Add the soy curls and broth to a large bowl. Make sure the soy curls are submerged and let soak to rehydrate for at least 10 minutes.
Reserve ½ cup of the broth and set aside. Drain the soy curls and squeeze out any excess moisture. I find this easiest to do by transferring the soy curls to a clean tea towel, wrapping tightly, and squeezing as much excess liquid out over the sink.
Make the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the reserved broth and remaining sauce ingredients. Mix together.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, 6-8 minutes.
Add the soy curls and garlic. Sauté until the soy curls are lightly browned, adding more oil as necessary to avoid burning.
Add the mixture to a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles the consistency of ground “beef.” Alternatively, you can chop the mixture on a cutting board.
Add the mixture back to the pan over medium heat. Add the sauce and stir together. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture absorbs the sauce. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
Make this Recipe Cheaper
Buy soy curls in bulk. The cheapest way to buy soy curls is to purchase their 12 pound bulk box. It's quite a lot of food, so if you don't have the storage space, I recommend going in on a box with a friend or two (I usually split one with my mom who also eats a plant-based diet).
Use vegetable broth. Vegan beef broth is always more expensive than vegetable broth. If I'm trying to cut costs as much as possible, I skip vegan beef broth and use the vegetable broth bouillon paste I buy at Costco.
Buy canned tomato paste, not tomato paste in a tube. The tubed versions are always sold at a premium for their convenience. At my local Walmart in 2024, 6 ounces of the Great Value Tomato Paste costs $0.94. The tubed Tomato Paste costs $2.97 for just 4.56 ounces. Almost 5x more expensive!!! Instead, go for canned and freeze the excess tomato paste in 1-tablespoon scoops so it doesn't go to waste.