This hearty and flavor-packed buffalo Soy Curls recipe is made in the air fryer in minutes. Drizzle the sandwich with vegan blue cheese dressing, and serve with salad or fries.
My love of buffalo sauce goes all the way back to my university days. In my Stars Hollow-variety college town, there was a place that would deliver buffalo wings to the dorms. Once the wings would arrive, I’d pull out napkins aplenty and dive in.
Obviously, this was before I went vegan (by over a decade). I remember that I really liked the spicy buffalo sauce and cool ranch or blue cheese to temper the heat. However, what I didn’t like was the skin on the chickens’ wings and the caveman-feeling of eating right off the bone.
It’s kind of interesting that it didn’t occur to me that I could just put buffalo sauce on other things that didn’t have bones and skin – like you know, vegetables, Soy Curls, seitan, or tofu. Even grilled corn on the cob is a bit more delicious with the buffalo treatment.
That happens for so many of us before we go vegan. There are certain aspects of eating animals that feel strange, uncomfortable, or off putting. But you don’t realize how easy it is to find an alternative, that the alternative can be very delicious in its own right, and without any of the things you didn’t enjoy in the original.
Best of all, the alternative comes without hurting anyone along the way.
This buffalo sandwich is a compassionate alternative to my old college dorm room order. It has all of the flavor and bite of the original without any of those aspects I didn’t like.
Plus, it includes a healthy dose of vegan blue cheese dressing to balance the heat.
(Can’t find Soy Curls in your area? You can make a buffalo chickpea sandwich instead!)
How to prepare Soy Curls
Soy Curls are a dried product made with just one ingredient – whole soybeans. So the first step in this recipe is hydrating them in broth for about 10 minutes.
Then squeeze out the liquid until they’re dry to the touch, and brown them in the air fryer.
For today’s Soy Curls recipe, I’m using the air fryer.
I like how crisp it gets the Curls around the edges. And it cooks in just a few minutes’ time. It also doesn’t require any oil, except for the vegan butter in the buffalo sauce.
Let me be frank with you
In my book, it’s not buffalo sauce unless you use Frank’s Red Hot Sauce. (By the way, the Frank’s buffalo sauce is also vegan if you want to skip a step. I have never used it, but I know lots of people like it.)
I simply melt some vegan butter in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds, stir in Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, and then toss it with Soy Curls that are fresh out of the air fryer.
Toast a couple of buns in a dry skillet, and then top the sandwiches with Buffalo Soy Curls and vegan blue cheese dressing. (Or you could toast the buns in the air fryer by air frying them for a couple of minutes if you prefer.)
Vegan blue cheese dressing
This vegan blue cheese dressing straddles the line between ranch & blue cheese. The seasonings are more reminiscent of ranch, but crumbled tofu gives it extra texture like blue cheese.
Not a fan of tofu? The sandwich is also delicious with a slathering of vegan ranch dressing instead.
(If you have extra dressing left over, it’s also a terrific dipping sauce for fried olives.)
Unlike revenge, this dish is best served hot
This sandwich is best hot, but it also works well cold or at room temperature. I packed a leftover sandwich for our road trip to Minneapolis, and it was great right out of the cooler.
The only thing I would say in that case is to make sure you don’t overload it with dressing, because no one likes a soggy sandwich.
Serve this buffalo sandwich with an easy spinach salad, fried zucchini, crispy cabbage, or easy collard greens.
Buffalo Soy Curls sandwich with vegan blue cheese dressing
Ingredients
For vegan blue cheese dressing
- ¼ cup crumbled tofu about 2.5 ounces super firm tofu*
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise I use Vegenaise
- 1 teaspoon non-dairy milk I use cashew milk
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch salt
For Buffalo Soy Curls sandwiches
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon no chicken base*
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 cup Soy Curls
- 1 Tablespoon non-dairy butter melted
- 3 Tablespoons Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- 2 hamburger buns sliced
Instructions
To make vegan blue cheese dressing
- In a bowl, combine the crumbled tofu, vegan mayonnaise, non-dairy milk, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, and pinch of salt. Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary. Move dressing to refrigerator until ready to use.
To make Buffalo Soy Curls sandwiches
- Stir Better Than Bouillon into bowl of warm water until it has fully dissolved. Put Soy Curls into bowl and combine to evenly cover. Let them sit for 10 minutes to fully re-hydrate. Stir occasionally, so that all of the Curls re-hydrate evenly.
- Once ten minutes have passed, pour the Soy Curls through a fine mesh sieve. Give them a good squeeze with your hands to try and get as much liquid out as possible.
- Put the Soy Curls into the air fryer. Air fry at 400 degrees for 4 to 5 minutes, stopping once or twice to shake the basket, until they are dry and little crispy around some of the edges.
- While the Curls are air frying, put the hamburger buns slice side down in a dry skillet over a medium heat, allow them to get toasted and nutty brown. Remove from heat once they've reached their desired color.
- Combine the melted non-dairy butter and Frank's red hot sauce in a bowl. When the Soy Curls have finished cooking, move them to the bowl, and stir to evenly coat them in the hot sauce mixture.
- Spoon the buffalo Soy Curls onto two toasted bun halves, top with a couple spoonfuls of vegan blue cheese dressing, and finish the sandwiches with each remaining bun half.
Sarah
Sure thing , if you don’t mind eating MSG.
Cadry
This is a vegan blog, not an MSG-free blog. I don’t have any particular qualms where MSG is concerned. MSG isn’t listed in any of the ingredients, and so I assume you must be referring to the maltodextrin and yeast extract in the Better Than Bouillon. Since you seem to be concerned about it, take a moment and notice that listed in the Buffalo Soy Curls recipe are alternatives to Better Than Bouillon such as broth or water.
Maddox
ThumbsUP!
Becky Striepe
Oh my goodness! I’m just over here adding Frank’s Red Hot to my shopping list!
Cadry
Good thinking!
Dianne
I had a buffalo soy curl sandwich in Portland at Vida Vegan Con five years ago and I still think about it fondly! I can’t wait to make this. I love that you make the soy curls in the air fryer.
Cadry
Ah, you know it’s a good sandwich when you’re still thinking about it five years later. I so wish that Vida Vegan Con would re-appear, but it seems to be a memory for good. I hope you enjoy the sandwich, Dianne, and that it gives you a little taste of the Pacific Northwest!
Lucy
This (and the other recipes) look amazing! Soy Curls haven’t landed in my part of Ontario yet but I’m adding them to my holiday grocery list for when I cross the border in a couple weeks (and you can’t imagine how excited I am to visit a Trader Joe’s!) 😆😆
Beverlee
Bring an extra empty suitcase – you’ll love Trader Joe’s!
Cadry
Thank you, Lucy! I’m so excited for you to visit Trader Joe’s. It’s a lot of fun. Soy Curls can be a little tricky to find, but I get them at Natural Grocers. They’re more prevalent in the western part of the country, especially around Portland.
Bianca Phillips
YESSSSSS! I’ve made air fryer Soy Curls once (using a JL recipe), and they were so good. And I don’t know how I haven’t done it again. Must try this! (also, to the above MSG comment, your response was perfect).
Cadry
I hope you enjoy them, Bianca! I think this sandwich would totally be your speed. (And thanks! I know we’re on the same page where food policing is concerned. Plus, the fears around MSG have proven to be unfounded.)
Randi
Hey so when are you visiting London and cooking for me instead of going to all our restaurants? 😛 This looks better than everything I’ve tried lately in the Great Burger Influx of 2018.
Cadry
Hey, I’m at the airport anyway waiting on a delayed flight home. Might as well take the opportunity to visit you instead!
Shell
Yum! This looks like an awesome sandwich. I love that you were able to eat it straight out of the cooler, too.
Cadry
Thanks, Shell! Obviously, it’s better hot out of the air fryer, but it’s not too shabby as an on the go option out of the cooler.
Laura VZ
This recipe is easy and delicious! As soon as I finished my first one I immediately wanted to make more. Thanks, Cadry!
Cadry
That’s so nice to hear! I’m glad you enjoyed your sandwich, Laura. 🙂
Marna
Just made this, followed everything exactly (except used a different buffalo sauce, “Wing Time”, that’s not as salty as Franks, actually quite good). My son and my husband came in from work and devoured them amid sounds of delight and delicious comments. I was surprised how good the ‘Bleu Cheese dressing’ is. I have made other recipes and they have been just so-so, but this is REALLY good! Thank you!!!
Cadry
I’m so glad to hear that the sandwiches & dressing were enjoyed by you and your family, Marna. Thank you!
Rebekah
I found this recipe about a year ago and am just now coming to tell you how much we love it and thank you. We make this easily once a week however, we use a tortilla instead of the bun and eat it as a wrap. We also add carrots, celery and romaine to make it more of a meal. So, so good. Thank you!
Rebekah
Oh… and sometimes we make it as a pizza. Holy cow it is good!
Cadry Nelson
I’m so happy to hear how much you love the recipe! That makes my day. All of your variations sound delicious. Thanks, Rebekah!
Dina K
Just popping in to let you know that this recipe is on my permanent roster. I make them almost every week! I use some homemade poultry seasoning in hot water for the soaking, and serve these in hot dog rolls or on salad with a good, creamy dressing to temper the heat. YUMMO!!!! Thank you! Going to try your pulled pork recipe next — I just came back to your site to find more nomsy recipes and that one jumped out at me! Thank you so much!
Cadry Nelson
That is so nice to hear, Dina! I’m thrilled you’re enjoying the recipe. Thank you for letting me know!