Tip: I recommend letting the soy curls marinade for at least 1 hour so plan ahead to ensure best results with this recipe~

Honey has never been a mainstay in my cooking arsenal – in fact the only three things I’ve ever used it for would be as a spread on toast, a sweetener in my lemon-ginger tea, or a sweetener in a tried-and-true chickpea curry recipe I discovered in my 20’s when I left home and taught myself to cook. That being said I love the flavour of honey, especially the citrus notes. When we decided to switch from a vegetarian to a vegan diet last year I was surprised how reluctant I was to do away with honey (considering how seldom I used it). I fell victim to the common misperception that honey is a “natural” sweetener that’s better for you than the alternatives (for more on this see below). In any event about four months into our transition to a plant-based diet I decided to ‘let go’ and gave my last bottle of purchased (organic) honey to a friend. Since then I’ve switched to my maple syrup and/or agave syrup without incident. Whenever we come across honey now either at the supermarket or one of the health expos we frequent the kids have come to call it “bee vomit” as though they never really cared for it anyway lol

I was inspired to develop this recipe after a recent visit to Vegan Supply.ca’s bricks-and-mortar location downtown (Vancouver) during which I sampled a spoonful of Bumble Bloom vegan honey. The flavour, consistency and complexity rival traditional honey yet it’s made from only a few nature-inspired ingredients: farm-fresh organic apples, cane sugar and apple cider vinegar. The kids devoured it (of course) and asked if we could buy some – so I did. I thought this would work wonders in a marinade so I started down this path and ended up making a glaze with it as well – simply delicious!! Today I’m thrilled to share my recipe for Vegan Honey-Tamari Glazed Soy Curls with Rice.

How I’d describe this dish if I didn’t have my photographer extraordinaire husband snapping glamour shots of it:
Pan-fried soy curls marinated in a tantalizing sweet and sour marinade thanks to fresh garlic, ginger root, vegan honey, tamari sauce, sesame oil and lime juice (for subtle citrus accents). The crispy curls are then cooked in a honey-tamari glaze to elevate the sweetness of the dish. The glazed soy curls – along with a medley of sautéed vegetables and red onion – top a bed of rice for a wholesome, deliciously simple dish.

Three reasons why you should give this recipe a try:

• *Two words: vegan honey. The flavour of the sticky sweet stuff and not a drop of exploitation 😉
• *I love to support local products. In chatting with Bumble Bloom’s owners (a Vancouver-based husband and wife team) it’s clear they have a deep passion for ethically-sourced and sustainably-sourced honey – and their product is quite simply AWESOME.
• *If you’re like me you never heard of tamari sauce growing up. If you’re not familiar with it , tamari sauce is a thicker, less salty, fermented soy sauce that adds a savoury, umami-like flavour to your dishes. From soup broth to gravies and salad dressings and everything in between tamari is incredibly versatile and adds full-bodied flavour to any recipe. This recipe will get you hooked on tamari sauce – believe me!

Inquiring minds want to know:

• *A  honey bee will visit up to 1500 flowers in order to collect enough nectar to fill its ‘honey stomach’; a separate stomach in which enzymes break down nectar into honey. Once the bee returns to the hive this mixture is regurgitated and chewed by ‘house bees’ to form honey.
• * When farmers remove honey from a hive, they replace it with a sugar substitute. This can be detrimental to the bees’ health since it lacks the essential micro-nutrients of honey.
• *Isn’t honey more “natural” than other sweeteners? Contrary to popular belief no; honey is so similar to high fructose corn syrup that it’s virtually impossible to tell pure honey from adulterated honey. Honey is primarily composed of fructose, glucose and water. It also contains other sugars as well trace enzymes, minerals, vitamins and amino acids but for all intents and purposes it is similar to other sweeteners.

If sweet and sour is in your wheelhouse you may want to add these to your meal plan cycle:

• *Sweet & Savoury Tofu with Cinnamon-Roasted Sweet Potato & Lentil Mash
• *Vegetable Stir-Fry with Sweet & Sour Sauce 
• *Almond Butter Sauce with Crispy Tofu & Ramen Noodles

As always please share your feedback if you get the chance to make any of our recipes – or perhaps use one of them as a springboard to create your dish.

Enjoy~

Note: This recipe was made using a Thermomix appliance; however, it can easily be adapted using similar food prep tools (e.g. multi-function processor, immersion blender etc).

Preparation

• 1/Prepare soy curl marinade; let soy curls marinade for at least 1 hour.
• 2/Prepare Honey-Tamari Glaze; set aside at room temperature.
• 3/Cook 3 cups rice as directed (I used 2 ¼ cup basmati rice and ¾ cup short-grain black rice – customize as you wish!)

Ingredients

Marinade

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled (30g)
• Fresh ginger root (1.5-inch piece/10g)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil (20g)
• 3 Tbsp sesame oil (30g)
• 1/3 cup tamari sauce (90g)
• 4 Tbsp vegan honey (80g)
• Lime juice (from approx. ½ lime)
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Honey-Tamari Glaze

• 3 Tbsp vegan honey (60g)
• 1 Tbsp tamari sauce (10g)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (10g)
• ½ tsp ground ginger (<5g)

Vegetables

• Half red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 sweet bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• Olive oil
• Himalayan pink salt
• Garnish
• Cashews, crushed (optional)

Instructions

Prepare Marinade

• 1/Add garlic and ginger root to your Thermomix mixing bowl. Mince 5 sec/Speed 7. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl to collect the mixture at the base of the bowl.
  Note: Insert the butterfly whisk attachment to your Thermomix mixing blade before Step 2
• 2/Add olive oil, sesame oil, tamari sauce, vegan honey, lime juice, red pepper flakes and salt to the TM bowl. Whisk 30 sec/Speed 3.
  Note: Remove the butterfly whisk attachment from your Thermomix mixing blade once Step 2 is complete. 
• 3/Transfer marinade to a shallow baking dish. Add rehydrated soy curls to the dish (they should be covered in marinade). Marinade soy curls in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or overnight if time allows).

Prepare Honey-Tamari Glaze

• Note: Insert the butterfly whisk attachment to your Thermomix mixing blade before Step 1.
  4/Add vegan honey, tamari sauce, olive oil and ground ginger to your Thermomix mixing bowl.  Whisk 30 sec/Speed 3. Transfer to a small mixing/prep bowl; set aside.
  Note: Remove the butterfly whisk attachment from your Thermomix mixing blade once Step 1 is complete.
  
  

Prepare vegetables

• 5/Heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Drizzle olive oil over the skillet. Sauté the red onion, bell pepper and carrot until tender. Add a few pinches of salt as you sauté. Once cooked set aside.

Pan-fry soy curls

• 6/Transfer the marinated soy curls to your skillet. Pan-fry the marinated soy curls until they start to get crispy. At this point transfer the reserved glaze to the skillet. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the glaze is well combined.

Assembly

• 7/Plate your cooked rice. Top with sautéed vegetables and pan-fried soy curls. Garnish with crushed cashews (optional). Serve immediately~

Recipe Notes

* Each 8oz bag Butler’s Soy Curls yields 1.5 lb soy curls when hydrated.

*How to rehydrate soy curls:

1/Place soy curls (8oz/227g) in water. Add enough warm water to completely cover the curls. Let soak for 10 minutes.

2/Drain soy curls and rinse in cold water. Using the underside of a spoon, press gently on the soy curls to release any excess water.

Product Recommendations

Bumble Bloom Classic Honey (375g)