For years, one of my favorite snacks was Health Is Wealth’s Buffalo Wings.  Pure, unadulterated vegan junk food.  If I had a hard day at the office or had completed a tough workout, those microwaveable buffalo wings were my reward.  And omg, the seasoning and the amazing texture!    At some point, all my natural grocers stopped carrying them.  And though I have lived in several US states since that time, I have yet to see them at any store.  

Years later, I would find myself at Veggie Grill, a fast casual vegan restaurant that has proliferated across the US’s west coast.  The waitstaff was walking around giving out free samples of their beloved buffalo wings.  I was an instant fan.  From that day forward, if I was going to Veggie Grill, I was getting the buffalo wing in one form or another–as a side, on a wrap or in a salad.

Maybe it’s the mix of hot sauce with a creamy dressing?  Maybe it’s the crunch of celery on the side paired with the chewy crisp buffalo wing’s outside?  Maybe it’s all of these things and more, but it seems like I am not alone in my obsession.  The US loves buffalo chicken, and with good reason; it’s delicious.

Today’s recipe uses the humble soy curl to create an out of this world delicious buffalo wrap.  The soy curl is the perfect candidate for buffalo chicken, because it has such amazing texture and readily soaks up flavor.  I consider myself a connoisseur of all things vegan buffalo chicken, and this recipe is one of the greats.  

Some people are hot sauce purists, and swear by Frank’s Red Hot Sauce.  I like it quite a bit myself, but for this particular recipe, I used Louisiana Hot Sauce, and was very pleased. As a variation on the recipe or to make it gluten free, forget the tortilla and use the rest of the components to make a Buffalo Soy Curl Salad!

Buffalo Soy Curl Wraps

Vegan Dill Ranch Sauce:

1 cup vegan sour cream

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

⅓ cup fresh dill

1 tsp kosher dill pickle, chopped

Salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Buffalo Soy Curls:

2 cups dehydrated soy curls, rehydrated in fake chicken broth

1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup nutritional yeast

½ tsp lemon juice

Hot sauce, to taste (if sensitive to heat, add a small amount, taste and adjust until it’s right for you)

Wrap Components:

4 whole wheat tortillas

Shredded carrots

Chopped celery

Cucumber slices

Avocado slices

Chopped scallions

Arugula

1. Put everything listed under “Vegan Dill Ranch Sauce” in a food processor or blender.  Blend until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Set aside.

2. In a skillet, add olive oil and garlic over high heat.  When the garlic begins to sizzle, turn down to low and sauté for 1 minute.  Drain the soy curls of any excess broth, and spread in one layer across the bottom of the skillet.  Do not stir around.  After 2-3 minutes, flip the soy curls.  They should be a golden brown on one side.  Continue to pan fry until they reach the level of crispiness you prefer.  When they are crisped enough, add lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and hot sauce.  Stir to combine, taste, and adjust taste (more nutritional yeast, more hot sauce, etc), if needed.

3. Assemble the wrap.  Add vegetables, vegan dill ranch sauce, and buffalo soy curls to a whole wheat tortilla.  Serve with celery sticks and any remaining sauce on the side.