Need a wicked high protein, low fat, low carb option? Well, hail seitan. The macros are damn near on par with chicken breast! <—and no soy is required. We love seitan!
I’ve been making neutral seitan sausages every week since our last meal prep video. It’s essentially like the perfect meal. And by making vegan sausage neutral in flavor I can add any kind of sauce on top. 99% of the time I use teriyaki and 1% of the time I’ll use vegan buffalo wing sauce.
Why do I mention this? It’s because making neutral seitan sausages arethe easiest basicrecipe. 330 grams (2.75 cups) gluten flour + 60 grams chickpea flour, vegan chicken broth. Start with 2 cups of liquid then keep adding more until your dough forms into a FIRM MASS. If it’s sticky add more gluten flour, if it’s dry add more water. EASY! Then I divide into 8, wrap in foil and steam for 45 minutes. DONE.
If you just add different spice flavors then you could totally make specialty vegan sausage! In my mind this is a no brainer simple recipe but…….
When looking into seitan sausage & pepperoni recipes they all suggested things like tomato paste and sh*t. I didn’t have any paste so I just used tomato sauce. I also tried barbecue sauce. And I added oil. And sugar. Before I knew it my dough was wayyyyyy mushier than anticipated. It made me nervous because I felt like a f*ck up. But adding additional gluten flour fixed my problem.
What am I saying? If you’re not a seitan sausage pro then anticipate using additional gluten flour after mixing everything together. Maybe 1 TB more or less. No big deal.
EACH RECIPE BELOW MAKES ONE LARGE SAUSAGE
Italian Vegan Sausage – Seitan
2 ts of poultry or Italian herb blend, 1/4 ts salt, 1/4 ts sugar, 1/4 ts ground thyme, 1/4 ts ground fennel, 1/8 ts garlic powder, 1/4 ts onion powder, 1/4 cup gluten flour (30 grams), 1 TB chickpea flour (7 grams?), 1 ts oil, 1 TB tomato sauce, 1/4 cup water
- Mix dry ingredients
- Taste your dry powdered mix. Salty and spiced enough? Add more if needed.
- Add sauce and/or oil then liquid
- Mix everything til it’s a firm ball of dough. Add more gluten flour at this point if your dough is moist, sticky or not forming a solid ball.
- Place dough on foil, form sausage shape, roll foil around it then twist the ends closed.
- Steam in steamer basket for 45 minutes. ENJOY
Mesquite Brown Sugar Vegan Sausage – Seitan
1.5 ts mesquite barbecue powder blend (bought from whole foods) + 2 ts brown sugar, 2 TB BBQ sauce, 1/4 cup gluten flour (30 grams), 1 TB chickpea flour (7 grams?), 1 ts oil, 1/4 cup water
*I think those first two ingredients were over powered by my impulsive use of BBQ sauce. You might be able to skip the sugar & powder blend. Maybe BBQ is all that’s needed for a sweet mesquite sausage flavor.
- Mix dry ingredients
- Taste your dry powdered mix. Salty and spiced enough? Add more if needed.
- Add sauce and/or oil then liquid
- Mix everything til it’s a firm ball of dough. Add more gluten flour at this point if your dough is moist, sticky or not forming a solid ball.
- Place dough on foil, form sausage shape, roll foil around it then twist the ends closed.
- Steam in steamer basket for 45 minutes. ENJOY
Maple Breakfast Vegan Sausage – Seitan
1 ts sage powder, 1/2 ts salt, 1/2 ts onion powder, 1/8 ts garlic powder, 2 TB maple syrup, 1/4 cup gluten flour (30 grams), 1 TB chickpea flour (7 grams?), 1 ts oil, 1 TB tomato sauce, 1/4 cup water
- Mix dry ingredients
- Taste your dry powdered mix. Salty and spiced enough? Add more if needed.
- Add sauce and/or oil then liquid
- Mix everything til it’s a firm ball of dough. Add more gluten flour at this point if your dough is moist, sticky or not forming a solid ball.
- Place dough on foil, form sausage shape, roll foil around it then twist the ends closed.
- Steam in steamer basket for 45 minutes. ENJOY
Chipotle Cajun Vegan Sausage – Seitan
2 ts Cajun blend 1/2 ts garlic powder, 1 ts onion powder, couple drops of adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers, 2 ts soy sauce, 1/4 cup gluten flour (30 grams), 1 TB chickpea flour (7 grams?), 1 ts oil, 1/4 cup water
- Mix dry ingredients
- Taste your dry powdered mix. Salty and spiced enough? Add more if needed.
- Add sauce and/or oil then liquid
- Mix everything til it’s a firm ball of dough. Add more gluten flour at this point if your dough is moist, sticky or not forming a solid ball.
- Place dough on foil, form sausage shape, roll foil around it then twist the ends closed.
- Steam in steamer basket for 45 minutes. ENJOY
FAQs
Seitan sausage FAQs
Seitan is a vegan the term given to a food made predominantly from wheat gluten. Wheat gluten is the main protein of wheat and is made by washing regular flour to remove any starch. When cooked seitan has a surprisingly “meaty” texture and is very easy to mould into different shapes and sizes.
How are vegan sausages made? ›
The key ingredient in vegan sausage is typically either pea protein or soy protein, along with one or more oils (canola, coconut, sunflower), spices and other plant-based additions. Nutritional value varies depending on the manufacturer's precise recipe.
How is seitan made? ›
Creating seitan requires you to knead vital wheat gluten and water until it forms into a firm ball or loaf. Wheat flour or additional ingredients can be added to improve the texture; however, they're not always needed. After the dough has been formed into a ball, it is rinsed and boiled to wash away the starches.
How to make seitan taste good? ›
Part of the process of making seitan involves seasoning it to taste like meat. This may be done with sauces like soy sauce, liquid smoke, or vegan Worcestershire sauce, as well as salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, or other spices and herbs.
Who should avoid seitan? ›
While seitan is a versatile plant-based protein, people with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or gluten allergy should avoid it. Premade seitan can also be high in sodium, so it's important to read the nutrition label if you monitor your sodium intake.
What are the disadvantages of seitan? ›
What are the cons?
- Not suitable for those with gluten-sensitivities or coeliac disease.
- Doesn't absorb much flavour.
- High amounts of sodium (salt) in the packaged product.
- Seitan is hard to source unlike other vegetarian protein alternatives meaning you may have to venture to a specialty vegetarian “butcher”
It is packed with a dense nutrient profile and renders a distinct and satiating texture to the dishes. Seitan serves a healthy and tasty meat alternative for vegans as it's high in protein and low in carbs.
What is the skin on vegan sausages made of? ›
How are vegan sausages made? Well, sausages are pretty much ANYTHING you can put in a casing and then cook. In this particular case, vegetarian sausage casings are made of “Vegetable Glycerin, Water and Natural Polysaccharides (sugar/carbohydrate).”
What is plant-based impossible sausage made of? ›
The precooked plant-based sausage patties have many of the same ingredients as the burgers: soy protein, sunflower oil, coconut oil, soy leghemoglobin — the genetically modified ingredient to make plant-based heme, which Impossible Foods says is the ingredient that makes its products taste more like meat.
What are the side effects of seitan? ›
If you have a wheat allergy, celiac disease or gluten intolerance, seitan is definitely out of the question as it is literally made from wheat gluten. If you have a sensitivity to gluten, eating foods like seitan can result in many adverse side effects such as bloating, diarrhea, fatigue and abdominal pain.
How Often to Eat Seitan. As Churchill pointed out, it's about finding the perfect balance when incorporating seitan into your diet. “Eat it sparingly,” he says. “It's not necessarily a once a day thing, and if you think you need a plant-based option I'd actually suggest tofu over seitan.”
Why is seitan so tough? ›
Basic Seitan. Make sure you're using vital wheat gluten and not regular flour for making seitan - otherwise, you'll end up with a very tough bread. You can use water for the cheapest, most basic seitan, but I like to use broth throughout the process.
Why does my stomach hurt after eating seitan? ›
Digestive Discomfort: Seitan is high in protein and can cause digestive discomfort in some people, especially if consumed in large quantities or if the digestive system is not used to high-protein foods.
Is it cheaper to make or buy seitan? ›
Because of its meaty texture, seitan can be used in a variety of dishes, from sandwiches and stir-fries to stews and soups. The best part is that making seitan at home is easy, and it's much cheaper than buying pre-made or store-bought seitan.
Why is my seitan falling apart? ›
The biggest trick for making seitan from bread flour is to knead it in cold water! Many people have stated that when they start washing the flour the ball of dough falls apart. This means chunks of gluten can get washed away with the starch and make it difficult to handle.
Is seitan meat good for you? ›
Is Seitan Healthy? In many ways, yes, seitan is quite a healthy option. The seitan nutrition facts are hard to argue with: notable amounts of protein, iron, calcium, selenium, phosphorus, and B vitamins. This combination of macro- and micronutrients can result in some pretty impressive health benefits.
Is seitan a highly processed food? ›
The Drawbacks Seitan
“To make it complete, you'll have to pair this food with other plant proteins such as legumes, grains, and nuts,” she says. Additionally, she points out that, since seitan is a processed food, it contains preservatives such as sulfites, which you may not want in abundance in your diet.
Does seitan taste like meat? ›
Plain seitan on its own has a pretty mild taste. It really is all about texture and how it soaks up other flavors. The chewiness does a great job of replicating meat, particularly chicken. Add to that the fact that it easily picks up whatever flavors that are mixed into it, and it becomes a pretty versatile faux meat.
