Vegan Chicken Florentine with soycurls
User Reviews
5
Vegan Chicken Florentine with soycurls
Description
Vegan Chicken Florentine with soycurls reimagines the traditional chicken Florentine using soy curls as the protein. The soy curls are first soaked in flavored chicken broth to hydrate and infuse subtle taste, then coated in salt, pepper, and cornstarch before pan-frying to achieve a crisp, golden edge. The creamy sauce is crafted by blending cashew nuts with water and yellow miso until smooth, then simmering with sautéed onions, garlic, mushrooms, and a blend of spices and nutritional yeast. The addition of spinach toward the end wilts it gently into the sauce, creating a balance of creamy and earthy flavors.
The resulting dish offers a silky, savory sauce enveloping tender, slightly crisp vegan chicken pieces. It provides a comforting texture contrast and layers of umami and mild heat from pepper flakes. The use of vegan butter adds richness to the sautéed aromatics, while the broth-soaked soy curls enhance depth of flavor beyond a simple vegan protein.
This recipe adapts well to dietary needs with adjustments such as replacing soy curls with seitan or tempeh, substituting cashew cream for nut-free alternatives, or omitting mushrooms and onions as desired. Such flexibility allows accommodating various preferences without losing the essence of the creamy Florentine style. The dish can be served alongside pasta or grains to make a complete meal.
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 3 oz dried soy curls
- 2 teaspoon neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 2 cups chicken broth flavor
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons corn starch or tapioca starch
For the cream sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter or oil
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 oz white mushroom or cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 1 tablespoon mirin ¼ cup of white wine, or [alternative missing
- ¾ cup cashew nuts see note for Nutfree, raw
- 2 cups water or broth
- 2 teaspoons yellow miso chickpea miso for Soyfree
- 1 teaspoon parsley dried
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt , less or more based on salt content of the liquid in the recipe
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon pepper flakes
- 1 cup spinach 5-6 oz, frozen or mix of frozen and fresh baby spinach
- red pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Soak your soy curls in warmed chicken flavor stock for 15 minutes. You can use 4 ounces to make a really thick dish; I prefer to use 3 oz as the soy curls absorb a lot of water,
- Once they have soaked, drain but do not dispose of the stock, reserve it for later. Press lightly while draining to remove excess moisture.
- Then put it in a bowl and add the salt, black pepper and corn starch to the soy curls, mix well to coat and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of oil to the skillet. once hot add the soy curls and cook until the soy curls are golden on the edges. Then transfer them to a plate.
- Make the sauce: blend the cashews, water and miso until they are very smooth. I usually blend it for 1 minute then let it sit for 5 minutes and blend again. Repeat this 2-3 times until the cashews are blended well.
- Heat the vegan butter in the same large skillet. Once hot add the onion, garlic and cook until the onion are starting to turn golden. Add the mushrooms and mix in.
- Cook for a 3-4 minutes. If mushrooms are starting to dry out add a splash of water. Once the mushrooms are starting to turn golden add the white wine or mirin, and mix in.
- Then add blended cashews into the skillet and add the nutritional yeast, parsley, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes and mix in. Let the cashew cream come to a boil and starts to thicken.
- Add the spinach and mix in. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.
- Add in the soy curls, mix in and bring to a good simmer. Soy curls will absorb a lot of liquid and the cream might thicken a lot. Add in your reserved broth, ¼ cup at a time to thin it out to preferences and once it has simmered for a minute consistently, switch it off and take off the heat.
- Garnish with pepper flakes and serve with noodles/pasta, baked potato, grilled or seared cauliflower steak.
- You can also make sandwiches with the florentine. Once the sauce has thickened it makes great Open faced or grilled sandwiches. Or add it to a pita bread or wrap, the options are endless.
Notes
- For soy-free versions, substitute with your preferred vegan chicken or seitan and skip soaking in broth.
- Nut-free cream sauce alternatives include blending silken tofu or vegan cream cheese with water.
- Omit onions and garlic by using zucchini and adjusting seasonings as suggested for a milder flavor.
- For oil-free cooking, bake soy curls and use broth to sauté vegetables.
- Increase mushrooms to balance texture when omitting soy curls.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 291 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 291kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 23g | 8% |
| Protein | 18g | 36% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Sodium | 698mg | 29% |
| Potassium | 483mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 746IU | 15% |
| Vitamin C | 4mg | 4% |
| Calcium | 81mg | 8% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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