I've made seitan steaks, I've made seitan chicken inspired tenders, I've made seitan wing inspired bites, I've made seitan pepperoni, and now it's time to share my recipe for Vegan Italian Seitan Sausages. Clearly, I'm obsessed with seitan recipes. These Italian style sausages have that perfect meaty texture, that classic sausage shape, that burst of Italian seasoning flavor, and they're just really damn good!
It's actually a bit weird how meaty these turn out but because I made them in my own kitchen, I know they are also 100% vegan! There is even an oil-free option for those who prefer it.
The secret to taking these vegan sausages from good to really damn good is to add bits of sun-dried tomato and sautéed onion. You know how traditional sausages have those little fat speckles throughout that help add texture and flavor, well that's exactly what the sun-dried tomatoes and sautéd onions do. Even though they are just bits of veg it provides a very similar texture. So cool!
These sausages are best made the day ahead and chilled in the fridge overnight for the ideal texture. When they are cold they will be quite firm, but when you heat them- grill, fry, etc.- they will soften slightly for the most amazingly perfect texture. Then you can use them anywhere you like!
Where to use vegan sausages:
- Grill the sausages and serve on a bun, hot dog style.
- Fry and serve with potatoes and vegan gravy.
- Cut into thick slices or small chunks and top on soups, salad, or pasta.
- Toss into pasta sauces.
- Slice thinly or crumble to use on pizza.
- Prepare sausages with peppers and onions.
- Anywhere else you want to use these vegan sausages!
How To Make Vegan Italian Sausages:
Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan or skillet over medium heat and when hot add the onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the vegetable broth, tomato paste, and white miso pasted until smooth. Now add the sun-dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast, dried basil, brown sugar, fennel seeds, dried rosemary, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, liquid smoke, and all of the sautéd onions and garlic along with any oil leftover in the pan, and stir to combine.
Oil-Free Option:
If you prefer to make oil-free vegan Italian sausages simply sauté the onions and garlic in water or broth. Then for the sun-dried tomatoes, use the dry kind that aren't in oil. Chop them up and then soak them in hot water for about 20 minutes to soften the tomato bits. Drain, and proceed with the recipe as normal.
Lastly, add the vital wheat gluten and combine to make a dough. Knead the dough to make sure it's all combined, but once combined, stop kneading. The more you knead the tougher the sausages will get so only do as much as is needed to incorporate the vital wheat gluten.
Cut the dough into 6 equal-sized pieces. Take one of the pieces of dough and place it on a sheet of aluminium foil. Shape the dough into a rough sausage shape, but don't worry about making it look pretty or neat. Some pieces of onion and sun-dried tomato may fall out but just tuck them near the dough and it will all incorporate and shape up nicely as it cooks.
Roll the sausage up loosely in a piece of aluminium foil then twist the ends closed. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough to make 6 sausages.
How To Cook Vegan Italian Sausages:
Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the sausages to the steamer basket and steam for 40 minutes. After steaming remove the sausages from the steamer and allow to cool completely in the fridge, overnight is best. The logs will have puffed up in the foil and become tight.
Once cooled, remove the foil and they are ready to enjoy as is. When it comes to cooking these Vegan Italian Seitan Sausages, you have some options. You can BBQ, fry, or grill them. Once they are finished cooking you can slice them up and put on a pasta, pizza, or salad. Or enjoy them whole on a bun. In other words: enjoy them any way you like!
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Vegan Italian Seitan Sausages
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, (see notes for oil-free version)
- 1 yellow onion, , chopped
- 3 cloves garlic,, minced
- ¾ cup vegetable broth
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup white miso paste
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (the kind in oil), finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, (optional for spice)
- ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 cups vital wheat gluten
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan or skillet over medium heat and when hot add the onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the vegetable broth, tomato paste, and white miso pasted until smooth. Now add the sun-dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast, dried basil, brown sugar, fennel seeds, dried rosemary, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, liquid smoke, and all of the sautéd onions and garlic along with any oil leftover in the pan, and stir to combine. Lastly, add the vital wheat gluten and combine to make a dough. Knead the dough to make sure it’s all combined, but once combined, stop kneading. The more you knead the tougher the sausages will get so only do as much as is needed to incorporate the vital wheat gluten.
- Cut the dough into 6 equal-sized pieces. Take one of the pieces of dough and place it on a sheet of aluminium foil. Shape the dough into a rough sausage shape, but don’t worry about making it look pretty or neat. Some pieces of onion and sun-dried tomato may fall out but just tuck them near the dough and it will all incorporate and shape up nicely as it cooks. Roll the sausage up loosely in a piece of aluminium foil then twist the ends closed. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough to make 6 sausages.
- Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the sausages to the steamer basket and steam for 40 minutes. After steaming remove the sausages from the steamer and allow to cool completely in the fridge, overnight is best. The logs will have puffed up in the foil and become tight. Once cooled, remove the foil and they are ready to enjoy as is or you can fry, grill, slice, or enjoy them any way you like.
Notes
Nutrition
Mary S. says
I've been vegetarian since 1972. We had to make our own seitan back then when mainstream America thought vegans/vegetarians were faddish, weird and unhealthy. We couldn't find readymade seitan. I can make pepperoni and other plant analogs, but want to make andouille for red beans and rice, am looking online for the flavor profile. I revived my hippie-days seitan recipe because the only delicious readymade seitan chick'n on the market, Trader Joe's, was discontinued a few years ago despite its popularity. The others (including a well-known brand) are all offensively salty, too greasy, or loaded with multiple starches, premolded and mushy... nothing like poultry in flavor or texture. I love tofu, but want a little occasional variety. All vegetables have protein, but I'm also wanting seitan or tempeh. If I don't make andouille, I can still just add the spices to the beans, but I'd like andouille for its visual and textural interest. Plus, it's fun to make!
The only suggestion I'd make here is that food shouldn't touch aluminum foil or plastic wrap when being cooked or subjected to heat. Wrap your seitan in baking parchment first, then in foil, to make it safer. And nothing sticks to parchment, an added plus. Why go through the process of making seitan, but use something dangerous in the process?
Another suggestion I'd urge is to avoid cling wrap because of plastic pollution in our oceans. There will be more plastic in our oceans than fish by 2050. 25 million tons dumped in the environment every day. It kills wildlife and most plastic isn't recycled.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and tips, Mary!
Shari says
Hi Sam,
These sausages were amazing!!!
The spice mixture was spot on. Made as per your instructions without any substitutions. Easy to make and soooo tasty. Thanks so much.
Yvette says
Looks delish, I'll definitely have to give these a go, thanks.
Just letting you know that in the listed ingredients it says to use the sundried tomatoes that are in oil. I noticed this is different to what you suggest elsewhere in the recipe.
Thanks for the great vegan recipes
savvyjuls says
I have not tried any recepies as of yet. Just reading and learning. I cant wait though. 🙂
What if you do not have Miso? Will that matter much?
Sam Turnbull says
Miso adds an umami taste so I recommend it, but it will still be pretty tasty without.
Nuzzy says
Mine turned out weird and rubbery. The texture improved somewhat for the ones I sliced small enough and browned but I don't know how to do that consistently without potentially burning the sausages. Any idea where I could have gone wrong, and how to salvage them?
Sam Turnbull says
It sounds like you may have overmixed or over kneaded the dough. The more you work the dough, the tougher and more rubbery it will get
Anon says
I was very happy with how these turned out. I added about a cup of cooked lentils in addition for some extra texture and fiber and instead of wrapping them in foil I actually used rice paper. They steamed up perfectly in the rice paper wrapping and pan frying them with it, it turns out really crispy and sort of like its own little sausage casing. Thanks for the recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
Oh what a great idea!! I will have to try rice paper!
Deb D says
Love these snags, but really didn't want to use the foil anymore either. Didn't think of rice paper! Brilliant idea! Thanks so much Anon, and Sammy for the awesome recipe as usual! Cheers from down under! 😀
Sue says
could you explain your cooking idea a bit better, I am new to this. Do you steam them first (if so, for how long? with or without the rice paper?) and then you grill them up?
Anon says
Hi Sue,
Yes, I steamed them with the rice paper first according to Sam’s recipe instructions instead of using foil. You have to wet the rice paper first to soften it, then you can individually wrap them with the rice paper once they’re soft enough. Then I pan fried them in oil instead of grilling them. That made the rice paper wrapper nice and crispy, sort of like a sausage casing.
Sonia Moura says
Hi do you soak the rice paper first? Thank you
Joan says
I’ve tried many different recipes for vegan sausage and this is the best! So hearty and flavorful. And easy! I will be making it again and again.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you loved it Joan!
Tam Lee says
I want to try these they sound amazing! Would it work steaming them in an instant pot? Would I steam for the same amount of time in an IP? Thanks!
Anon says
I used mine for the same amount, worked great.
Jeannie Peurasaari says
Wow! I just made these Italian sausages. They are absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this creation. I will make these again and again.
Jeannie Peurasaari says
I meant to give this a five star!
Tina Hollingsworth says
I made the recipe as posted and it was great. Now I know a basic recipe I will personalize the seasoning for our family preferences. Gonna try the steak next. I am addicted to cookbooks and try not to purchase more but IDK…I see another one in my future…
Katya says
These are perfection- never buying sausage again! I made it once as written, then decided to try with other flavorings to mimic my fave apple sage store bought variety. I swapped out sun dried tomato for grated apple (and cooked with onions and garlic to reduce moisture). Added about four of five sage leaves, finely chopped, into the pan. Skipped the basil, halved the fennel seeds. Pulsed for a bit in the food processor before adding the gluten flour, because I wanted it less chunky. Sooooo good!! Thank you for this game changer of a recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
Oh sounds delish! So thrilled you love the recipe so much 🙂
Katya says
I've been making these almost weekly for months now, we have completely replaced store bought sausage (and therefore feel better eating it more frequently)! We were looking for a more sustainable way to steam than using aluminum foil, so sprung for a silicone sausage mold. Just wanted to report, for anyone that is curious about other options, that it works great! Makes the cutest little sausages!
Sam Turnbull says
Oh cool! I didn't even know those existed! I found some here on amazon. So cool, I will have to pick some up!