Stuffed Faux Turki Roast

Roast serves 8

This stuffed vegan turkey roast is the centerpiece your holiday table has been waiting for. A meaty blend of chickpeas and seitan, seasoned with thyme, rosemary and garlic — wrapped around a classic bread stuffing and baked until golden. It’s the little black dress of the serving platter. A classic stuffed vegan turkey roast that’s always in style, slices beautifully and holds its shape.

The flavors here are delicious but subtle; savory and smoky without being heavy-handed. So it pairs beautifully with any rich gravy, cranberry sauce, or whatever in-your-face sides you’ve got going on. And if you want to have some fun with the filling, you can totally add in some chopped vegan sausage, bacon, or nuts. It’s adaptable in that way that makes it work for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, or any old get together.

The method is pretty simple so don’t be deterred by the fanciness: you blend up a seitany-beany concoction for the turki meat, roll it out, place the stuffing down the middle and wrap it all up in tin foil. Then it bakes! Once it’s baked, you baste it with a little olive oil and veggie broth to infuse the skin with some flavor while also making it more tender — but still with some chew — and ready for that carving knife. Or just a regular knife, don’t be so dramatic.

Here it’s served with some roasted veggies and garnished with rosemary and parsley, but you do you, boo. This recipe is from my cookbook Fake Meat! You should probably buy it 🙂

Stuffed Vegan Turkey Roast FAQs

Can I make this vegan turkey roast ahead of time? Yes, and I highly recommend it. Make the whole thing, let it cool completely, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to serve, just do the final basting step — it’ll need closer to 20 minutes since it’s coming from the fridge. This is actually how a lot of people prefer to do it because it frees up your oven on the actual holiday.

Can I freeze the roast? You can! Wrap the baked and cooled roast tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before doing the final basting step. It holds up really well.

Can I use parchment paper instead of aluminum foil? You can wrap it in parchment first and then foil for structure. Parchment alone will work but the roast might come out a little lumpy since it won’t hold its shape as firmly. If you’re concerned about foil contact, the parchment-then-foil method is your best bet.

What kind of bread should I use for the stuffing? Plain white bread is what you want here. A simple Italian loaf or sandwich bread works great. You want it stale, so either leave it out overnight or cube it and bake at 350°F for about 5 minutes until it’s dry and slightly toasted. Don’t use fresh soft bread or you’ll end up with a gummy situation inside your beautiful roast.

What is aquafaba and what does the aquafaba do in this recipe? Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas, and here it acts as a binder. It helps hold the seitan together and gives the roast a smoother, more tender texture. Without it, the seitan can get too dense and rubbery. Since you’re already opening a can of chickpeas for the recipe, you’ve got it right there. Just don’t dump that liquid down the drain like you normally might.

Do I need a high-speed blender? For once, a regular blender works fine! You just might need to scrape down the sides a few times and blend a little longer. You want the chickpea mixture as smooth as possible.

What can I use instead of vital wheat gluten? Unfortunately, this one really does need the vital wheat gluten. That’s what gives it the meaty, sliceable texture. It’s a seitan-based roast at heart. If you’re gluten-free, this isn’t the recipe for you, but I’ve got other holiday mains that might work better. Let me know if you want a yuba roast! If enough people ask, I’ll post it.

How do I keep the stuffing from falling out? Make sure you’re leaving those 2 inches of space on each side when you lay down the filling, and keep the stuffing compact. really press it together with your hands before you roll. Pinch the seam and sides well. It doesn’t have to look perfect going in; it’ll snap into shape as it bakes.

What can I use instead of liquid smoke? Use smoked paprika, but not the spicy kind! Use about a tablespoon. It will add some peppery flavor and a little bit of a red hue, but neither of those is a bad thing. The important thing is it will add smoke.

How many people does this serve? It serves about 8 as a main, assuming you’ve got sides. If this is the only protein and your people are hungry, figure closer to 6.

Stuffed Faux Turki Roast

This stuffed vegan turkey roast is a showstopper! A savory blend of chickpeas and seitan wrapped around a classic herb bread stuffing, baked until golden and sliceable. Seasoned with thyme, rosemary and garlic, it's the perfect centerpiece for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any holiday table.

5 from 2 votes

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Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For stuffing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil divided
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 6 cups stale white bread in 1/2 inch cubes (see note in FAQ)
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the roast (starting with the ingredients that go in the blender)

• 3/4 cup canned chickpeas
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup aquafaba (juice from the cooked chickpea water)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon agave

Everything else for the roast:

• 2 cups vital wheat gluten
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

For basting:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth

Instructions

 

Prepare the stuffing.

• Preheat a large skillet over low heat. Saute garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil, just to warm through. Add rosemary and thyme.
• Scatter in bread cubes and drizzle with remaining olive oil, flipping to coat. Add broth, pepper and salt and toss again. It will be moist but still crunchy. Taste for salt. Let cook for about 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Prepare the roast.

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• In a blender, puree chickpeas, broth, aquafaba, salt, olive oil, liquid smoke, apple cider vinegar and agave. Get it as smooth as possible, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix together the wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, sage, onion powder, garlic powder and ground white pepper. Make a well in the center and add the blended mixture. Use gloved hands to knead for about 3 minutes.

Form roast.

• Prepare a piece of tin foil that is about 22 inches long (or big enough to wrap the turkey). Spray with cooking oil.
• On a clean surface, use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten the seitan into a roughly 12 x 10 rectangle.
• Place the filling in the lower 1/3 of the seitan rectangle, leaving about 2 inches of space on the left and right side. Make sure the filling is compact, use your hands to form it into a nice, tight bundle.

Now roll!

• Roll the bottom part of the seitan up and over the filling. Keep rolling until in it’s in a log shape. Pinch together the seam and the sides to seal. It doesn’t have to be perfect, things will snap into shape when baking.
• Place the roll in the center of the tinfoil and wrap up securely, twisting the ends of the tin foil. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for an hour and 20 minutes. Rotate the roll every 20 to 30 minutes for even cooking.
• Let cool a bit then unwrap. Lightly grease with a little olive oil. Place back on the baking sheet and spoon on vegetable broth. Place back in oven 15 minutes or so, to brown a little bit, basting with vegetable broth and turning about halfway through, to prevent drying out. If heating from refrigerated, it will be closer to 20 minutes, rotating often.
• Let cool a bit, slice and serve!

Keyword christmas, comfort food, Fake Meat, Recipe, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian

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