Description
This Vegan Pepper Steak recipe is a savory, plant-based take on the classic dish, featuring rehydrated soy curls dry-fried to a perfect texture, combined with colorful bell peppers and a flavorful savory-sweet sauce. It’s quick to prepare and ideal for serving with rice, making it a delicious and satisfying vegan dinner option.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 8 ounce bag (around 4 cups) soy curls
- 3 ¼ cups vegan beef broth or vegetable broth
- 2 medium bell peppers, sliced (green and red)
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1–2 teaspoons minced ginger, to taste
Sauce Ingredients
- ¾ – 1 cup water (reserve ¼ cup)
- 7 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar (or any sugar)
- 1 ½ tablespoons mirin
- 1 ½ tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
Instructions
- Prepare rice (optional): If serving with rice, start cooking it first, especially if using brown rice, which requires longer cooking time.
- Rehydrate soy curls: Place soy curls in a medium bowl, discard any powder at the bottom of the bag, and cover with vegan broth. Let soak for 10-12 minutes until mostly rehydrated while preparing other ingredients.
- Squeeze excess broth from soy curls: Working one handful at a time, gently squeeze out the majority of the liquid from the soy curls but don’t dry them completely.
- Save leftover broth: Strain and save the excess broth for use in soups, rice, or freezing for later.
- Dry fry the soy curls: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squeezed soy curls and cook, stirring often, for 3-5 minutes until they begin to brown. Adjust heat if they start to burn. No oil is needed during this step.
- Add sliced bell peppers: Add the bell pepper slices to the skillet and cook for 4-6 minutes until peppers are softened but still slightly crisp, according to preference.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together reserved water (keep ¼ cup aside), soy sauce, mirin, coconut sugar, and arrowroot powder or cornstarch until smooth. Set aside briefly.
- Add garlic and ginger: Stir minced garlic and ginger into the skillet, stirring constantly for one minute, then reduce heat to medium.
- Add the sauce to skillet: Pour the sauce mixture into the skillet and stir constantly for about one minute until it thickens. If too thick, add reserved water a little at a time to adjust consistency.
- Adjust sauce consistency if too thin: If sauce remains too thin, cook for additional 5-6 minutes to thicken, or mix more arrowroot powder with water and add to skillet to thicken faster.
- Finish and serve: Remove from heat, season with fresh cracked black pepper and salt if desired, and serve hot with rice. Garnish with roasted sesame seeds, chopped green onions, or red pepper flakes if desired.
- Storage: Store leftover vegan pepper steak separately from rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- If using brown rice, start cooking it well before preparing this recipe as it takes longer to cook.
- You can save the leftover broth from rehydrating soy curls for future use in soups, rice, or other dishes.
- Use arrowroot powder or cornstarch as a thickener depending on preference or availability.
- Mirin can be substituted with a combination of rice wine and a little sugar if not available.
- The recipe is designed without oil for dry frying soy curls to avoid sogginess.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Vegan, Asian-inspired
Keywords: vegan pepper steak, soy curls recipe, plant-based main dish, vegan Asian stir-fry, easy vegan dinner
