A hearty dinner bowl made with soy curls cooked in homemade BBQ sauce, pinto beans, collard greens, and homemade ranch dressing. Made in just 30 minutes for a delicious weeknight meal.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Friends, August is halfway over!
In just a couple of weeks summer will wind down and the kids will head back to school. It's been an incredible summer - my favorite in years. I have traveled to some amazing places, caught up with friends, seen my fair share of sunsets, and spent plenty of time in and near the many rivers that mark the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
And also, despite the wonders of summer, I am ready for fall. As much as I have enjoyed the company of my children for the past three months, I am ready for them to go back to school so that I can get back to work. Rather than blogging in the moments between kids, I'll have full days to work on bringing you, yes YOU, new and exciting things.
But before summer turns into autumn, let's soak in the last couple of weeks of this glorious season with as much adventure as possible. And, of course, a few last minute summer recipes.
To start us off, let's take a look at these Backyard BBQ Bowls.
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
This recipe is amazing! It’s the perfect combination of chewy BBQ soy curls, smoky beans, and steamed collard greens all served over rice. Better yet, the ingredients in this recipe are highly versatile.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Rice – You can use either white or brown rice. Also feel free to use quinoa, couscous, or cauliflower rice.
- Soy Curls - I love the chewy texture of soy curls but if you don’t like soy curls or can't find them, try this recipe with tempeh or tofu instead.
- Oil - Use a high heat oil like avocado or coconut oil
- Beans – I recommend either pinto beans. You can also use black-eyed peas or black beans if that’s all you have on hand.
- Onions
- Collard Greens – Swiss chard and kale also work well in this recipe.
- Nutritional Yeast
- BBQ Sauce – Homemade or store-bought
- Vegan Ranch Dressing – Homemade or store-bought.
Recommended Equipment
For this recipe, you will need basic cooking equipment including a saucepot, a sauté pan, and kitchen utensils. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
How to Make BBQ Soy Curls Bowl
Step One - Make the Soy Curls
First, place your soy curls in a shallow dish and add enough warm water to cover. Place a lid on top to keep in the heat and let them sit for 10 minutes until they have absorbed the water and become soft.
Once the soy curls are rehydrated, we can sauté them. Sautéed soy curls have a deliciously chewy texture with a crispy blackened outside. To sauté, heat oil in a large skillet until it's very hot. Add soy curls along with homemade BBQ sauce, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the soy curls are heated all the way through and slightly blackened on the outside.
Step Two - Cook Collard Greens
Roughly chopped the collard greens and thinly slice the onions.
In a small skillet, heat the remaining coconut oil. Add onions and sauté until translucent and fragrant. Add the chopped collard greens and sauté, stirring often, until greens are a shiny dark green color and slightly wilted.
Remove from skillet and set aside.
Step Three - Heat the Beans
Heat up the beans, along with about ¼ cup BBQ sauce and nutritional yeast, in a saucepan over medium heat until the beans are cooked all the way through. Remove from heat.
Step Four - Assemble the Bowls
Once everything is done, you can assemble the bowls! Start by evenly dividing the rice among four bowls. Add beans, BBQ soy curls, and steamed collard greens. Top with extra barbecue sauce and vegan ranch.
Serving and Storing
Serve these tofu bowls with avocado, nutritional yeast, and vegan ranch dressing. Once the bowls are dressed, they should be served immediately. You can make the BBQ sauce and ranch dressing up to 3 days in advance.
Store leftovers separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to heat, gently reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soy curls are a dehydrated soy product made by soaking the beans in fresh water and then constantly stirring them while they cook. They then get dried at low temperatures which hold in the nutrients making soy curls a fiber and omega-3 rich food. Also, they are delicious.
Most well-stocked grocery stores carry soy curls in the bulk section. If you can't find them at your local grocery store, pick some up online. (<<affiliate links)
Can I use something other than soy curls?
For sure! Try this recipe with tofu, tempeh, or Improved Nature's nuggets.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Yes, it is! And for a low-carb option, consider swapping out the brown rice for cauliflower rice.
More Vegan Bowl Recipes
- Cuban Black Beans Bowl with Plantain Fries
- Korean BBQ Bowl
- Mediterranean Rice and Lentils Bowl
- Green Goddess Buddha Bowl
BBQ Bowl with Soy Curls
Ingredients
- ½ cup uncooked brown rice
- 2 cups soy curls
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, divided
- ¼ small white onion, thinly sliced
- 2 leaves collard greens, de-stemmed and chopped into thin strips
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup BBQ sauce, divided
- 1 cup pinto beans
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2-3 tablespoon vegan ranch dressing
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, cook rice according to package instructions.
- Place soy curls in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Top with a lid and let sit for 10 minutes to allow soy curls to rehydrate.
- Once soy curls are rehydrated, drain the water. Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add soy curls to hot oil along with ¾ cup BBQ sauce. Sauté, stirring frequently, until soy curls are blackened and BBQ sauce has absorbed into the curls (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a small skillet, over medium-low heat, heat the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil. Add onions and sauté until translucent and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add chopped collard greens and sauté, stirring often, until greens are a shiny dark green color and slightly wilted. Remove from skillet.
- Wipe the skillet clean and return to heat. Add pinto beans, remaining ¼ cup bbq sauce, and nutritional yeast. Stir together until pinto beans are heated all the way through.
- Assemble the bowls by placing the rice at the bottom of each bowl. Top with soy curls, collard greens, and pinto beans. Drizzle with vegan ranch and serve immediately.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Susan says
Have you taken down the vegan ranch dressing recipe? Keep getting an error page. Thanks!
Alaina says
Oh no! I miss your old recipe with the baked tofu! Where can I find it? 🙂
Kayla says
Same. I came here for a completely different recipe! I wish I had saved it!
Sarah says
I put that recipe back up! You can access it here.