No, that's not a typo - seitan is an actual thing. It's very well-known in certain circles (that makes it sound like being vegan is an exclusive club or something, but you know what I mean), but I'd say seitan is still fairly unheard of amongst the general population. If you're not familiar, seitan is a meaty substance made from gluten, and it works really well to recreate dishes that usually contain meat - hence, a homemade seitan roast!
I must admit, I've had a bag of vital wheat gluten sat in my cupboard for a few months now, untouched. I bought it online (it's hard to find in normal supermarkets, but you can pick it up on Amazon UK here or Amazon US here) with a plan to make homemade seitan, but found myself rather intimidated by the prospect. To be fair, 'vital wheat gluten' barely even sounds like real food... so, in the cupboard it sat.
However, I had a bit of fresh sage leftover from my recent buttery tortellini recipe, and my thought process went a little like this:
Fresh sage --> sage and onion stuffing --> roast dinners! --> I should make something for a vegetarian roast dinner --> oh god, I'm going to have to face my fear and try making seitan.
In the end, this homemade seitan roast was actually much easier to make than I expected it to be! I swear every homemade seitan recipe I've ever looked at in the past has been super long, with dozens of steps, and that always put me off. But, in true Becca fashion, I cut a few corners and still ended up with a perfectly delicious seitan roast. I'll definitely be experimenting more with seitan, but for now I'm pretty happy with this recipe!
The recipe is loosely based around this one from Post Punk Kitchen. I nabbed the trick of adding beans to the seitan for a nicer texture. I don't have much to compare it to... but it was nice! Since the vital wheat gluten has basically zero flavour on its own, it's also really (really!) important to add plenty of flavour to your seitan, as well as salt! Don't skimp on the salt. Add a reasonable amount, then add another pinch. The end result is a meaty, chewy roast with a crispy crust and that lovely sage and onion flavour throughout.
Serve your homemade seitan roast with some potatoes and veggies, not forgetting lashings of gravy, and you're all set for a perfect vegan Sunday lunch.
Sage and onion homemade seitan roast
If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!
Print Pin CommentIngredients
- 400 g tin cannellini beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 ¼ cups, when drained)
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- Small bunch fresh sage
- 1 medium onion, peeled and cut into a few chunks
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 215 g vital wheat gluten (~ 1 ½ cups)
- 250 ml vegetable stock (~ 1 cup) - not low-sodium
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Oil for greasing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
- Add the drained cannellini beans to a food processor, along with the garlic, sage, and onion. Blitz to form a chunky paste.
- In a large bowl, combine the bean mixture with the dried oregano, vital wheat gluten, vegetable stock, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well to form a dough (don't be worried if it doesn't look too appetising at this stage!).
- Knead the dough for a few minutes - this will help avoid a tough seitan.
- Lightly grease a large piece of kitchen foil, and add the seitan dough. Shape to form a rough sausage, then roll tightly in the foil, and scrunch the ends.
- Place the foil-wrapped seitan roast on a baking tray (make sure to pick it up from underneath so you don't tear the foil), and roast for around 1 hour 20 minutes, until firm.
- Peel back the foil, and slice the seitan roast with a serrated knife. Serve warm.
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose.
Becky says
I just made this and put it in the oven. My mixture is really wet. Is it supposed to be that way! I kneaded it for about 4-5 minutes. Ieven added some extra vwg. I have only made seitan twice before, but both times had a stiff mixture. Have I done something wrong?
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Sorry Becky, only just seen this - how did it turn out in the end?
Ttrockwood says
Oh, i LOVE seitan!! There are some great seitan roasts available in the US from the company Field Roast, but only during the christmas season. I love how simple your recipe is! No steaming and no obscure ingredients! I'm thinking a good mushroom and nutritional yeast gravy will be just perfect with this.... And i love a serious sandwich with seitan roast slices, avocado, tomato and mustard with mayo
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
I've heard of Field Roast! Didn't realise it was seitan though. Mushroom gravy would be absolutely perfect with this, and I love the idea of serving it in a sandwich too!
Camilla @FabFood4All says
This looks so like meat amazing, will have to get hold of some seitan:-)
Katie Bryson says
This is a new one on me Becca, but as we're huge fans of the veggie roast dinner I think I might have to give it a whirl. I'm thinking my onion gravy would be blinding over the top of this with some roasted sweet potatoes, vegetables, bread sauce and yorkshire puddings - oof!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Ohhhh can I come?! Yorkshires and bread sauce are two of my absolute favourites :D
Kavey says
I've heard of seitan but never tried it. I think my mum may have made this, she's a pescetarian and eats veggie a lot of the time. Good to know you have created a less complicated recipe.
Keith @ How's it Lookin? says
Looks great. I never had a roast like this, thanks for sharing
Ronda J Eagle says
My cousin and his girlfriend are vegan and I am always at a loss as to what to serve them for dinner and I spend hours researching to find just the right ingredients for their diet. This looks like something I can easily put together for his next visit.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
I hope you all enjoy it Ronda, it was so easy to make :)
Priya says
wow! This dish looks so beautiful and such lovely images! I have never heard of Seitan roast but I'm sure this is in my try list now..
Suchi @elegantmeraki says
I am a vegetarian and have tried Seiten before. It's perfect for us. Sage will give amazing flavor too it.
Peter Block says
Really cool. I am trying to cook more and more vegetarian and vegan dishes. I did not know how to make homemade seitan. Now I do and have a place to find the recipe. Thx for sharing.