Makes 4 sausages / Active time: 20 minutes / Total time: about an hour
These vegan Italian sausages are just absolutely delicious. They slice beautifully, sear up with a golden crust, hold their shape on the grill, and crumble into pasta just right. They’re also great eaten whole, sliced down the middle, or tucked into a bun. Savory with fennel and herby with the warmth of oregano, thyme, and a smidge of red pepper flakes. They taste like the sausage you remember and the sausage vegans deserve.
They’re also super easy to make. A little mashing, a few minutes of mixing, forty minutes of hands-off steaming, and you’ve got four big sausages ready to go. No casings, no special equipment, no long kneading. You mash beans in a bowl, stir in the spices and gluten, roll the dough up like a Tootsie Roll, and steam.
And they’re so economical. A batch of four sausages costs less than a single package of name-brand store-bought vegan sausages, and they taste so much better. Plus they’re a good source of protein from both the seitan and the beans.
These have been kicking around the Post Punk Kitchen for a few decades and they’re only getting more popular.
A brief history of the steamed vegan sausage
Steamed vegan sausages have been around since the early 2000s, but they really hit their stride when chef Julie Hasson came up with the foil-wrap-and-steam method. Hers was vital wheat gluten with sausage seasoning, rolled in foil and steamed. It was a revelation. Finally, a homemade vegan sausage with a real sausage texture, no casing required.
My contribution to the vegan sausage game was adding beans. Most seitan recipes are all gluten, which is yummy, but can be dense. Mashing beans into the dough breaks up the gluten structure and creates a marbled, varied texture that actually feels like sausage. Tender pockets against the chew of the seitan. The kind of bite that can fool someone, if that’s your thing.
This recipe took off when I first posted it back in the 2000s, and since then a million vegan sausages have sprung up. It’s fun to see all the variations out there and how much they’ve evolved. But we always come back home.
The history of vegan sausage is mostly lost to time. Forums went down. Blogs went under. Message boards turned into corporate social media. Recipes got passed around without credit. So here’s a small contribution to the record.
Ingredient breakdown: the anatomy of a vegan seitan sausage
Eight ingredients (plus water) and you’re all set. Here’s what each ingredient is doing:
- Vital wheat gluten. It’s all about the VWG. This is what gives sausage its texture and chew. It’s the protein from wheat flour, separated and dried into a powder. You’ll find it in the baking aisle or natural foods section. There’s no swap for it.
- White beans. Mashed beans break up the gluten matrix, giving you that varied sausage texture. Other beans work too. Great northern, navy, or pinto are all great in this recipe.
- Vegetable broth. The hydration AND a flavor builder. A good broth makes a noticeable difference. Use one with depth: Better Than Bouillon, homemade stock, or a flavorful boxed broth.
- Soy sauce. The salty savory backbone. A couple tablespoons of soy sauce gives the sausages real meaty depth. Tamari works too.
- Olive oil (or tomato paste). The richness. Olive oil reads more like classic Italian sausage. Tomato paste is the low-fat option and adds a subtle sweetness that’s really nice. Both work great. Pick your fighter.
- Nutritional yeast. A little parmesan-like flavor. You can leave it out and sub a 1/4 cup AP flour to keep the texture, but the truth is, it tastes better with it.
- Fennel, herbs, and spices. Crushed fennel seeds plus oregano, thyme, sweet paprika, red pepper flakes, granulated garlic, and black pepper. The Italian sausage flavor profile, all in one bowl. Crush the fennel slightly with a knife or mortar to release more aroma. If you only have ground fennel, use half the amount.
The method: it’s surprisingly easy to make vegan sausages
Get the steamer basket going, mix, divide, wrap, walk away for 40 minutes. That’s the whole thing.
The dough comes together in one bowl with a fork. No long kneading, no futzing, no worries. Perfection need not apply. Divide it into four equal portions, then shape each one into a log. Wrap each log in parchment first and then foil. The parchment keeps the dough from sticking and the foil holds the shape.
Wrap them snug but not tight, since they expand a little as they cook.
Some folks use silicone sausage molds. I haven’t tried them, but readers say they work for getting more uniform shapes if you’re after the look.
You’ve made vegan sausages, now what?
Anything a sausage can do these can do better. Or something like that. Here are a few of my favorite things:
Pan-fried. Slice how you like (I always favor a bias), get a hot frying pan over medium heat, add a drizzle of oil, and sear until the outside is crispy and golden. The steamed exterior turns chewier with real bite, and the edges caramelize. From there, sliced pan-fried sausages work in just about any pasta sauces — alfredo, marinara, a quick sauté with veggies and white wine, anywhere sliced sausage belongs.
Grilled. They hold up beautifully on the grill. Slice down the middle if you want maximum char, or leave whole for the classic sausage-on-the-grill look. Brush with a little oil first. You can also slice into skewers — that’s a real cute look.
Sausage and peppers. A classic Italian dinner. Slice the sausages, sear them up, and pile them with sautéed bell peppers and onions. I like red ones.
Vegan pizza. Crumble or slice for vegan pizza before baking. Drizzle with a little oil. Perfection.
Red sauce. Crumble and sauté a little, then add to your favorite marinara or other pasta sauces.
Subs. Sliced sausages, sautéed peppers and onions, vegan mozzarella, a hoagie roll. Dinner is served.
Vegan breakfast burritos. Crumble cooked sausage into a tofu scramble, wrap in a tortilla with potatoes, beans, and cheese. Great for a make-ahead morning.
Soups and stews. Slice into rounds and add to bean soups, lentil stews, or tomato-based braises. Try Seitan Porcini Beef Stew for a heartier version.
Biscuits and gravy. Crumble into a peppery white gravy and serve over biscuits. Brunch upgrade.
On a cutting board with mustard. Sometimes that’s all you need.
How to store and freeze vegan sausages
Fridge. Don’t unwrap them. Cooled sausages keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Leave them whole until you’re ready to use them.
Freezer. Let them cool completely, then wrap each sausage individually in parchment and stash in a freezer bag or sealed container. They keep for up to 3 months.
Reheating from frozen. Thaw overnight in the fridge. They’re kinda difficult to use from frozen.
Make-ahead tip. Steam a double or triple batch on a Sunday and you’ve got dinner protein ready for the week. They reheat beautifully and only get better after a day in the fridge. This is great if your steamer is big enough — otherwise you’ll have to do it in batches.
Vegan Italian Sausage FAQ
Why parchment AND foil? Parchment keeps the dough off direct foil contact. Steaming acidic ingredients in aluminum can cause leaching from the foil or something. We didn’t realize that back in the day, oops. Now I always use parchment first, then foil for shape. The foil-only method still works if it’s all you have, but the parchment-plus-foil combo is what I’d recommend.
Why did my sausages come out mushy? A few things could be going on. Make sure you’re steaming for the full 40 minutes with the steamer covered. The beans should be well-drained and not waterlogged. Make sure the steamer is hot enough and actually steaming, not just simmering. They also firm up significantly as they cool, so what feels soft right out of the steamer will set up in another 10 minutes on the counter.
Can I use an Instant Pot or pressure cooker? I don’t have one myself, but plenty of readers do. Use the steam setting for the full 40 minutes and quick release at the end. That’s the consensus from the comments.
Is there a gluten-free version? Not for this recipe — vital wheat gluten is the entire structural backbone. If gluten-free is what you need, you’re looking for a tempeh-based or bean-based recipe instead. Try Tempeh Bacon, or my Walnut Chorizo for a similar savory, meaty payoff.
Simple Seitan & Bean Italian Sausages
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cooked white beans (great northern or navy) rinsed and drained
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil OR tomato paste (tomato paste is a great fat replacement)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic OR 2 cloves fresh garlic finely grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed OR 1 tsp ground fennel seed
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Several dashes fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Before mixing your ingredients, get the steaming apparatus ready, bringing water to a full boil. The rest of the recipe comes together very quickly.
- Have ready 4 square sheets of tin foil and parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mash the beans until no whole ones are left. Throw all the other ingredients together in the order listed and mix with a fork. Divide dough into 4 even parts (an easy way to do this: split the dough in half and then into quarters).
- Place one part of dough into tin foil lined with parchment and mold into about a 5 inch log. Wrap dough in tin foil, like a tootsie roll. Don’t worry too much about shaping it, it will snap into shape while it’s steaming because this recipe is awesome. Trim the edges of the parchment if needed.
- Place wrapped sausages in steamer and steam for 40 minutes. Let cool before using. See serving suggestions above.
This looks great! Just an obvious but probably helpful clarification – the beans are already cooked, correct?
Yes, I updated the recipe to be clear. Thanks!
Since this isn’t my first seitan sausage–they are sooo easy and sooo good–the element of surprise will be gone, but I’m looking forward to it. (I was relieved when I saw “mash beans” as the first instruction, because canned beans are our friends.)
Ive made these a couple of times, the first time they came out perfect, but the second time, following the exact same recipe, they came out super mushy and flabby and not chewy. Do you know what might have gone wrong?
Interesting! Did you change the kind of gluten you were using or not cook them long enough? Or perhaps mismeasure something? Happens to the best of us, me too!
This is ok. When I cook the same dish for the same recipe it always taste and look differ
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If you need coursework just ask me “please write my coursework, jack”
I’ve made these lots of times and I always use different kinds of beans, delicious! I’ve noticed that if you use refried beans they come out floppier but still yummy.
I’ve done it with split peas…and chillies but yours are more red…yummy !
Anyone reading the comments for thoughts, go ahead and make these. I’ve made them out of Vegan Brunch and they were fantastic. The Husband said he could have been fooled, and was bowled over by their deliciousness.
Actually, just go ahead and try everything from this site, I’m pretty sure at this point you will not regret it. I haven’t.
Yes! I fricken love you!
This is really brilliant! I will have to make these one of these days. I love that you included the idea to sub tomato paste. Thanks, Isa! You’re a genius!
Such a funny coincidence: I just tried today your “smoky maple sausages” – my first trial of a home-made vegan sausage!
Thank you for sharing so many great recipes!
these look sooo good! I miss seitan after going gluten free..nothing is quite as good as a meat substitute. Maybe someday..:)
okay one question-would this *possibly* work with TVP instead of VWG? Just wondering if anyone has tried it..
No, it won’t. But there’s some discussion on the PPK Facebook about gluten-free possibilities. Mentioned so far: a recipe in Gluten Free Vegan Cooking For Dummies and this: http://www.wellsphere.com/healthy-cooking-article/gluten-free-gluten/472515 I personally have not tried either so I can’t vouch for it, but let us know if you do try it!
I’ve been making these (or a very similar kind of sausage) from this post here: http://www.theppk.com/2008/02/on-sausages-and-community/ for a few years. They’re terrific!
I’m eager to try these but have a question about the steaming apparatus. Will a veggies steamer do the trick? I can’t imagine how to set it up with enough water to boil for 40 minutes and not get the sausages wet. What am I missing?
thank you!
I’m not sure what your definition of a veggie steamer is (maybe post a pic or a link?), but I use a metal steamer in an 8 quart pan, so there’s plenty of room. But if yours is smaller and the water will evaporate, just keep a close eye and add more already hot water as needed. You can also use a large pot with a colander and lid. (Wrap the sides in tin foil if needed.)
thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!
Perhaps this is a silly question. Can one fry the sausages after steaming so they are like normal sausages?
Yep, I most often grill or saute them. They’re even better that way!
@Brighde, yes! Pan-fried in some olive oil is how they’re at their most delicious, in my opinion.
I feel the way about homemade veggie sausages as I assume most parents feel about their children: I’m so very proud of them, and can’t wait to eat them.
[…] Read the recipe, see the photo. and add your comment online at http://www.theppk.com/2012/01/vegan_sausage/ […]
I have these steaming in the pressure cooker right now, my hands smell like fennel and oregano. I’ve never worked with vital wheat gluten, it sure has a strange texture.
Do you have a chicken apple version for this recipe?
You say to prepare your steaming apparatus… because it is not good for it to sit before steaming? or because you’re hungry and wanna eat in a hurry?
First veg. sausages evah, and the man isn’t convinced, so I don’t want to mess this up ;op
Oh, I meant to ask too: would this freeze well?
How would these come out made without the nutritional yeast? Where I live it’s hard to come by and I don’t have any.
I’ve made these before, but I’d really like to use something (healthier and more natural) other than aluminium foil. Any suggestions?
My first seitan sausage trials came by way of PPK and Julie H, and I’ve never had a fail. Every time I’ve made seitan with a recipe like this (with these general proportions), it has come out great. But confesh- I use olive oil AND tomato paste, so that kinda blows the low fat trick all to hell. Nevertheless, this is a foundation recipe, sorta like grammy’s spaghetti sauce.
This looks great! I’d much rather make my own veggie sausages instead of relying on store-bought versions. Thanks for posting this – I can’t wait to make them!
I have made lots of variations of your veg sausages and have never been disappointed!!!!!!!!!! They are, as we say in Vermont, FREAKIN’ YUMALICIOUS!!!!! OK, not everyone in Vermont says that…but I surely do!
I love these and make them all the time. Have you ever frozen them? I’d love to make them in bulk and have them always on hand. They’re so good!
It’s funny that you put these up because I just made them last week. I’ve been eating the heck out of them they are so good! I also made navy bean gravy with the left over beans and some crepes and sauteed the sausages with some garlic, onion, and chard. It was uber delicious!
The Julie Hasson original recipe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wmNlHOfSrA
There’s been a lot of talk on the PPK forums about different kinds of sausages (ex. andouille, bratwurst, etc.). I was wondering if the spice combinations are the only thing that changes.
Um. These are amazing. Truly. I’m never buying a vegan sausage again.
ummmmmmm is there something other then foil i can use al.transferrs into the food ./;]
If you ask nicely and without typos I will tell you.
lmao! is there an alternative to foil? maybe parchment paper or muslin or corn husk?
Tamale husks do work! I’ve used them in a pinch. They come out differently shaped, but they work. Parchment tied with string works, too, but the shapes can be erratic. If you’re just chopping it up, though, who cares?
I use 8-inch lengths of cheese cloth, tied off with kitchen string — it works great! Just be sure to spray or brush the cloth liberally with oil, especially the ends that will be directly touching the sausages.
Hello, thanks for al your amazing recipes Isa! I am in the UK and it is often hard to get ingredients for your recipes, sadly. For example I have never seen (and don’t really know what they are to be honest) these in my local shops:
Vital wheat gluten
Nutritional yeast
Can you name any alternatives? Or a UK name for these things?
Really want to make the stew with these sausages in. Thanks again! 🙂
Hi Beatrice,
I live in the UK and I buy those online. I suggest goodnessdirect.co.uk or veggiestuff.co.uk.
Nutritional yeast:
http://veggiestuff.co.uk/acatalog/marigold_engevita_yeast_flakes.html
Wheat gluten flour:
http://veggiestuff.co.uk/acatalog/vital-wheat-gluten-flour.html
Thanks for the info! I also want to add that there is a UK section on my message boards (just click forum up on top.) If you ever have ingredient questions, I bet you could find answers in there. I’ve never been to the UK so I am not fit to answer those questions, I would just be googling it.
That sausage looks delicious by the way – can’t wait to try it!
These look amazing! Has anyone ever tried steaming these in a pressure cooker? I’m wondering if it would work and how long it would take.
I make these all the time. In fact, I am making them as I type this. But every time I make them, all I can think is, “why do Isa’s look so perfect? Did she use some sort of vegan voodoo?” Mine always look crappy (pun intended).
Can these be made tiny like cocktail weenies? How long do you think i should steam them?? Thanks!
Yes! This looks delicious. However, I’m not a fan of nutritional yeast 🙁 does the flavor come through really strongly in the recipe or is there anything I could sub in? Thanks!
Thanks Terese and Isa 🙂 Much appreciated info.
Is there a way to sub a gluten free ingredient for the vital wheat gluten? :/
Can I ask a thick question? Can I used canned beans and count them as cooked (as canned are cooked in the can….. I’m having an awful day and so my brain is totally fried. Sorry!)
Yes, of course!
Thanks so much, I’m truly sorry for being such a dullard today!
I made a double batch Tuesday and we’ve been enjoying them in all sorts of dishes since- it was the first time I made vegan sausages and I am definitely not buying the overpriced and less tasty ones from the health food stores again! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe! And a gazillion others too… I can’t believe I never checked your site out before!?
Has anyone ever tried freezing these? Does it work? Would be great to be able to have a little stash in the freezer!
[…] recipe was for a simple seitan sausage that can be used in a variety of different ways/recipes. Usually I just wing it with the flavors in […]
I’m not a fan of nutritional yeast 🙁 does the flavor come through really strongly in the recipe or is there anything I could sub in? Thanks!
aaaaaaaaah! i wish i could tell you how grateful i am for this recipe. i made it the other night for the first time and it was amazing! so much so, that i made a double batch tonight (which came out perfect) to eat throughout the weekend. just the smell of these things cooking makes me giddy.
huge thanks! your recipes are undoubtably the backbone of my home cooked meals. <3
@Beatrice
You can also get gulten flour from here http://www.flourbin.com/cgi-bin/psProdSrch.cgi?search_text=&formCategory=Gluten+Powder
this is where I got my first lot from. Then I got some when I was on holiday in the USA.
Think I used the other link for my nutritional yeast – make sure you stock up for all the other delicious recipes you’ll need to make once you have it!!
Oh, make sure you make the bean balls too once you have your gluten flour 🙂
And I’d also know if these are still good if you freeze them. I’m a big fan of having a huge cooking session and filling the freezer up with goodies for later!
Yes, these are great to freeze. I like to make a big batch & have them there ‘just in case’. They go with loads of meals – pasta, breakfast, stirfrys, sandwiches – perfect emergency freezer food.