Vegan Calamari Recipe

This Vegan Calamari recipe is delicious and fairly easy to make too! Instead of squid, I used marinated soy curls that are dredged in a flour coating and pan-fried until they are crispy, chewy, and delicious! Serve with lemon wedges and the garlic mayo sauce for the best fancy appetizer! This recipe also makes a wonderful alternative to fried clams!

Calamari is the Italian word for squid. Of course, squid isn't vegan, but you can still get all of the same flavors and textures using entirely vegan products!

This is the second vegan calamari recipe I have posted. In the first recipe, I used hearts of palm as the squid substitute. Heart of palm is tender and briney so it is a lovely option. But when I tried this soy curl calamari recipe I loved it even more! Soy curls are neutral in flavor which makes them great at sucking up any flavor you give them. They also have a chewier meaty texture which is so similar to traditional calamari, so I absolutely love them in this recipe.

To make the soy curls taste like traditional calamari I marinated them in a mixture of vegetable broth, pickle juice, white miso paste, garlic powder, and salt. This makes the soy curls taste like the sea! Then they are battered and fried just as traditional calamari would be. I love serving my vegan calamari with a garlic mayo dip (recipe below), or they are also delicious served with marinara sauce.  Crispy, chewy, salty, and delicious, this is one of my favorite treats for a special meal!

How to make vegan calamari:

Marinate the soy curls: In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable broth, pickle juice, white miso paste, garlic powder, and salt. Add the dry soy curls and soak for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring every now and then until the soy curls are softened and have sucked up some of the liquid.

Make the garlic mayo sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Batter the soy curls: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, pepper, and salt. Once the soy curls have soaked and softened, take a small handful of the soy curls and let the marinade drip off (do not squeeze them). Drop the soy curls into the flour mixture and toss to coat evenly. Shake off excess flour and then transfer the vegan calamari to a plate. Repeat to coat all of the soy curls.

Fry the calamari: In a large skillet, add about ½ inch of oil and heat. To test of the oil is hot, drop a small piece of soy curl into the oil. If it bubbles the oil is ready to use. Working in batches, carefully drop soy curls into the oil in a single layer. Fry a couple minutes per side until golden, then flip and fry a couple minutes more on the other side.

Drain the fried soy curls on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Fry the remaining calamari. Serve the vegan calamari hot, with lemon wedges and the dipping sauce and garnish with cilantro or parsley.

This vegan calamari is...

• crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle
• salty, savory, and lightly fishy (in a good way)
• the perfect fancy appetizer!

More soy curl recipes you might like:

Vegan Satay Skewers
Easy Soy Curl Tacos
Lemon Garlic Soy Curls
Jerk BBQ Soy Curls
Coconut Crusted Vegan Shrimp

If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.

5 from 5 votes

(click stars to vote)

Vegan Calamari

This Vegan Calamari recipe is delicious and fairly easy to make too! Instead of squid, I used marinated soy curls that are dredged in a flour coating and pan-fried until they are crispy and delicious! Serve with a garlic mayo dip (recipe below) or marinara sauce.

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

Servings: 2

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Ingredients

 

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For the soy curls:

• ▢ 1 cup vegetable broth
• ▢ 3 tablespoons pickle juice, (liquid from a jar of pickles)
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoons white miso paste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 oz (1 cup) dry soy curls

For the batter:

• ▢ ¾ cup all-purpose flour, (gluten-free if preferred)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ light oil, (such as canola or vegetable), for frying

For the garlic mayo (optional, or sub with marinara sauce):

• ▢ ½ cup vegan mayonnaise, (or sub plain vegan yogurt)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• ▢ salt and pepper, to taste

For garnish:

• ▢ 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cilantro or parsley, roughly chopped (for garnish)

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Instructions

 

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• Marinate the soy curls: In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable broth, pickle juice, white miso paste, garlic powder, and salt. Add the dry soy curls and soak for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring every now and then until the soy curls are softened and have sucked up some of the liquid.
  
• Make the garlic mayo sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
  
• Batter the soy curls: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, pepper, and salt. Once the soy curls have soaked and softened, take a small handful of the soy curls and let the marinade drip off (do not squeeze them). Drop the soy curls into the flour mixture and toss to coat evenly. Shake off excess flour and then transfer to a plate. Repeat to coat all of the soy curls.
  
• Fry the calamari: In a large skillet, add about ½ inch of oil and heat. To test of the oil is hot, drop a small piece of soy curl into the oil. If it bubbles the oil is ready to use. Working in batches, carefully drop soy curls into the oil in a single layer. Fry a couple minutes per side until golden, then flip and fry a couple minutes more on the other side.
  
• Drain the fried soy curls on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Fry the remaining calamari. Serve the calamari hot, with lemon wedges and the dipping sauce and garnish with cilantro or parsley.
  

Notes

Soy Curl Substitute: while soy curls can be easy to find in some parts of the world, they can be very difficult to find, or very costly in other places. Soy Chunks, Soya Chunks, TVP Chunks are all basically the same thing, just in different shapes, so try looking out for these instead. 

Air fryer version: to make the soy curls in an air fryer, follow all of the steps to prep the soy curls. Preheat your air fryer to 370F (190C). Generously coat the flour coated soy curls in spray oil so that there are no dry spots, flip and repeat. Working in batches, place the soy curls in the basket in a single layer keeping them spaced out so there is air around each soy curl. Air fry the soy curls for about 6 minutes until they are crunchy and lightly browned around the edges. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving without the garlic mayo sauce (recipe makes 2 servings) | Calories: 526kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 2209mg | Potassium: 165mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 288IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 6mg

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Author: Sam Turnbull

Cuisine: Italian

Course: Appetizer

More vegan seafood recipes you might enjoy: