Perfect Vegan Roast | Seitan
This tender seitan-based Vegan Roast is surprisingly simple to make and perfect for dinner and even special occasions like parties and holiday meals.
You may be thinking that an amazing vegan dinner entree like this one will take lots of steps and hours in the kitchen, but that’s just not true in this instance. It’s perfect for Holiday Meals.
Whether you serve it with roasted potatoes and other veggies or slather it with generous portions of vegan brown gravy, everyone in the family is going to love this hearty dish.
You’ll love this vegan roast because it’s…
- Surprisingly filling
- Smokey
- Herby
- Perfect with gravy or veggies
- Great vegan holiday recipe
- Insanely satisfying
What is seitan?
Seitan is becoming more and more popular in vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based communities as a meat substitute. It has a look and texture amazingly similar to cooked meat.
Seitan is loaded with fiber and protein. It is not made from soy–unlike tofu and tempeh. It is made from wheat and is also known as wheat meat, which means it is obviously not gluten-free.
How to make seitan vegan roast
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
Even though this seems like it would be a difficult recipe to make, it truly isn’t hard at all. You are really going to be pleasantly surprised!
Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a large mixing bowl, add the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, garlic and onion powder, sage, rosemary, thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Whisk together well and set to the side.
Next, add the beans, garlic cloves, soy sauce, veggie broth, and liquid smoke to a blender or food processor and blend well.
My favorite blender is the Vitamix 5200 because it is so powerful, it can blend anything. I actually own two of them because I use them in the Food for Life classes I teach for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
For the beans, I like to use white beans like Great Northern or cannellini beans. Pinto beans are another great option.
Add the bean mixture that has been blended to the larger bowl with the dry ingredients and stir well to combine. Once it’s mixed as well as you can get with a spoon, it is time to get your hands into it and begin kneading.
If it seems a little too dry, it’s okay to add a splash of veggie broth. Knead for about 3 minutes or so. The longer you knead it, the chewier the finished product will be.
Form the dough into a log that is about the size of a roast, around 10 inches by 5 inches.
Place it on the parchment paper and roll it up tightly and tuck the ends underneath.
Next, take the log that is in parchment paper and wrap it up in foil to help hold in the moisture. Tuck the foil ends under as well.
Place the vegan roast on a baking sheet or pan and pop it into the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 1 hour, flipping it every 20 minutes to ensure that it cooks well on all sides.
Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
What to serve with vegan roast
Great add-ons are roasted potatoes, carrots, and other veggies, as well as steamed green peas. My 10-Minute Brown Gravy is excellent with this seitan roast as well. If you need more inspiration, check out this list of Vegetable Side Dishes.
Roasting potatoes and carrots
To roast the potatoes and carrots, I simply dice them up and steam them in a microwave-safe dish for 7-minutes.
Once they are slightly tender, place them in a nonstick baking dish and add seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Bake in the oven at 400°F for approximately 30-minutes, stirring around the 15-minute mark. Cook until golden brown.
Your Questions Answered:
- Q: Is there a way to make this roast gluten-free? This particular recipe can’t be made gluten-free since its main ingredient is vital wheat gluten. However, another great option is my Vegan Meatloaf which has gluten-free options.
- Q: Is seitan tasty? It completely depends on the seasonings used to make it. Without spices, it’s completely bland but, with some soy sauce and herbs, the flavor is savory and delicious.
- Q: What beans can I use in this recipe? I use white beans like cannellini or great northern beans. Pintos are also a great option. Just make sure to drain and rinse them if they are from a can.
- Q: How long does this roast last? It should be good in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. It also freezes well.
Other great vegan dinner recipes
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Perfect Vegan Roast
Ingredients
- 2 cups vital wheat gluten
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt & pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup cooked beans navy, great northern, cannellini, pintos
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3-4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1.5 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large mixing bowl, add the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, garlic and onion powder, sage, rosemary, thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Whisk together well and set to the side.
- Next, add the beans, garlic cloves, soy sauce, veggie broth, and liquid smoke to a blender or food processor and blend well.
- For the beans, I like to use white beans like Great Northern or cannellini beans. Pinto beans are another great option.
- Add the bean mixture that has been blended to the larger bowl with the dry ingredients and stir well to combine. Once it’s mixed as well as you can get with a spoon, it is time to get your hands into it and begin kneading. If it seems a little too dry, it’s okay to add a splash of veggie broth. Knead for about 3 minutes or so. The longer you knead it, the chewier the finished product will be.
- Form the dough into a log that is about the size of a roast, around 10 inches by 5 inches.
- Place it on the parchment paper and roll up tightly and tuck the ends underneath. Photos above to help you visualize.
- Next, take the log that is in parchment paper and wrap it up in foil to help hold in the moisture. Tuck the foil ends under as well.
- Place the vegan roast on a baking sheet or pan and pop it into the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 1 hour, flipping it every 20 minutes to ensure that it cooks well on all sides.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
- Q: Is there a way to make this roast gluten-free? This particular recipe can’t be made gluten-free since its main ingredient is vital wheat gluten. However, another great option is my Vegan Meatloaf which has gluten-free options.
- Q: Is seitan tasty? It completely depends on the seasonings used to make it. Without spices, it’s completely bland but, with some soy sauce and herbs, the flavor is savory and delicious.
- Q: What beans can I use in this recipe? I use white beans like cannellini or great northern beans. Pintos are also a great option. Just make sure to drain and rinse them if they are from a can.
- Q: How long does this roast last? It should be good in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. It also freezes well.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
Would this work with oats? My son is gluten intolerant.
Hi Cora- Unfortunately, oats wouldn’t work for this recipe. The vital wheat gluten has special properties that make it firm and chewy when baked. I do have some other great main dish recipes for the holidays in this list though https://eatplant-based.com/vegan-thanksgiving-recipes/
I have this is the oven right now!! Giving it a test run to decide if I make it for next week?? Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Heidi- I hope you’ll love it! And, great idea to do a test run. 🙂
When you say “ the more you knead the chewier it gets”. Do you want it to be chewy? Or do you recommend less kneading?
I did make. Unfortunately I can’t see where to post a picture. It was good. Thanks for recipe
Hi Karen- Just a few minutes of kneading is all that it needs. I have found that the more I knead it, the tougher it gets. So glad that you enjoyed the roast!
I’ve tried it and it looks exactly like yours. I didn’t make the oven roasted potatoes but I can imagine they would complement the roast very well! I’ll try it next time! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Hi Sabina- Yay! I’m so glad that it turned out well for you. You’re right about the potatoes being a great compliment, so definitely try those next time. Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Can you freeze the roast before baking? or after?
Hi Joy- This roast can be frozen after it is baked. I’ve done it before, and it does just fine.
@Terri Edwards,
Hi – just wondering how you reheated it after freezing? I plan to make it and freeze whole after baking.
Hi Vanessa- That’s a good question! I would let it thaw in the refrigerator after removing it from the freezer and then reheat it in the oven or microwave. To help hold in the moisture when reheating, I would use an oven-safe dish (on 350°F) or microwave-safe dish with a lid.
It turned out great. Mine was quite wet (I measured carefully) but not too wet to knead. I added a little more of the dry spices and some powdered mushrooms. The final roast looked just like the picture and is very yummy.
How long would you bake this if you doubled the recipe?
Hi Aj- I haven’t tried doubling the recipe before, so I can’t say for sure. I almost wonder if it might not be better to make 2 loaves.
I want to know, if this can be made ahead of time, wrapped in Parchment paper and foil than frozen?
Hi Debbie- Yes, this can be made ahead and frozen. It actually freezes well.
Well written and easy to follow – I used drained G Northern beans. Kneaded 3 or more minutes. The roll was about 10″ long 3″ (not 5″ as stated in recipe) in diameter. I think it could have baked at least another 30 minutes as the inside is still too doughy for my taste – I was hoping for a firmer texture. I think I’ll try it again with less beans and a longer cooking time – might go with 375 degrees instead of 350.