Vegan Italian Sausage Recipe
Juicy, lightly smokey vegan Italian sausages, bursting with classic spices and sun-dried tomatoes. These gosh darned bangers are ready to be the star of your next meal.
Servings: 6 sausages
Calories: 270kcal
Cost: $7
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons miso paste
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained and chopped
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup unsalted vegetable stock or water
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
- ¼ cup pea protein plain, unflavored
- 2 cups vital wheat gluten
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, sauté diced onion and minced garlic for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Raise the heat to high and add the tomato paste, miso paste, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast, dried oregano, pepper, dried thyme, fennel seeds, salt, maple syrup, molasses, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes and unsalted vegetable stock (or water) and liquid smoke. After the mixture comes to a boil, remove the pan from heat and allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the plain pea protein and vital wheat gluten. Pour the contents of the pan into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Knead the mixture for a few minutes until it forms a firm dough. If the mixture is too dry to come together, you can add a tiny bit of extra water as needed.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape them into sausage links.
- Wrap each sausage link individually in lightly oiled parchment paper, and then wrap the parchment-wrapped sausages in aluminum foil, twisting the ends to seal.
- In a steamer over medium heat, steam the wrapped sausages for 35 minutes until they are firm and fully cooked.
- After steaming, you can unwrap the sausage and grill or pan-fry them for added texture and flavor.
Notes
🍞 Dough's Delicate Balance:
Achieve the perfect dough texture by adjusting with vital wheat gluten if it is too sticky, or a bit of vegetable stock if too dry. This ensures sausages are firm yet tender, just like traditional meat sausages.
👐 Kneading Know-How:
Proper kneading is key to the ideal chewiness, mimicking meat's texture. Stop once the dough is smooth to prevent rubberiness.
🌬 Steam Then Sear:
Fully steam sausages to lock in flavor and achieve the right texture before grilling or pan-frying. Skipping on steam time compromises quality.
💤 Relax & Rest:
Let sausages rest post-steaming for a firmer texture. For best results, chill them overnight, enhancing flavor and firmness.
Nutrition
Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 644mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 296IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 4mg