Vegan Popcorn ‘Chicken’
These vegan popcorn ‘chicken’ bites are a great way to get kids cooking in the kitchen!
They are easy to make and once the soya chunks are rehydrated, they take on a juicy texture that replicates chicken perfectly.
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What are dehydrated soy chunks?
Soy chunks, or Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), is made from soy flour which is by extracting soybean oil.
The chunks are used in dishes such as a meat replacement in curries or stews, their porous texture allows them to absorb marinades and seasonings.
You can often find soy chunks at supermarkets or specialist supermarkets for cheap.
How do you use dried soy chunks?
Soy chunks are easy to prepare and are ready to be used in just 10 minutes. Simply add the chunks to a bowl of hot water and allow them to rehydrate for 10 minutes. You can add extra flavourings to the hot water such as vegetable stock and spices to give the soy chunks added flavour.
Once the chunks are ready you can use them in a variety of plant-based dishes. Add them to curries or stir-fries for added protein, or coat them in a delicious flour mixture and fry/air-fry them until they are crispy and tender.
Are soya chunks healthy?
Soya chunks are high in plant-based protein and low in fat making them the ideal ingredient in a healthy vegan diet.
Additionally, they are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.
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Total Time: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Calories: 458
Servings: 4
Rating:
Total Time: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Calories: 458
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
(Servings: 4)
- 25 25 g dehydrated soya chunks
- 120 120 ml vegetable stock
- 57.5 57.5 g rice flour
- 0.75 0.75 tsp garlic powder
- 0.25 0.25 tsp onion powder
- 0.5 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.5 0.5 tsp dried rosemary
- 0.25 0.25 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 0.25 0.25 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 60 60 ml soya milk
- 0.5 0.5 tbsp maple syrup
- 22.5 22.5 g panko breadcrumbs
- a little vegetable oil or spray oil, to coat the popcorn for cooking
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 (or if using an air fryer, heat to 200°C). In a large bowl, combine the soya chunks, 1 tsp garlic powder and enough stock to cover the soya chunks.
- Soak for about 20 minutes or until the chunks are soft and rehydrated. Squeeze out any excess liquid and set aside for later use.
- In another bowl, mix together 60g (½ cup) of rice flour, 2 tsp of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, rosemary (if using), salt and pepper, and then set aside.
- In a jug, mix together the soya milk, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar and set aside for 10 minutes to curdle – this will make vegan buttermilk.
- Once the buttermilk is ready, pour it into the rice flour mix and whisk to form a batter. Then, add 4 tbsp of the vegetable stock that was left over from the soya chunks.
- Start adding the soya chunks into this mix, a small batch at a time, ensuring they are completely coated in batter.
- Then, in a separate shallow dish, toss the battered chunks in the remaining rice flour.
- Dip the coated chunks back into the batter, then toss them in a bowl of panko breadcrumbs, before placing them on an oven tray and covering them with a little vegetable oil.
- Cook the chunks in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until they begin to brown.
- Serve with your favourite dipping sauces.
Each 191g serving provides:
6.9g Fat, 0.8g Saturates, 81g Carbohydrate, 7.3g Sugars, 8g Fibre, 23g Protein, 1.8g Salt.
Hungry for more? Discover our ultimate guide to vegan chicken!
