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    Home » Comfort Food Recipes

    Vegan Chicken Florentine

    Published: Sep 1, 2022 by Richa 23 Comments

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe

    This Vegan Chicken Florentine features soycurls simmered with fresh spinach in a creamy garlic cashew sauce to create a delicious and filling dish that tastes amazing on cauliflower steak, pasta, or as a sandwich filling! Plant-based,  and family-friendly. gluten-free. Options for nutfree and soy free

    soycurl florentine in a black skillet

     

    Vegan Chicken Florentine aka Soycurl Florentine is my new favorite dinner! Florentine sauce is a creamy spinach sauce that’s typically made with wine, cream and butter.

    This is my vegan take on Florentine using soy curls instead of chicken. I also add some mushrooms to the sauce to up the umami. I wanted the creamy cashew sauce for my Vegan Chicken Florentine to be thick, super creamy, and very flavorful so we add a lot of herbs and garlic to round out the flavors.

    overhead shot of a cauliflower steak topped with soycurl florentine

    Why you’ll love this Florentine

    • its perfect comfort food
    • it uses everyday pantry ingredients
    • the creamy cheesy sauce with mushrooms and soycurls for vegan Chikin sub, is very versatile
    • it is gluten-free and vegan
    • Options for nutfree and soy free are in the notes section

    soycurl florentine served on a cauliflower steak on a white plate

    More Soycurl Recipes:

    • Vegan Chilli Chicken Soycurls
    • Vegan Dragon Chicken Soycurls
    • Sesame Shallot Soy Curl Stir Fry
    • Korean BBQ Soy Curls Crunchwrap
    • Vegan General Tso’s Soy Curls
    • Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta with Garlic Soy curls
    • Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chicken with Soy Curls & Chickpeas.

    Print Recipe
    5 from 9 votes

    Vegan Chicken Florentine with soycurls

    This vegan Florentine features soycurls simmered with fresh spinach in a creamy garlic cashew sauce to create a delicious and filling dish that tastes amazing on cauliflower steak, pasta, or as a sandwich filling! Plant-based, Glutenfree and family-friendly
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course: dinner
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Keyword: soy curl florentine, vegan chicken florentine
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 291kcal
    Author: Vegan Richa

    Ingredients

    For the chicken

    • 3 oz (85 g) dried soy curls
    • 2 teaspoon oil
    • 2 cups (475 ml) chicken flavor broth
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 3 tablespoons corn starch or tapioca starch

    For the cream sauce

    • 1 tablespoon vegan butter or oil
    • ¼ cup chopped onion
    • 4 cloves garlic minced
    • 4 oz quartered white or cremini mushrooms
    • 1 tablespoon mirin or ¼ cup of white wine
    • ¾ cup raw cashews see note for Nutfree
    • 2 cups (475 ml) water or broth
    • 2 teaspoons yellow miso chickpea miso for Soyfree
    • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
    • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • ½ teaspoon salt , less or more based on salt content of the liquid in the recipe
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper flakes
    • 1 cup frozen spinach or a mix of frozen and fresh baby spinach (5-6 oz)
    • Pepper flakes for garnish

    Instructions

    • Soak your soy curls in warmed chicken flavor stock for 15 minutes. You can use 4 ounces to make a really thick dish; I prefer to use 3 oz as the soy curls absorb a lot of water,
    • Once they have soaked, drain but do not dispose of the stock, reserve it for later. Press lightly while draining to remove excess moisture.
    • Then put it in a bowl and add the salt, black pepper and corn starch to the soy curls, mix well to coat and set aside.
    • Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of oil to the skillet. once hot add the soy curls and cook until the soy curls are golden on the edges. Then transfer them to a plate.
    • Make the sauce: blend the cashews, water and miso until they are very smooth. I usually blend it for 1 minute then let it sit for 5 minutes and blend again. Repeat this 2-3 times until the cashews are blended well.
    • Heat the vegan butter in the same large skillet. Once hot add the onion, garlic and cook until the onion are starting to turn golden. Add the mushrooms and mix in.
    • Cook for a 3-4 minutes. If mushrooms are starting to dry out add a splash of water. Once the mushrooms are starting to turn golden add the white wine or mirin, and mix in.
    • Then add blended cashews into the skillet and add the nutritional yeast, parsley, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes and mix in. Let the cashew cream come to a boil and starts to thicken.
    • Add the spinach and mix in. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.
    • Add in the soy curls, mix in and bring to a good simmer. Soy curls will absorb a lot of liquid and the cream might thicken a lot. Add in your reserved broth, ¼ cup at a time to thin it out to preferences  and once it has simmered for a minute consistently, switch it off and take off the heat.
    • Garnish with pepper flakes and serve with noodles/pasta, baked potato, grilled or seared cauliflower steak.
    • You can also make sandwiches with the florentine. Once the sauce has thickened it makes great Open faced or grilled sandwiches. Or add it to a pita bread or wrap, the options are endless.

    Notes

    To make this without soy, use other vegan chicken of choice or seitan. You don’t need to soak those options in the stock, just toss them with the salt, pepper and corn starch and crisp them a little bit then continue with the rest of the recipe. 
    You can also make this with ingredients like tempeh or chickpeas.  add more mushrooms to balance out the overall flavor and texture. Use Chickpea miso for Soyfree miso. 
    To make this Nutfree: add 2 tablespoons flour to the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Then add in 1/2 cup unsweetened non dairy milk and mix in until the flour mixes in. Then add 1.5 cups non dairy milk and cook to thicken. 
    You can also sub the cashew cream with  5 oz silken tofu , or  1/3 cup vegan cream cheese and blend with the water. 
    Onion garlic free: Omit the onion and garlic. Use chopped zucchini instead of onion. Add 1/2 teaspoon oregano and 1 teaspoon miso instead of garlic 
    Oilfree: Bake the soycurls at 400 deg f for 15-20 mins. Use broth to sauté the onion and mushroom and proceed 
    Mushroom free: omit the mushrooms and add 1 oz more soycurls and 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce 
     

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Chicken Florentine with soycurls
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 291 Calories from Fat 153
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 17g26%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Sodium 698mg30%
    Potassium 483mg14%
    Carbohydrates 23g8%
    Fiber 5g21%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Protein 18g36%
    Vitamin A 746IU15%
    Vitamin C 4mg5%
    Calcium 81mg8%
    Iron 4mg22%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    soycurl florentine served on a cauliflower steak

    Ingredients:

    • soy curls soaked in chicken flavor broth, then coated in seasoned cornstarch and panfried in oil
    • the base for the creamy sauce are soaked raw cashews which are blended with miso
    • garlic and onion are sauteed in vegan butter to get the sauce  started
    • mushrooms – cremini are my first choice here
    • I use mirin or ¼ cup of white wine to deglaze the pan. This adds a refreshing acidity and depth of flavor. You can use more broth as a substitute
    • seasoning: I add dried parsley, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes for heat. and nutritional yeast for that savory note
    • spinach: you can use fresh or frozen spinach or a mix of frozen and fresh baby spinach (5-6 oz)

     

    Tips

    • To make this without soy, use other vegan chicken of choice. You don’t need to soak those options in the stock, just toss them with the salt, pepper, and corn starch and crisp them a little bit then continue with the rest of the recipe. You may also not need to add any more stock to the sauce, depending on how much liquid they absorb. Use chickpea miso instead of white miso
    • You can also make this with ingredients like tempeh or chickpeas. Then add more mushrooms to balance out the overall flavor and texture

    ingredients needed for making soycurl florentine on a marble counter

    How to make Vegan Soycurl Florentine:

    Soak your soy curls in warmed chicken flavor stock for 15 minutes. You can use 4 ounces to make a really thick dish. As the soy curls absorb a lot of water, I prefer to use 3 ounces.

    soaked soy curls being coated with cornstarch

    Once they have soaked, drain but do not dispose of the stock, reserve it for later. Press lightly while draining to remove excess moisture.

    Then put it in a bowl and add the salt, black pepper and corn starch to the soy curls, mix well to coat and set aside.

    coated soycurl chunks in a glass bowl

    soy chunks being fried in a black skillet

    Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of oil to the skillet. once hot add the soy curls and cook until the soy curls are golden on the edges. Then transfer them to a plate.

    fried soy curls being fried in a skillet

    soaked cashews in a small container

    cashew cream in a small container

    Make the sauce: blend the cashews, water and miso until they are very smooth. I usually blend it for 1 minute then let it sit for 5 minutes and blend again. Repeat this 2-3 times until the cashews are blended well.

    minced almond and garlic being sauteed in vegan butter

    golden fried onion and garlic in a black skillet


    Heat the vegan butter in the same large skillet. Once hot add the onion, garlic and cook until the onion are starting to turn golden. Add the mushrooms and mix in.

    mushrooms being added to sauteed garlic and onion in a skillet

    Cook for a 3-4 minutes, if they are starting to dry out add a splash of water. Once the mushrooms are starting to turn golden add the white wine or mirin, and mix in.

    golden fried muhsrooms with garlic and onion in a skillet

    Then add blended cashews into the skillet and add the nutritional yeast, parsley, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes and mix in. Let the cashew cream come to a boil and starts to thicken.

    cashew cream being added to mushrooms to make florentine sauce

    nutritional yeast being added to creamy mushrooms sauce

    creamy mushroom sauce in a skillet

    Add the spinach and mix in. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. If the cream is thickening too much add in your reserved broth, ¼ cup at a time.

    fresh spinach being added to creamy mushroom sauce to make vegan florentine

     

    creamy florentine sauce in a skillet

    fried soycurls being added to pan with creamy florentine sauce

    Add in the soy curls, mix in and bring to a good simmer. Soy curls will also absorb a lot of liquid and the cream might thicken a lot. use some of your reserved stock or some extra stock to thin it out to preferences and once it has simmered for a minute or two consistently, switch it off and take off the heat.

    soycurl florentine in black skillet

    Garnish with pepper flakes and serve with  noodles/pasta, baked potato, grilled or seared cauliflower steak.

    Storage

    Refrigerate in a closed container for upto 3 days. Reheat with more stock as the sauce would have thickened

    cauliflower steak topped with vegan soycurl florentine sprinkled with red pepper flakes

    You can also make sandwiches with it. Once the sauce has thickened it makes great Open faced or grilled sandwiches. Or add it to a pita bread or wrap, options are endless.

    sandwich filled with soycurl florentine

    cauliflower steak topped with soycurl florentine

     

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    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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    1. Christina

      September 17, 2022 at 4:02 pm

      5 stars
      This was a huge hit! I doubled the mushrooms and spinach, used frozen spinach instead of fresh, and stirred in spaghetti at the end. We’ll definitely be saving this recipe. Thanks, Richa!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        September 19, 2022 at 11:35 am

        Excellent to hear Christina.

        Reply
    2. Beth

      September 11, 2022 at 4:41 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! Can’t wait to try the leftovers on a sandwich tomorrow. Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        September 13, 2022 at 2:49 pm

        Good idea~enjoy.

        Reply
      • Michelle

        October 12, 2022 at 1:25 pm

        5 stars
        Your recipes are always spot on! I love how easy and delicious your recipes are. Huge hit! I’ll be making it for meat eater friends and family.

        Reply
        • Vegan Richa Support

          October 15, 2022 at 5:54 pm

          Spot on – I love that expression.

          Reply
    3. Richard

      September 05, 2022 at 5:01 pm

      5 stars
      Lovely tasty recipe. I’m always happy to find new ways to use soy curls and this is a keeper. I didn’t have mushrooms or dried parsley, and the recipe still came out great. Served it over chickpea pasta shells. Another winner!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        September 08, 2022 at 12:35 pm

        Excellent. Sounds yummy.

        Reply
    4. Cheryl

      September 05, 2022 at 3:38 pm

      5 stars
      I loved this. Never had Florentine before becoming vegan, so I can’t compare it. But this was delicious. appreciate the mushroom substitution directions cause I do not like mushrooms. This did not need them.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        September 06, 2022 at 11:22 am

        I’m glad that you enjoyed the mushroom substitution~thanks!

        Reply
    5. Liz

      September 04, 2022 at 11:26 pm

      So many of your recipes use soy curls which are not available in the UK. Is there a substitute please?

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        September 06, 2022 at 10:12 am

        Many times diced seitan, tofu, or chickpeas work well.

        Reply
    6. Genie

      September 03, 2022 at 9:32 pm

      We had this for dinner tonight. Turned out great! I baked the soy curls instead of frying but otherwise followed the recipe.

      Prep time was a lot more than 15 minutes though.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        September 06, 2022 at 10:05 am

        Nice idea~crispy soy curls. Yes, I suppose that prep times can vary individually.

        Reply
    7. Lydia Claire

      September 02, 2022 at 9:55 am

      Is there a substitution for the mirin/wine? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Richa

        September 02, 2022 at 9:31 pm

        Broth

        Reply
        • Lydia Claire

          September 04, 2022 at 1:14 pm

          Thanks!

          Reply
    8. Beth

      September 01, 2022 at 7:28 am

      5 stars
      Wow! You are so thoughtful to list all the various substitutions etc.I think you have everyone covered! And this looks delicious!! A must try!

      Reply
      • Richa

        September 01, 2022 at 10:26 am

        ❤️❤️❤️

        Reply
        • Leanne

          September 01, 2022 at 9:17 pm

          5 stars
          I made this tonight and it was so delicious!! I served it with white rice and I think that black rice would be a nice color contrast. This will be a frequent dish at my house. Richa’s recipes are the best 😋🤗

          Reply
          • Vegan Richa Support

            September 03, 2022 at 2:05 pm

            Super idea; black rice.

            Reply
    9. Patricia M Sikora

      September 01, 2022 at 6:27 am

      What are Soy Curls?

      Reply
      • Richa

        September 01, 2022 at 10:27 am

        They are dried curls that are made with whole soybeans. They are used as a chicken or meat sub https://www.amazon.com/BUTLER-FOODS-Soy-Curls-OZ/dp/B0048OBT04

        Reply

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