If you’re looking for an authentic vegan sausage, this is the right recipe for you! These vegan Italian sausages with sun-dried tomatoes are packed with flavor and they have the perfect meaty texture. They taste amazing and they’re really easy to make!
Why This Recipe Works
I’ve tried so many store-bought vegan sausages over the last years. While some are pretty tasty, others aren’t good at all. I think it’s not always easy to find satisfying meat replacements.
After a while, I found a vegan Italian-style sausage that I really loved, but it was quite pricey and not easy to find. So I’ve decided to make my own vegan sausage and it turned out sooo delicious!
I’ve made this recipe so many times and it’s always a real winner! And it’s pretty easy to make! I’m sure you will love it just as much.
The secret ingredient for this recipe is vital wheat gluten, which is pure gluten powder. It gives the sausages the perfect meat-like texture.
Sautéed onion, garlic, and lots of spices provide it with a ton of flavor. Sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste add the Italian flavor. And smoked tofu and liquid smoke give it a smokey taste.
The ingredient list might seem a bit long at first sight, but a lot of the ingredients are commonly used spices you most likely got at home anyways.
I love to pan-fry the sausages in a cast iron pan after they have been steamed and stored in the fridge overnight. This gives them the perfect texture – firm, but not too firm.
There are so many great ways to serve these meat-free sausages. You can grill them, serve them on a bun like a hot dog, or cut them into thick slices and serve them with pasta or a salad. I also like to add thin slices on top of a vegan pizza.
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Onion & Garlic
- Smoked Tofu – it gives the sausages a great smokey taste. However, if you’ve trouble finding it, you could replace it with regular firm tofu.
- Tomato Paste
- Vital Wheat Gluten – it’s pure gluten powder. It’s essential to this recipe and there is no replacement. You can find it in well-stored grocery stores, health food stores, or online.
- Spices – I used dried marjoram, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, paprika powder, and smoked paprika powder.
- Red Pepper Flakes – they add a bit of spiciness.
- Brown Sugar – it enhances the flavor.
- Nutritional Yeast – it adds a nutty flavor. You can leave it out if you’ve trouble finding it.
- Liquid Smoke – it’s great to give vegan meat alternatives a smokey flavor. You need only about 1/4 teaspoon. I usually buy it online and it lasts forever in the fridge.
How To Make This Recipe
1.Step: Heat some oil in a small pan. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the onion is translucent. Set aside.
2.Step: Place all of the ingredients expect for the onion, the garlic, the sun-dried tomatoes, and the vital wheat gluten into a food processor and process until smooth.
3. Step: Add the sauteed onion and garlic and the finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the pureed tofu mixture and stir well.
4. Step: Then add the vital wheat gluten and knead the dough with your hands. Only knead it until everything is combined and the vital wheat gluten is completely incorporated. You don’t want to knead it for too long as the sausages will get very chewy.
5. Step: Divide the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces. Shape each piece into a sausage. Then tightly wrap each sausage into two layers of aluminium foil. Twist the ends of the foil.
6. Step: Add about 1 inch of water into a large pot with a steamer basket. Bring to boil. When the water is boiling, add the sausages to the steamer basket and steam for 40 minutes.
7. Step: When the 40 minutes are over, remove the sausages and let them cool down completely in the aluminium foil. Then place them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them. I recommend storing them in the fridge overnight for the perfect texture.
8. Step: When you’re ready to eat them, heat some oil in a griddle pan and pan-fry them until they’re crispy and browned on the outside.
Recipe Notes:
- I love to use smoked tofu for this recipe as it gives the sausages a smoky flavor. You can find it in health food stores or in Asian markets. If you can’t find it, you could replace it with firm plain tofu.
- Guar Gum serves as a binder. I usually buy Bob’s Red Mill guar gum at the health food store. You could also find different brands on Amazon.
- I used Bob’s Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour for this recipe.
- For the perfect texture, I recommend storing the sausages in the fridge overnight after steaming them. On the next day, you can pan-fry them or use them in any recipe that calls for sausages.
FAQs:
How Long Do The Sausages Last?
Stored properly in an airtight container in the fridge, the sausages will last up to 5 days.
Can I Freeze Them?
Yes, they freeze really well. After steaming them, let them cool down completely. Then place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Let them thaw in in the fridge overnight or for a few hours at room temperature. Then pan-fry them (I prefer to use a griddle pan).
Can I Make Them Gluten-Free?
No, unfortunately you can’t make this recipe gluten-free. Vital wheat gluten is the main ingredient and there is no gluten-free replacement.
Related Recipes:
- Vegan Chicken
- Vegan Chicken Nuggets
- Cauliflower Hot Wings
- Vegan Ribs
- Seitan for Beginners – 15 Delicious Recipes!
I Love To Hear From You!
I hope you like this vegan sausage as much as we do around here.
If you give it a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
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Sina
Vegan Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 7 oz smoked tofu
- 3 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon guar gum (for example Bob's Red Mill)
- 1 3/4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped
- 2 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
Instructions
- Heat some oil in a small pan. Add the onion andcook for 2 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes untilthe onion is translucent. Set aside.
- Place all of the ingredients expect for theonion, the garlic, the sun-dried tomatoes, and the vital wheat gluten into afood processor and process until smooth.
- Add the sauteed onion and garlic and the finelychopped sun-dried tomatoes to the pureed tofu mixture and stir well.
- Then add the vital wheat gluten and knead thedough with your hands. Only knead it until everything is combined and the vitalwheat gluten is completely incorporated. You don’t want to knead it for toolong as the sausages will get very chewy.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces.Shape each piece into a sausage. Then tightly wrap each sausage into two layersof aluminium foil. Twist the ends of the foil.
- Add about 1 inch of water into a large pot witha steamer basket. Bring to boil. When the water is boiling, add the sausages tothe steamer basket and steam for 40 minutes.
- When the 40 minutes are over, remove the sausagesand let them cool down completely in the aluminium foil. Then place them in thefridge until you’re ready to serve them. I recommend storing them in the fridgeovernight for the perfect texture.
- When you’re ready to eat them, heat some oil ina griddle pan and pan-fry them until they’re crispy and browned on the outside.
Notes
- I love to use smoked tofu for this recipe as it gives the sausages a smoky flavor. You can find it in health food stores or in Asian markets. If you can’t find it, you could replace it with firm plain tofu.
- Guar Gum serves as a binder. I usually buy Bob’s Red Mill guar gum at the health food store. You could also find different brands on Amazon.
- I used Bob’s Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour for this recipe.
10/5 rating!!!! This is the best sausage I have ever made. Texture is bang on, this is very important to me as I am fairly new to plant based foods. I enjoyed the texture and flavor of meat, but not how the animals are treated. I added fennel seeds to mine, I may just use onion powder next time as I’m not sure I liked the little pieces of onion in the sausage. I wrapped some in foil and some in parchment paper. At first the parchment paper sausage seemed more limp, but as it cooled you could not tell the difference. Thank you for this recipe, I look forward to serving it for my meat loving friends 🙂
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