General Tso’s Soy Curls! Easy weeknight stir fry with soy curls and veggies. Vegan General Tso’s Chicken. Gluten-free, Nut-free Recipe Jump to Recipe
This general tso’s Sauce + Soy Curls makes for an amazing weeknight meal. Soy curls are marinated in the from scratch homemade general tsos sauce mixture, then stir fried to crisp. Veggies added in along, and the rest of the marinade is then cooked down to thicken. Serve this easy stir fry with rice or noodles!
Soy curls absorb moisture differently and sauce amount preference also varies, so make another full or half back of the sauce and add more if needed.
Ingredients for general tso’s Soy curls
- For the sauce you need, soy sauce or tamari, sugar, rice vinegar, mirin, toasted sesame oil, sambal oelek chili paste, ginger and garlic
- For the stir fry you need soy curls, green onions, garlic, bell peppers, zucchini or carrots
How to make General Tso’s Soy curls stir fry
Mix the marinade. Add soy curls and mix and soak. Toss twice in between, Heat a skillet over medium hi heat.
Add oil. When hot, add garlic and green onion and toss for a few seconds
Fish out the soy curls from the marinade and add to the pan, cook for 4 to 5 mins to brown some edges. you can also toss the soy curls in cornstarch before using for crisping up the soy curls. Add the peppers and veggies and mix. Add a pinch of salt and cook for 2 mins
Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch and ¼ cup water to the marinade and mix well.
Add the sauce mixture to the pan and mix well. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 mins to thicken. Stir once in between. Also taste at the time to adjust flavor. Add salt, sugar, heat if needed.
Let sit covered for another min.
Serve with rice and blanched broccoli. garnish with green onions and fresh black pepper 
More stir fries
- Sticky ginger Sesame Tofu Veggie Stir fry
- Hoisin Noodles and Tofu stir fry
- Cashew Tofu and veggies
- Soy-free tofu stir fry with sunbutter sauce
- Lemongrass Tempeh with sesame noodles
- Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
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Vegan General Tso's Soy Curls
Ingredients
- 4 oz soy curls (dry), see notes for where to buy and sub options
General tso's Sauce:
- ¾ cup warm water /veggie broth
- 3 to 4 tablespoon sugar or coconut sugar or other sweetener
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce use tamari to make gluten-free
- 2 teaspoon mirin rice wine
- 2 to 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1.5 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoon sambal oelek chile paste optional or sriracha or pepper flakes to taste
- 2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 3 cloves minced garlic
Stir fry:
- 1 teaspoon oil (safflower or sesame)
- 2 cloves of garlic chopped
- ¼ cup chopped green onions ,white portions as well, use greens for garnish
- ½ red bell pepper
- ½ green bell pepper
- 1 cup zuchini or carrots or other veggies
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Mix the marinade. **Reserve ½ cup of the marinade in another bowl to use later. Add soy curls to the marinade and mix and soak for 10-15 mins. Toss twice in between so all soy curls marinate well.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add oil. When hot, add garlic and green onion and toss for a few seconds.
- Fish out the soy curls from the marinade and add to the pan, cook for 4 to 5 mins to brown some edges. (you can also toss the marinated soy curls in cornstarch before using for extra crispness). Add the peppers and veggies and mix. Add a pinch of salt and cook for 2 mins
- Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch and ¼ cup water to the remaining marinade (reserved plus remaining) and mix well.
- Add the marinade sauce mixture to the pan and mix. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 mins to thicken. Stir once in between. Also taste at the time to adjust flavor. Add salt, sugar, heat if needed. Let sit covered for another min.
- Serve with rice and blanched broccoli. garnish with green onions , toasted sesame seeds, and fresh black pepper.
Video
Notes
More Saucy: For saucier, double the sauce, add in some more veggies if desired. Szechuan version:
Heat 2 teaspoon oil. add 1 teaspoon crushed schezuan peppercorns and cook until roasted.
Drain the oil into the marinade and use. Soy curls are not same as soy chunks that are chewier and take much longer to cook. Soy curls can be found in some grocery stores or online on amazon. Use Tofu or chickpeas to substitute soy curls . For Tofu, use firm or extra firm(10 to 14 oz), press for 15 mins, then toss in cornstarch and bake at 400 deg F for 20 mins or pan fry to crisp. Add to the skillet after adding the sauce. Or use 1 can chickpeas drained Nutrition is for 1 serve, does not include rice or noodles.
Nutrition
Inger Riley
Wow! We’re new to vegan eating and I’ve been experimenting with all the favorites so we’d still be loving what we’re eating but not harming animals any longer! This recipe confirms we’re fine, and never have to look back! Of course, as many recipes in vegan land are really sweet I used one less Tbsp of sugar and it was perfect!! Played with red and green peppers, and onions and mushrooms in the pan, and then steamed some broccoli to have the full meal with rice! AMAZING! We now have our favorite takeout and it’s in our pantry! So happy! Thank you for creating these recipes so I could just jump into veganism and fly!
Vegan Richa Support
Congratulations on becoming vegan! Welcome!
Jane
Oh my! This was delicious. My first soy curl recipe and we loved it.
I did run into a problem. When I poured the marinade into the frying pan it thickened immediately, so I added water so that there would be enough liquid to give the veggies time to cook. It obviously diluted the flavour a bit, though it was still amazing. Has anyone else had this problem? Any suggestions?
I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thanks so much.
Vegan Richa Support
Maybe your heat was too high?? You could also reduce the amount of cornstarch.
Jane
I am brand new to soy curls 😊. I am eagerly planning to make your recipe for Gen Tso soy curls but am unsure of how much 4 oz of soy curls would measure in cups.
Thanks so much for any tips you have for me.
Vegan Richa Support
4 oz of soy curls is half of an 8oz package, about 2 1/2 cups.
Christine
Amazing recipe : )
Sharon
Should I soak the soy curls first?
It’s my first time using soy curls, so I am excited to try this recipe 😋
Thank you
Sharon
Richa
Soycurls are soaked in the marinade
Marilyn Moon
Absolutely delicious and a favorite addition to are best loved vegan recipes!
Thank you for sharing
Vegan Richa Support
Awesome!
Elisa
I cut the sugar and doubled the sauce. It was a winner in our family.
Vegan Richa Support
Awesome!
Jackie
This is an excellent soy curl recipe. The flavor and texture of the soy curls was perfect as the sugar in the marinade caramelized as the curls cooked, making them seem extra meaty. The family really enjoyed this dish! I will double the sauce next time as suggested. Thanks, Richa!
Vegan Richa Support
So good to hear!
Monica
This was great and easy. Thanks for providing recipes with soy curls. I think I finally have figured out how to cook with them thanks in part to your recipes.
Vegan Richa Support
I’m glad. Soy curls are great!
Pamela
This ranks in the top 5 recipes that I have tried on the VeganRicha blog so far. It’s been on my to-make list for a while, finally got to try it. Flavor bomb! I doubled the sauce and was glad I did. We both love this!
Vegan Richa Support
Yay! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Marika
This was excellent! First time with soy curls and my husband and I loved it. The sauce was delicious. I added white pepper and a tablespoon less sugar and it was great. Next time, I may add some dried chili peppers for more heat.
Vegan Richa Support
Soy curls are great! Glad you liked them.
Phoenix
Am I correct in thinking this is 4oz. by weight?
Richa
Yes
Lisa
This was my first time using soy curls. The soy curls looked a lot like real chicken pieces with a similar texture. This dish has big flavor and is aesthetically pleasing. Tasted great served with rice and would work well in a wrap also. Anxious to try out some more of your soy curl recipes.
Vegan Richa Support
Glad you liked them, I love soy curls!
Genie
Just finished having this for dinner tonight. Turned out well. I used 1/2 the soy curls and left the other ingredients the same for 2 people.
Happy to have another easy recipe for soy curls!
Vegan Richa Support
Glad you liked it! Thank you for commenting!
Diane
This dish is absolutely amazing. I will make this part of my recipe rotation for sure.
Vegan Richa Support
Awesome!
Sandy
This recipe was sooo delicious and I finally am able to eat soy curls. I did air fry them as some comments suggested and it totally changed the texture. Thank you Richa! <3
Vegan Richa Support
Happy to hear!
Andrew
This was so delicious and easy to make. I used a bag of frozen bangkok-style vegetables instead of fresh and it worked out beautifully.
Vegan Richa Support
Happy to hear!
Mary
I made this for dinner this evening. I have never used soy curls before and not sure where to find them in the U.K. However, I did find a
product called Organic vegan pea and fava protein chunks. They are dry and more flat than chunky and look similar to the soy curls. It worked out very good, I followed the recipe exactly as stated and it was delicious with rice. Another incredible vegan meal – thank you Richa.
Vegan Richa Support
Glad to know it works with other meat substitutes. This will be very helpful for other people living in the UK.
Arlene Zortman
Easy awesome taste. I used no oil or salt turned out great
Vegan Richa Support
glad you enjoyed!
Carolyn
Delicious! I went plant-based 8 months ago and this is the most satiating and satisfying dish I’ve made. It is so close to the real chicken General Tao. It feels like junk food but it’s not! It’s now a staple. Thank you! I left out the rice wine and the oil, and substituted 3 dates for the sugar. Very tasty.
Vegan Richa Support
yay! thank you!
Sue
Made this with tofu tonight, on the stovetop. Delicious, filling and easy. Thanks for another winner!
Vegan Richa Support
yay! thank you!
taya
This was OUTSTANDING and lived up to its positive reviews! It was difficult not to eat all of the soy curls after they marinated because they were delicious on their own! Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
awesome! thanks so much for your kind comment!
Jennifer
I made the Instant Pot version of this from your Instant Pot cookbook – and it was fantastic! Better than any Chinese food I can order!
Vegan Richa Support
yay!
Reni Loewenberg
This is one of my family’s favorites. I probably made it at least a half a dozen time in the past 2 months. So easy and delicious! The takeout and make this. 🙂
Vegan Richa Support
yay!
Marta
Wooow made this tonight and doubled the recipe. This was incredible!
Vegan Richa Support
thank you!
Shann
This was absolutely excellent!! So far it’s my favorite way to prepare soy curls. Thank you so much for this recipe 🙂 !
Vegan Richa Support
🙂
Brittny
Did you rehydrate the soy curls before marinating?
Vegan Richa Support
no, they soak in the marinade
Judy Venters
My husband and I both loved this dish! I am curious, though, about how you calculate the “prep time.” It took me about 40 minutes to prepare all the vegetables–grating and mincing garlic and ginger, cutting zucchini and carrots, chopping green onions, dicing peppers, etc. It was worth every second, but the 10 minutes suggested prep time seems to me to be a little misleading.
Richa
It’s usually overlapping time with cooking. It should be atleast 20 mins. I’ll update it
Kee
Can these soy curls be frozen once cooked?
Richa
Yes
Melanie
This recipe is delicious! I make several Chinese dishes with soy curls but this is my favorite. None of my other Chinese recipes have you soak the soy curls in the sauce, which really ups the flavor.
I also discovered a new variation! I love soy curls, but don’t cook with oil so they don’t crisp up in the skillet. I like to cook them in my air fryer before adding them to the skillet. I usually make enough soycurls for 2 meals and cook them in the air fryer. I use half the soy curls the first night, and save the rest for the second night. This time, I overcooked my soy curls a little.
The next day I was on the run and got really hungry. The only thing that was ready to eat in my frig was the soy curls for that night’s dinner.
I ate those soy curls and loved them. I liked that they were a little over cooked because they stayed crunchy.
I’m heading to NYC for a day trip tomorrow and am fixing a cooking a batch of Gen. Tso soy curls to take with me. They are my new jerky!
Now I”m envisioning what I could do with other marinades….. Bacon? Chicken flavored? Lots of possibilities!
Thanks so much for this recipe!
The last time I made this recipe,
Vegan Richa Support
YUM! this sounds amazing! thank you for trying, i’m glad you love the soy curls!
Emma
Absolutely delicious every time we make it! Even my meat-eating father who usually turns up his nose at vegan meat replacements had seconds.
Vegan Richa Support
wow! that’s how you know. glad you both love it!
Adam
How do you get the soy curls to be crispier and not have a spongy texture?
Richa
Bake longer
Linnea
So good!
Vegan Richa Support
thank you!
Darlene
Sooo good! It was my first time cooking with soy curls and they didn’t disappoint! My family loved this recipe. Thanks Richa.
Vegan Richa Support
soy curls are the best. thank you!
Christine T.
Ermygawd, I made this last night and it was sooooo flavour packed, delicious and easy. Even the non-vegans had seconds and just like traditional General Tso’s chicken, I wanted to sneak into the fridge after midnight for another nibble.
Vegan Richa Support
Haha love to hear it!
Barb
I made a double batch of this today so that I could use my whole 8-oz. bag of soy curls. I didn’t have mirin, so I just tried to come close to that. After marinating, I cooked the soy curls in the air fryer. Because I had doubled and because I used more vegetables, I didn’t have room in the cooking pot for everything , so I cooked the vegetables and then mixed those and the soy curls in a huge bowl, thickened the sauce in the cooking pot, and added the amount of vegetables/soy curls we wanted for the amount of sauce there was. I had vegetables and soy curls left over, so will make more sauce tomorrow. I’m glad I made the double batch, because otherwise we would not have leftovers. We really liked it. I also think the marinated, air fried soy curls would make good jerky and make make a batch just for snacking.
Vegan Richa Support
yay! great idea to double for leftovers. glad you liked it! 🙂
Liz
I love the ease of Soy Curls, and this recipe makes the most of them! It’s SO DELICIOUS- and easy!! I added soba noodles and a little more of the yummy sauce and ate it for days. Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
They really are wonderful! So glad you like the recipe.
Sally
Our first time eating soy curls, and certain members of my family were skeptical…. but this dish was delicious and everyone loved it!
Thank you!
Richa
Yay
Christina
This recipe is amazing! I made it for dinner tonight (using two bell peppers, a zucchini, and a cup of shredded carrots for my veggies), and my family loved it. Thanks, Richa!
Richa
Thanks!
Sherry
This was unbelievably delicious! I added carrot shreds but other than that I followed the recipe completely. Better than any restaurant!!
Vegan Richa Support
so nice to hear
Jane Antonacci
Really tasty, even the soy curls absorb the flavors wonderfully!
Vegan Richa Support
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Andrea
Wow! I am so glad I chose this recipe as my first adventure with soy-curls. This was absolutely delicious. If I didn’t know what it was, I would have definitely thought it was chicken. Unbelievably good. Another Richa keeper recipe. Looking for soy-curl “beef” stroganoff recipe next…suggestions. I’m hooked.
Vegan Richa Support
it’s a keeper! here’s a link to my mushroom one: https://www.veganricha.com/vegan-mushroom-stroganoff/
Mary
Made this for the first time last night. My husband is still raving about it a day later. He said this is his new favorite dish and wanted to know when I was making it again. I told him it would be on my weekly rotation. Thank you.
Vegan Richa Support
already?! lol
Melissa
Ive only used soy curls once before and didn’t strain them so the texture was awful.
Do you not need to strain the liquid out of these before adding them to the pan?
Vegan Richa Support
no – just scoop them out of the marinade with a slotted spoon and it will get absorbed wile cooking
Amy Meinweiser
I completely messed this up! I turned a double recipe of sauce into a soup instead of a stir fry. I added more veggies than asked for and included the broccoli in my ‘stir fry’. I also used half soy curls and half shitake mushrooms.
So, I stink at directions! Still, the sauce was amazing! We loved it. We will make it again. I’ll keep working on getting that stir fry skill down to perfection.
Thank you, Vegan Richa. I am a true fan.
Vegan Richa Support
that’s ok! it still worked out great it sounds
Tira
Love this recipe. So easy. Have made it many times now and made it for friends who also thought it was fantastic.
Vegan Richa Support
nie to know