4 Vegan Sausage Recipes – Seitan (2024)

FAQs

What is seitan sausage made of? ›

Ingredients to make Seitan Sausage

Vital wheat gluten: the main ingredient to make seitan. This ingredient is responsible for the elastic texture and the high protein content of seitan. Chickpea flour: vital wheat gluten is very dense, and chickpea flour lightens up the texture of the seitan dough.

Because it's made of gluten, people with celiac disease should avoid seitan at all costs, as well as people with a gluten sensitivity. For those who can tolerate gluten, however, it is a tasty and versatile low-calorie, low-fat, low-carb source of plant protein.

Vegan sausages are made with vital wheat gluten, tofu or textured vegetable protein … or a combination of those ingredients. The main ingredients are combined with water/veggie stock and seasonings, formed into sausage shapes and cooked according to the recipe's method.

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.

While seitan is a versatile plant-based protein, people with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or gluten allergy should avoid it.

So how much seitan is too much? While ordering it occasionally at a restaurant is okay, it probably shouldn't become a staple ingredient in your diet. If you do eat seitan, it's best to make it at home to avoid excess sodium and added ingredients.

However, while seitan is an excellent plant-based protein alternative, tofu is a complete protein (seitan lacks the amino acid lysine). Unseasoned tofu is typically lower in sodium than store-bought seitan, which can be processed with salt, sugar or other flavors added.

Seitan, another name for wheat gluten, is not gluten-free. Seitan (pronounced say-tann) is made by washing wheat flour dough until all the starch is removed and only the gluten protein remains. The protein is then cooked and served, often as a meat substitute in vegetarian and vegan dishes.

Its main raw ingredients are kale, lentils, quinoa, onions and wheat protein – all of which need less land and water than animal protein to grow. In fact, the overall climate impact of a veggie hot dog is approximately seven times less than that of a classic hot dog.

What is the skin on vegan sausages made of? ›

These Vegetarian Casings are easy to use and are completely edible. They are made from water-soluble polysaccharide (which in layman's terms is a type of carbohydrate similar to cellulose). They come on a 12mtr concertinaed rod.

Plant-based meat is one of the product categories consumers most associate with being ultra-processed, but research has also found it could be associated with several health benefits.

Boiling seitan makes it have a brainy spongey texture, frying seitan (without first steaming it) makes it rubbery and spongey, baking it makes it dry and rubbery. Steaming seitan, on the other hand, will yield the perfect meaty, juicy, chewy, yet tender seitan every single time.

There's some evidence in medical research that wheat gluten may increase the permeability of your intestines, leading to what some health authorities call "leaky gut syndrome." If you find you experience bloating, gassiness, or other digestive symptoms after eating seitan, you may want to avoid it next time.

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.

While this may limit the variety of plant-based meat alternatives you consume, it shouldn't limit your recipes. Seitan is an excellent protein source for vegans and vegetarians who are allergic to soy. Because it's made from wheat and not soy, it's okay for those with soy allergies to eat.

2. An Ultra-Processed Food High in Sodium. Most people aren't making seitan at home, but instead are getting it pre-made from restaurants and grocery stores. These ultra-processed foods tend to be higher in sodium, which can contribute to high blood pressure and a host of other health problems.

Seitan has a savory taste, probably closest to bland chicken or a portobello mushroom. Seitan has a mild flavor on its own but can take on many more flavors from different recipes. It can be hot and spicy as in seitan "chicken wings " or savory in a succulent Indian or Thai massaman curry.