the water then I heat the curls in a pot with two tablespoons of the seasoning (directions say four TBSP for a full bag, so the ratio is correct). There's enough moisture in the curls so I don't have to use any oil to heat them up, and the curls absorb the seasoning perfectly as you fry them up. The texture has that chewy mouth feel to it, kind of like stir fry beef. The great thing about soy curls is that it absorbs whatever you put on it so it is very versatile and can be used on many things. I simply put soy curls on rice and eat it like that. The Chik-style seasoning is amazing and gives the curls the chicken flavoring you usually get from ramen packets.

Love the soy curls, but can’t use the flavoring that came with it. I will send it to my son who can eat it though. We love these soy curls! So easy to make and a little goes a long way. Texture is just like meat! Great for fajitas, tacos, chicken pot pies, stir-fry’s, etc.

A couple of years ago my wife and I decided to try a vegetarian diet. I gotta admit at first, for me, it was rough going. I missed all the trips to 5 Guys and the local steak houses. But, mostly thanks to my wife's culinary skills (and a couple of Instant Pot's) being a vegetarian is OK. Yup I've fallen off the wagon at times when we eat out. When I saw these I thought they were like a snack food. Popped one in my mouth, no taste, and it sucked all the moisture from my mouth. She explained to me that not everything needs to be sampled in its natural state. Flash forward a few days....one of my all time favorite sandwiches is/was BBQ. I just love the spicy sauce and the texture of the meat, chicken/pork/beef doesn't matter. I walked in from work to see BBQ warming in the pot. Have we decided to cheat today? She didn't say a thing, just sat me down with a sammich topped with fried onions and chopped pickles. I bit down,it tasted exactly as I remembered, pre-vegitarian, Same tangy sauce, same texture, everything that made me a happy carnivore. After my second helping, she says "remember those things you called soy curds? That's them." Enough said. We are keeping these around. Also got a sample bag of soy jerkey. I'm not a big jerky fan, but I actually liked them.

These things are really versatile and make a great stand-in for chicken in a stir fry or pasta dish. I’ve been vegan for several years and I was happy making seitan and using tofu and the old standby beans, so it took a while for me to order the soy curls. I get tired of making his-and-hers dishes, the meat for him and seitan for me, with the extra work and extra pans to wash, and we can’t eat beans all the time, so decided to give soy curls a try. They are really easy to use, just rehydrate them in broth or some other liquid, fry them up, and toss them in your dish. They have no real flavor of their own so you need to season them well. Also the chicken flavoring powder they came with is pretty tasty. I do keep the curls and the seasoning in the freezer to keep them fresh, as suggested. This is a great addition to the vegan kitchen, or for anyone who would just like to eat less meat.

Package arrived yesterday and I could not wait to try them after reading all the reviews. I soaked them for ten minutes then I added a little coconut oil to a pan and a pan seared a few with the seasoning. They were pretty good just like that, I pan seared the rest and then put them in the oven tossed in bbq sauce on broil for a few minutes and YUM was the result. I served them over coconut rice and a side of baked sweet plantains. They were GREAT. I can't wait to try these out with other recipes like "chikn" Alfredo, stir fry, buffalo chikn, curry chikn, and in a lasagna. The texture is great when pan seared. I would like to add that I have not eaten real chicken or any other meat for about five years so my review could be based on this also. My hubby and 4 year old seemed to like them though and they are occasional meat eaters so I think that says SOMETHING. I ordered the package which also came with the Chikn seasoning. This seasoning is like a flour like powder and smells weird but it has good flavor. I even cooked other things with it today. I really like the curls and the seasoning and I will definitely be ordering more of both. Seems more cost effective to order in a package than individually.

5 stars for the soy curls. 1 star for the flavoring. The soy curls are perfectly textured to mimic chicken and use them like fajita meat. The powder though is really unusable after a couple of uses, because it clumps together making it virtually unusable, but I guess you could throw the chunks into a soup. It gets hard and clumpy and unable to sprinkle. The flavor is super mild too.