Vegan Beef and Broccoli! A restaurant take-out copycat, made completely vegan and ready in less than 30 minutes! Gluten free.
This easy stir fry recipe features soy curls, one of my favorite pantry staples to have on hand for quick weeknight dinners.
Vegan Beef and Broccoli is packed full of flavor, protein and broccoli. The whole family will enjoy this classic take-out favorite turned vegan!
Nora’s helpful recipe tips
- Quality pan – Use a cast iron or non-stick pan for best results. A good pan will help the soy curls not stick to the bottom.
- Kitchen bouquet – Such a simple, inexpensive ingredient but it makes a world of difference for this recipe! It’s what makes the soy curls so richly brown and dark in color, mimicking beef.
- Don’t overcook the broccoli – You will steam the broccoli in the pan for just a minute or two, until bright green and slightly softened. You don’t want totally mushy broccoli, so try not to overcook it.
Frequently asked questions
- Is it gluten free? As long as you use gluten free tamari instead of soy sauce, the dish will be gluten free.
- How long do leftovers keep? Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- Can you freeze it? It can be frozen, but is definitely better fresh. The broccoli will get mushy. But if it’s going to be thrown away otherwise, freeze it.
- Can I use something other than soy curls? Yes! Substitute strips of seitan (try making my Vegan Chicken, but cut into strips and stir fry coated in cornstarch) or tempeh chunks/strips. You could even use tofu squares if desired, though it would be much less beef-like.
More take-out favorites made vegan
- Easy Kung Pao Tofu
- General Tso’s Tofu
- Crispy Orange Tofu
- Vegan Thai Red Curry
- Vegan Tikka Masala
- Vegan Butter “Chicken”
Vegan Beef and Broccoli
Vegan Beef and Broccoli! A restaurant take-out copycat, made completely vegan and ready in less than 30 minutes! Gluten free.
Ingredients
- 8 ounce bag soy curls
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 pound broccoli florets
- 1-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons kitchen bouquet, optional for browning
The sauce
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce *use tamari for gluten free
- 2 tablespoons kitchen bouquet, optional
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 5 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
For serving
- cooked brown or white rice, about 4-5 cups cooked
- chopped green onions
- sesame seeds
- additional chili flakes or hot sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the dehydrated soy curls, then cover with about 4 cups of hot water. Let them rehydrate for about 10 minutes until they have grown in size and softened. Drain in a colander and squeeze any excess water from the pieces.
- Using the same bowl (once empty), add the soy curls back to it, along with the cornstarch and stir to coat. I use my hands to really coat the pieces as much as possible. Set aside.
- Make the sauce: In a small-medium bowl, add all sauce ingredients and whisk until the cornstarch has dissolved. Set aside.
- In a large sauté pan or wok, add the broccoli and 1/2 cup water. Turn the heat to high, cover and steam the broccoli for about 2 minutes until bright green and slightly softened. Then remove the broccoli to a plate nearby.
- To the empty pan, add 1-3 tablespoons of oil, then add the soy curls and fry, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes until a bit golden and crisp. I also like to add a few tablespoons of kitchen bouquet while frying, which helps make the soy curls nice and brown. You may omit the oil if you have a very good non-stick pan, otherwise the soy curls will stick. Turn the heat down to medium.
- Whisk the sauce once more, then add to the pan with the soy curls. Stir constantly for a minute or two, until the sauce thickens, then add the broccoli back in and stir. Serve immediately over rice topped with sesame seeds and green onions. Enjoy!
Notes
- Nutritional information does not include any added rice, just the soy curls and broccoli mixture.
- You could easily use seitan strips or tempeh in place of the soy curls, if desired.
- Leftovers will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. It freezes okay, but is better fresh.
- Kitchen bouquet is optional, but it's what makes the soy curl "beef" so brown.
Nutrition
Serving: 1of 6 servings | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 745mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 570IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 5mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!
Not a fan of the soy curls in this and found it too salty for our taste. Next time I’ll cut back on the soy sauce, add extra ginger, and replace the soy curls with mushrooms. It’s a good start, though.
I always love trying your recipes. They’re always, and I mean ALWAYS so easy and delicious! This one is just as amazing as the others I have tried. It is easy and flavorful. I used extra firm tofu and cooked it with the sauce so that the tofu soaks up the sauce flavor, and I also added ginger powder and fried the minced garlic before mixing it into the sauce.
I also didnt have a lot of brown sugar so added some maple syrup and agave in its place.
My 3 year old loved the result. And I’ve already saved this recipe to my go-to’s. Thank you, Nora!!!
You are welcome, Karen! Your feedback is so encouraging and I appreciate the love! Thanks for your stellar review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Wow 🤯 Nora this is fantastic!! Tasted just like take out and was perfect for a Friday night! Five stars as always!!
Hi Karen. I’m so glad you loved the recipe! Thank you for your wonderful review and feedback! Happy cooking!
I used your recipe for the sauce for broccoli and Trader Joe’s Korean Beefless Bulgogi. The sauce was excellent. I don’t eat garlic so I left that out but it was really good thank you.
Malati
This was excellent! My husband said he loves the “brown sauce” on the soy curls! 😁(He was expecting hot sauce because that was my go-to recipe for them.)
I used a little extra ginger because we enjoy the kick it provides. Never used kitchen bouquet before, but it was a pleasant surprise in the end. I also probably over fried the soy curls, but again, just personal preference.
Please keep the great recipes coming Nora!
Hi Deb. Thanks for your encouraging words! I am thrilled you guys loved the recipe! Thanks for taking time to share your fantastic review! I appreciate you using my recipes, and wish you lots of happy cooking!
Craving “Beef” n broccoli and this SLAMMED. Been vegan almost 10 years and the sauce for this one is the best by far of any vegan recipe I’ve tried. THANK YOU. Bookmarking this one!! 🙏
You are welcome one, Laura. Thank YOU! I appreciate your wonderful review and feedback! Wishing lots of happy cooking!
I can’t wait to try this. Do you think the Gardein be’f tips would be good to use?
Yes, I’ve used those before. They’re pretty tasty and would be perfect here. Enjoy!
Well well what do we have here yet another 10 out of 10 from Miss Nora Cooks. Succulent juicy flavorful complex and satisfying. Why is it every time I come to this website I wind up swooning over the recipes and enjoying them so much? What is the voodoo that you do? You’ve made Vegan Cooking so much fun – it really is eye-opening…you cann’t ever miss!
Thanks for your inspiring and stellar feedback and review! I am so thrilled that you are loving my recipes, and found this one delicious and flavorful! Wishing you happy cooking!
Nora! This is my first experience with soy curls. I can’t believe how delicious and meatlike they turned out. Thank you!
You are welcome, David! Aren’t they great!? I’m thrilled you loved the recipe! Thanks for your wonderful review and feedback!
Nora, do you think tofu would work in place of soy curls? I can’t find them in town
It might, but you’d have to press the tofu (or use super firm) and either pan fry or bake it to get it crispy. It won’t really resemble beef strips, but I think it would taste good!
Step 5
….Remove from the pan and set on a plate….
Step 6
Whisk the sauce once more, then add to the pan with the soy curls.
Where’s the pan with the soy curls?
Sorry about that! I fixed it now; you are not actually supposed to remove the soy curls on a plate, you just add the sauce to the pan with the fried soy curls.
My first recipe using soy curls and it was easy and delicious!! I loaded it into my recipe app which allows me to scale servings up/down. Will definitely make again. Thx Nora!
This recipe is SO good! I soaked my soy curls in vegan beef broth before sauteing them. Gives them a lot of flavor. Thanks so much for this easy, amazing recipe
You are welcome, Ann! I bet the curls are great after soaking in broth! Thanks for taking time to share your awesome review and feedback! I’m thrilled you loved the recipe!
I made this tonight with 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms and Trader Joe’s beefless bulgogi. It was amazing! Truly beef and broccoli.
So yummy! I had never heard of Kitchen Bouquet before but ordered it off Amazon along with the soy curls – the meal was excellent! Thank you for such a simple but yummy dinner!!
You are welcome, Lesanna! I’m thrilled that you loved the recipe! Thanks for taking time to share your wonderful review and feedback!
This was the best recipe!! We will definitely make this again…over & over…lol..
It’s so yummy!!! Thank you, Nora!@
You bet, Josie. I’m thrilled you loved the recipe! I appreciate our awesome feedback!
This was so good! I love soy curls. Though, I do wish you had a way to reduce the recipes on your site. I’m often cooking for only one or two.
I’m glad you enjoyed this! What do you mean by “reduce the recipe on your site”? Like you wish I had less recipes to choose from? You can search for what you want, print out the ones you like, or look for a particular kind of recipe in my Recipe Index. Hope that helps!
Would this work with frozen broccoli?
Hi Trudy. Frozen broccoli should work fine in this recipe. It may need to cook a minute or two longer since it’s frozen. Enjoy!
Hi Nora, I think Izzi means that they wish there was a way to change the number of portions and have the ingredient amounts change automatically instead of having to do the math. I always use this function on the “Print Recipe” page, but other folks may not know that’s an option! Love all your recipes by the way 🙂
Oh my, you’re right, I must have been a little tired when I answered her comment! Yeah, I’ll have to consider changing the options, right now you can double or triple but not cut in half. I do worry people will try to cut some recipes in half that would not work well (such as some dessert recipes), but I suppose it’s nice to have the option. 🙂 Thank you Torie!
I wanted to let you know that our family mantra when it comes to dinner is “In Nora we trust” because every recipe is a winner. Thank you for consistently delicious recipes that we can count on!
That just makes my day! Thanks for sharing your fun feedback! I’m thrilled you are loving my recipes, and I appreciate you using them! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Hi Nora, I used TVP instead of soy curls or seitan. Though I used a tofu press to get rid of the excess water, I think it might be too soggy. I will try a combo of seitan and tempeh next time. What’s a good substitute for the kitchen bouquet? It’s pretty pricey.
You can leave the kitchen bouquet out if you want, it’s really just there for the deep brown color, more than anything else. Thanks!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I am trying to eat whole foods plant based with a picky kiddo on a dairy free whole foods diet and a non veg husband. This is the third meal of your that I have made that every one can eat. Your recipes save dinner time!
How wonderful to hear my recipes are being enjoyed by the whole family! Having to prepare foods for special diets can be challenging! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback! Wishing you happy cooking, and hope you all enjoy many of my other recipes!