These vegan BBQ soy curl sandwiches are made with a crispy and tangy cabbage apple slaw. The sandwiches have it all: protein, crunch, and tons of flavor. Serve them on your favorite toasted burger bun for a hearty meal!

I’ve been on a mission to make vegan croissants for an upcoming article, so it’s been a week of all pastry, all the time. Multiple days at a time of laminating yeasted dough hasn’t left me with much time or desire to cook. So I’ve been relying on the quick, simple meals, with as many shortcuts as possible.

These BBQ soy curl and cabbage apple slaw sandwiches have suited me perfectly while I master the art of puff pastry.

They feature what’s probably my favorite vegan meat alternative, Butler Foods soy curls.

Soy curls are inexpensive (about $0.75 per serving when you order a bunch at a time), easy to prepare, have a great texture, and somehow, magically, they’re made from a single ingredient: whole, organic soy beans.

When I make soy curls at home, I usually turn them into a simple plant-based chick’n using the recipe included in this chili.

Sometimes, though, I turn them into crispy BBQ soy curls.

I usually oven bake the crispy BBQ soy curls, but they can also be prepared by baking or air frying.

When you bake them—and the longer you bake them for—they develop a wonderful, chewy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside texture.

You can warm the soy curls up with your sauce and put them in these sandwich whichever way you like! I little on the saucy side, or super crispy.

After that, you’ll pile the sandwiches with a crispy, sweet and sour red cabbage and apple slaw.

There would be nothing wrong with simpler toppings, like some crisp lettuce leaves, tomato slices, pickle slices, or sauerkraut.

But I just love the tangy, sweet, salty quality of the slaw. I also love that it’s an excuse to use ultra-nutritious, fresh cabbage and apple.

The soy curl sandwiches can easily be part of your vegan meal prep routine. Simply prepare either the soy curls or the slaw ahead of time and assemble as you’re ready.

The soy curls can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days, or you can freeze them for up to six weeks.

The slaw will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

This meal has all of the satisfaction of eating a vegan burger, but it feels a little more textured and colorful and—for me, anyway—different.

Admittedly, I didn’t contribute much: the ingredients did most of the work for me! But sometimes that’s exactly what we need when it comes to food, and I couldn’t have been more thankful for a few days of protein-dense, tasty, and practically hands-off lunches.

Wishing you all a gentle end to this week, and I’ll see you back here for the weekend update!

xo