Name: Recipe for Baked Almond Chick'n Rice
Prep time: 50 minutes
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Yield: 12 (¾ cup) servings
Cuisine: Entrees
Ingredients: 2/3 soy curls; 1 1/4 very hot water; 1 Chicken-Style Seasoning; 1 celery, chopped; 1 onion, chopped; 1 1/2 mushrooms, diced or sliced, your preference; 2 oil or broth for sautéing; 1 hot water; 1/2 raw cashews; 1 Chicken-Style Seasoning; 1 low-sodium soy sauce; 1/2 garlic powder; 1/4 celery salt; 1/4 salt; 1/2 liquid from soy curls; 1/2 vegan mayonnaise; 3 1/2 cooked brown basmati rice; 1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained; 1/2 sliced almonds

Square of almond chick'n rice on white surface with mushroom decoration

Entrees A Plant-Based Mainstay

This entrée requires only the addition of a vegetable and salad for a complete meal. Tried and true, great for entertaining, it can be made a day or two in advance and refrigerated until ready to bake. The soy curls are a great chicken substitute and excellent source of protein, with the sliced almonds giving it that extra-special finish.

Baked Almond Chick'n Rice

Recipe courtesy of

Heather Leno

Prep Instructions

Yield: 12 (¾ cup) servings
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Recipe Ingredients

2/3 cup soy curls
1 1/4 cups very hot water
1 tablespoon Chicken-Style Seasoning
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, diced or sliced, your preference
2 teaspoons oil or broth for sautéing
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 tablespoon Chicken-Style Seasoning
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup liquid from soy curls
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
3 1/2 cups cooked brown basmati rice
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Break the soy curls into ½-inch pieces. Dissolve the first tablespoon of Chicken-Style Seasoning in the hot water and add the soy curls. Keep curls submerged by stirring a couple times while rehydrating.
Combine celery, onions, and mushrooms in a large, preferably nonstick pan and sauté in oil or broth until tender-crisp. Remove from heat.
Put the cup of hot water, raw cashews, remaining tablespoon of Chicken-Style Seasoning, soy sauce, garlic powder, celery salt and salt in your blender and blend until smooth as cream.
Add ½ cup liquid from soy curls plus the mayonnaise. Blend briefly to mix.
Add the curls, the rice, water chestnuts, and the blended sauce to the kettle of sautéed vegetables and mix all together. This mixture will be soupy.
Pour into a 2-quart baking dish that has been prepared with nonstick spray; the mixture should be about 2 inches deep. At this point you may cover and refrigerate a day or two or bake right away.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. (If refrigerated, first bring to room temperature before baking.) Remove from the oven and cover with the sliced almonds. Return to oven and bake an additional 20 minutes until nuts are beginning to brown and rice is set.
Let stand 5–10 minutes before serving.

NOTE: Always keep soy curls stored in the fridge, as they are a whole soy product and can go rancid more easily than refined foods do.