If you’re missing meat since you started eating more plants, I think you’ll love this recipe for Vegan Maple Breakfast Sausages. They’re not only delicious for breakfast but are great in sandwiches for lunch or cut up and added to pasta sauce for dinner.
Protein Rich
These vegan sausages are made with beans, lots of herbs and spices, and something you might not be familiar with… vital wheat gluten. Vital wheat gluten is the protein portion of whole wheat that has been separated from the carbs. When it’s made into a meat substitute, it’s called seitan (say-tan). Learn more about this versatile protein source in my article, Seiten: Protein-Packed Meat Alternative.
Three ounces of seitan has about 15 to 20 grams of protein so it’s right up there with meat and tofu. Of course, if you’re allergic to gluten, seitan is not for you.
Store-Bought Sausages
I’d caution you to refrain from buying store-bought sausages. While they can be quite delicious and perhaps a choice for someone transitioning to a whole-food, plant-based diet, they are high in calories and often made with oil.
Read more about vegan foods with hidden oils in my article, 9 Plant-Based Foods with Hidden Oils.
I do know of one sausage brand, No Evil Brand, that is made without oil, but otherwise, you’re better off making them yourself.
How to Make Vegan Sausages
This vegan maple breakfast sausage recipe comes together much like pancake batter and vital wheat gluten looks just like flour.
Once you’ve mixed the dry ingredients:
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Combine the wet ingredients in a blender and give it a whirl:
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup canned kidney beans
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon low sodium tamari
Then combine them together in a bowl and mix until just combined.
Shape the Sausages
Now comes the fun part. After dividing the batter into eight pieces (for larger sausages) or 16 pieces for breakfast-sized sausages, you’ll roll them between the palm of your hands into a log, wrapt them in parchment paper and foil, and cook.
The sausages will need to be cooked either in an Instant Pot or steamed on the stovetop. Of course, the Instant Pot is much faster but both methods work quite well.
Enjoy these Maple Breakfast Sausages for breakfast, in your sandwiches, or for dinner.
I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Vegan Maple Breakfast Sausages! If you have a photo, post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking
Vegan Maple Breakfast Sausages
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Wet Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup canned kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
- To a blender or food processor, add the beans, vegetable broth, maple syrup, and soy sauce, and blend until almost smooth, leaving a few larger bits.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. It doesn’t have to be perfectly mixed because you’ll knead the dough in the bowl with your hand until it picks up all of the flour and forms a ball. Once it’s formed a ball, knead the dough on a cutting board for a few seconds with a little flour if it's too sticky. The more you knead, the tougher they’ll get so only knead the ball for a few seconds.
- Divide the dough into quarters and then half those again to get 8 pieces. Roll each into a sausage link, about 3/4’ x 5”.
- Cut parchment pieces and foil about 2 inches larger than one sausage. Loosely wrap each sausage in parchment-covered foil and twist the ends.
Cooking Methods:
- Instant Pot: Place 1 cup of water and the trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Stack the wrapped sausages on top of the trivet, secure the lid, and set to seal. Cook on manual high pressure for 17 minutes. Quick-release the pressure and check one sausage for doneness. The center will feel firm if done. If not, place back into the Instant Pot or steamer basket and cook another 2-3 minutes. NOTE: cooking time may be shorter for smaller sausages.
- Stovetop Steamer Basket: Steam the sausages over a small amount of water for 45 minutes over medium heat.
- To check for doneness, the center of the sausages will feel firm if done. If not, place them back into the Instant Pot or steamer basket and cook another 2-3 minutes
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