I love (and frequently crave) the rich, warm flavors in this easy-to-make dish: the sweet tones from the orange juice, wine, and prunes quickly followed by tart and salty olives and capers. A bowl of this served over rice warms up the cruelest of winter’s chills.
Three years ago I shared a version of this using tempeh and dates. Since then I’ve come to terms with the fact that I just don’t like the sour (a.k.a. fermented) flavor of tempeh, no matter how it’s prepared (Yes, even as “bacon.”). When revisiting that post to reshoot the (awful) photos, it occurred to me that Butler Soy Curls – with their meaty texture and ability to slurp up flavors – might be the ideal substitute for the tempeh (and for the chicken, for that matter, which is the main ingredient in the original version of marbella). Happily, I was correct! I made a few additional tweaks and decided to post it as a brand new recipe.
Soy Curl Marbella with Olives and Prunes
- Prep Time: 720
- Cook Time: 90
- Total Time: 840
- Yield: 1 1x
Description
The smell that emanates from the oven while this cooks will whet your appetite for this hearty and flavorful main dish.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups soy curls (such as Butler brand)
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, divided
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 10–12 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp. liquid aminos or tamari
- 2 Tbsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 cup pitted chopped prunes
- 1/4 cup chopped green olives
- 1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup capers with about 1 teaspoon of juice
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Place the soy curls in bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Drain well and discard the liquid. Set curls aside.
- In a medium-sized oven-safe casserole, stir together the vegetable broth, 1/4 cup of the white wine, the red wine vinegar, garlic, liquid aminos, oregano, pepper, prunes, olives, capers and the soy curls. Stir, cover and place in the refrigerator for several hours or as long as overnight.
- When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. Stir in the orange juice and remaining 1/4 cup of white wine into the soy curl mixture. Bake the marbella, uncovered, for about 90 minutes, stirring once or twice. The soy curls should darken and begin to brown along the edges and much of the liquid should be absorbed.
- Divide marbella between four bowls and top with chopped parsley and/or orange slices, if desired.
Notes
- I suggest serving this over steamed brown rice with a side of garlic-y greens.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 253
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 6392
- Fat: 2
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 2
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 48
- Protein: 10
- Cholesterol: 0
Do you add the Soy Curls to the rest of Ingredients that go into the refrigerator overnight?
Ah, yes! I see that my instructions weren’t clear on that, Linda. Thanks for pointing that out. The drained soy curls should be stirred into the marinade to set overnight prior to cooking.
An absolutely gorgeous combination of flavors.
I want to do this and have an important question: i always find I need more umami than I get. Mushroom powder has lots. But I worry mushrooms will ruin the flavor profile. Any advice? Another vegan umami source? Thank you!!!
Hi Katharina – I really don’t think you’ll need to up the umami on this. Between the olives, capers and liquid aminos, it’s pretty strong! I do think mushroom powder (which I love, too!) would be the wrong flavor here. You might try a small amount of red miso, but I’d go pretty light on the amount.