Have I talked about the weather enough yet this spring? Every time I post a summery recipe I seem to talk about the sunshine (sorry for being so predictable, but the sun comes out so rarely in this country that it’s always worthy of comment), and hot dogs always seem like a summery meal to me. I guess it’s because you might cook them on the BBQ, so even though these homemade vegan hot dogs are baked in the oven, they still feel like the sort of thing you’d eat on a sunny day.
(side note: I’m trying to get through this whole post without resorting to cheap innuendo. Really trying.)
My go-to combination for homemade vegetarian sausages is breadcrumbs+egg – it holds them together really well, then you can add whatever flavourful bits you fancy. I’ve used this combo loads of times, to make veggie sausages with beans and smoked cheese; with artichokes and green olives; with sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts; and with mushrooms and brie. But this time I wanted to make vegan hot dogs, so obviously no eggs allowed! Instead, I used kidney beans and a few oats to help bind everything together (so they’re actually gluten-free too, as long as you use gf oats!).
I also added sun-dried tomatoes and marinated artichokes, which add a gorgeous flavour, as well as giving a slightly pink colour like real hot dogs. Just blitz all the ingredients together in a food processor, form the mixture into sausage shapes, and bake.
I wasn’t sure how well these vegan hot dogs would work without the egg, but they were great! No issues with binding at all. My hot dog buns were weirdly long so I just made 4 pretty huge sausages to fill them (must…not…make…an…innuendo…), but you could easily stretch the mixture to make 6 hot dogs if they’re a little smaller. They’re really filling – one each was plenty! The sausages do spread ever so slightly during cooking, so don’t make them overly thick to begin with.
Then it’s just time to stick your sausages in a bun, and get topping! Obviously to keep these hot dogs vegan, you’ll need to use vegan toppings too – I used ketchup and avocado, but other great options are mustard, sauerkraut (or any other kind of slaw), relish, chopped onion, vegan cheese… whatever you fancy.
Perfect vegan hot dogs!
Vegan hot dogs
Ingredients
- 120 g (~ 3/4 cup) marinated artichoke hearts, drained (~ 12 pieces)
- 100 g (~ 3/4 cup) sun-dried tomatoes (~ 12 pieces) - I used oil-packed
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 400 g tin kidney beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
- 50 g (~ 1/3 cup) rolled oats
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Spray oil
Instructions
- If using artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drain them on a few sheets of kitchen paper for a minute or two first to remove any excess oil.
- Add the first 6 ingredients (artichokes through paprika) to a food processor, along with a good pinch of salt and pepper, and blitz until well combined (it's okay if there are a few small lumps).
- Spray a baking tray with oil. Use clean hands to form the mixture into 4-6 long sausage shapes (they will expand slightly as they cook, so make them a tiny bit thinner than you would like), and place them on the baking tray. Spray the sausages with oil, and bake at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F) for around 30 minutes, or until firm and golden brown.
Notes
Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for 1 hot dog (sausage only), when you make a batch of 4.
Pongodhall
Thursday 12th of May 2022
I can’t get artichoke hearts here and I’m stumped as to what to sub with. Any suggestions?
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian
Thursday 26th of May 2022
Hmm to be honest I would find a different recipe if you can't get artichoke hearts, as I can't promise how well the recipe would turn out if you skip a major ingredient. Can you get them online?
Valarie C
Monday 13th of July 2020
These were so easy to make with only a few ingredients!I've made other hotdog recipes before with an ingredient list as long as my arm! This recipe rocks!
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian
Tuesday 14th of July 2020
Thanks Valarie! Glad you enjoyed them! :)
Susan
Wednesday 8th of July 2020
I'm making these today after I go to the store to buy marinated artichoke hearts. I'm so excited to try these!
Karol
Saturday 14th of July 2018
Just made your dog recipe and so delicious. Taste, texture and color were perfect. I placed the dogs in the freezer for thirty minutes and then used my airfryer to make them crispy. Definitely will save your recipe and make them again.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Monday 16th of July 2018
Thanks so much Karol, glad you enjoyed them! :)
Dannii
Monday 21st of May 2018
I am definitely trying these this summer. We spend so much money on veggie sausages, so this would save us a fortune.