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    Recipe Collections » 40+ TVP Recipes - What is TVP and How to Cook it

    Published: Jan 9, 2019 · Updated: Sep 7, 2019

    40+ TVP Recipes - What is TVP and How to Cook it

    Have you heard other vegans talking about TVP and wondered what it was? Maybe you’ve seen this strange product in your bulk food store and are curious about how to cook it. In this post I’ll tell you exactly what TVP is, how to cook it and give you some awesome TVP recipes to get you started with this versatile vegan meat alternative!

    Collage of TVP recipes

    What is TVP?

    TVP stands for textured vegetable protein. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? You may also have heard it called by its other names: soy curls, textured soy protein, tvp mince, soya chunks and soy meat. All of these names are equally terrible.

    As the names make clear, TVP is a soy product. In fact it is a by-product of extracting soybean oil. Once the oil has been extracted, the remaining defatted soy flour is cooked under pressure, extruded into various shapes and sizes (you may see it as crumbles, flakes, chunks or strips) then dehydrated.

    As you may have gathered, that makes TVP a processed soy product. Which leads me to my next question:

    Is TVP Healthy?

    TVP is fat-free and high in protein (about 70% protein), potassium, magnesium, phosphorous and iron. However, TVP has less fiber and isoflavone concentration than other less-processed soy foods such tofu and tempeh.

    Of course common sense will tell you that eating whole foods and minimally processed foods is better. But that doesn’t mean that you cannot occasionally include TVP in your diet: it still provides high-quality protein and will always be a better choice than meat.

    If using TVP helps you to achieve that “meaty” texture you’ve been craving and keeps you on your plant-based diet, then it’s perfectly fine to consume in moderation.

    You may be thinking: but soy has phytoestrogens, won’t I grow man-boobs or get cancer? Um, no. There is no clinical or epidemiologic studies to support those claims. Actually, soy foods have been found to reduce the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and certain forms of cancer. If you don’t believe me you can read the science here. And there’s also the fact that people in Asia eat a ton of soy and still manage to be healthier than Americans, so...

    But GMOs. There are many brands TVP made with non-GMO soy if that’s something you’re concerned about. Bob’s Red Mill is a widely-available non-GMO brand.

    How to cook TVP

    As mentioned, TVP is a dehydrated product. It doesn’t have much flavour on its own, which makes it the perfect vehicle for absorbing all the delicious spices and seasonings you add to your dish.

    The most widely-used type of TVP is the small crumbles or granules. Once cooked it resembles ground beef and is often used for spaghetti Bolognese, chili, taco meat, sloppy Joes, soyrizo, shepherd’s pie, etc.

    The larger soy curls can be used for chili and tacos as well as stir fry, salads, sandwiches and burritos, and as a chicken replacement in pot pies, butter chicken, chicken and biscuits, etc.

    The recipe you’re following will usually tell you how to prepare your TVP. Most commonly this involves rehydrating it in water for about 10 minutes before adding it to your dish. However, you can infuse more flavour into your TVP by rehydrating it in vegetable stock. You’ll want to pre-rehydrate your TVP like this when using the larger soy curls/chunks or when you are preparing a recipe that doesn’t have a lot of liquid in it.

    On the other hand, when you are preparing a recipe with a lot of liquid like a chili or a stew, you can add the small dried TVP crumbles directly to the pot. They will rehydrate and soak up lots of flavour while they are cooking. You can see how I did this in my vegan chili recipe video.

    So let’s get to the recipes! I’ve scoured the internet to find the most amazing, delicious TVP recipes to get you started with the cheap vegan product. I’ve divided the recipes into two sections depending on the type of TVP called for. First are the TVP crumble/granule recipes and further down you’ll find the soy curls recipes. Enjoy!

    TVP Recipes

    TVP granules / crumbles:

    Vegetarian Chili Recipe (pictured) – The Stingy Vegan

    Vegetarian chili recipe in a bowl garnished with cilantro, vegan sour cream and avocado.

    Vegan Sloppy Joes – Hell Yeah It’s Vegan

    Perfect Bolognese Sauce – Davina Da Vegan

    Vegan Meaty Shepherd’s Pie (pictured) – Divine Healthy Food

    Vegan shepherd's pie on a white plate

    Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup – Vegetarian Times

    High Protein Vegan Burgers (pictured) – Full of Plants

    Vegan burgers made with TVP and vital wheat gluten.

    Homemade Soyrizo (Vegan Soy Chorizo) – Yup.. It’s Vegan

    Chickenless Nuggets – Sarah’s Vegan Kitchen

    Vegan Bolognaise Lasagna with TVP (pictured)– Valises et Gourmandises

    TVP lasagna on a plate

    Vegan Tuna Salad – Make a Vegan Tuna Melt! – The Hidden Veggies

    Vegan Nacho Pizza (pictured)– The Stingy Vegan

    Vegan nacho pizza is a pizza with nacho toppings. Am I blowing your mind right now? A pizza crust slathered with guacamole and topped with vegan taco meat, veggies, jalapeños, cilantro and vegan sour cream. How many days can I live off this?

    Strange But Good Vegan Bacon Bits – Sprint 2 the Table

    Super Meaty TVP Meatloaf – Kroger

    Vegan Sausage – Italian, Breakfast, and Beer Brats (pictured) – The Hidden Veggies

    Step by step vegan sausages with tvp

    Spicy Vegan Italian Meatballs – Plant Power Couple

    Vegan Taco Stuffed Tomatoes - The Stingy Vegan

    Basic Vegan Ground Beef – VegWeb

    Vegetarian TVP Stuffed Peppers (use vegan cheese) (pictured)– Dietitian Debbie Dishes

    Bell peppers stuffed with TVP in a baking dish

    Veggie Nachos – Cilantro and Citronella

    TVP Tacos – The Buddhist Chef

    TVP stuffed tacos

    Soy Curls / Chunks

    Vegan Popcorn Chicken (pictured) – The Viet Vegan

    Vegan popcorn chicken in a cone with dipping sauce on the side.

    Best Vegan BBQ Sandwich with Soy Curls – Nora Cooks

    Orange Chicken with Soy Curls – The Edgy Veg

    Mongolian Soy Curls – VNutrition

    Vegan Chicken Alfredo (pictured) – Vegan Heaven

    a plate of vegan chicken alfredo

    Vegan Air Fryer Southern Fried “Chicken” Soy Curls – Healthy Slow Cooking

    Easy Vegan Teriyaki Bowl – Living Vegan

    Vegan Chicken Pot Pie in the Crock Pot – The Hidden Veggies

    Vegan Chicken and Biscuits (pictured) – TheVegLife

    a bowl of vegan chicken and biscuits

    Vegan Butter Chicken – Elephantastic Vegan

    Teriyaki Soy Curls with Pineapple and Bell Pepper – Healthier Steps

    Vegan Buffalo Soy Curls Wraps (pictured) – Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen

    soy curl vegan wrap on a plate with a salad in the back

    Instant Pot Vegan “Beef” Stew with Soy Curls – Holy Cow Vegan Recipes

    Vegan Schnitzel (pictured) – Elephantastic Vegan

    vegan schnitzel on a fork

    Vegan Fajita Filling with Soy Curls – Vegan Runner Eats

    BBQ Soy Curls Bowl with Ranch Dressing – My Darling Vegan

    Cajun Soy Curls and Vegan Jalapeño Grits – The Curious Chickpea

    A bowl of vegan cajun soy curls and grits

    Vegan Jerky – The Hidden Veggies

    Chicken-Style Soy Curl Salad – Julie and Kittee

    vegan chicken salad sandwich on a white plate with potato chips.

    Soy Curls Chick’n Enchilada Meat – Helyn’s Plant-Based Kitchen

    Peanut Butter Coconut Soy Curls – Vegan Street

    Have a favourite vegan TVP recipe that you think should be included in this TVP recipe collection? Leave me a comment below with the link!

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. john hyson says

      February 27, 2019 at 6:20 pm

      Do you have a recipe for top red beans and rice

      Reply
    2. Dmitry says

      April 18, 2020 at 6:45 am

      Just bought a 1kg bag of it (non-GMO) from a bulk online store as gave up tofu due to plastic packaging. The variety and yumminess of the dishes is unbelievable. Didn't know it was a byproduct (probably that's why so cheap). Thanks for enlightening!

      Reply
    3. Janna says

      June 07, 2021 at 11:22 pm

      The ground soy, chunks, etc. are all terrific substitutes for meat. Just rehydrate them in a delicious broth and use as you would any meat.
      I rehydrate them and then let them dry a little overnight in the fridge, and then they can be sauteed in some oil to give them a nice, almost crispy/crunchy exterior. Then you can use them in spaghetti sauce, stuffed peppers, etc. You can use the bigger chunks in Thai curries or many other dishes.
      Just experiment.

      Reply

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