Vegan Italian sausage is easy to make using vital wheat gluten and a few pantry staples! They're budget-friendly, filled with savory and herby flavors, and are the perfect way to add protein to meatless meals.
I'll be the first to admit that I love buying meat alternatives at the grocery store because they're so convenient, but I've recently switched to making homemade vegan Italian sausage as I try to cut back on my grocery bill.
I think you'll be surprised by how easy it is to make this Italian sausage at home. I was shocked by how quickly my vegan breakfast sausages came together, and these Italian sausages use a different method but are equally easy to make.
This is seitan sausage, which means vital wheat gluten. Unfortunately, that means this recipe is unsuitable for those with a gluten intolerance or allergy, as it is a necessary ingredient for making the sausages.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Italian seasoning blend: The seasoning used in my meatless Italian sausage is inspired by its meat counterpart. I'm talking fennel, parsley, rosemary, garlic. The best part? The spices are bloomed in oil, so they are more flavorful than if you were to simply just add them to the vital wheat gluten.
- Sliceable, grillable, roastable: I mean, what can't they do? But really, the sausage links have a fantastic chewy texture without being too dense, they slice well and are a great addition to one pot vegetarian spaghetti, served on a bun, or in this stuffed spaghetti squash.
- Use in place of storebought: The purpose of this recipe is to have a more affordable, versatile, and flavorful vegan sausage option than storebought. The sausages freeze well, so you can make this recipe in bulk.
- Protein-packed: Seitan is a great source of vegetarian protein. Just one of these sausages has 30 grams of protein!
Ingredients
- Vital wheat gluten: This is the brand that I use, and this is the main ingredient in seitan. In short, vital wheat gluten is processed wheat.
- Nutritional yeast: Adds depth and also acts as a dry ingredient that helps hold the sausage together. An equal amount of chickpea flour works in place of nutritional yeast, as needed.
- Vegetable bouillon: I use Better than Bouillon vegetable base and dissolve it in hot water per the container instructions. An equal amount of vegetable broth in place of the water and bouillon works.
- Coconut oil: I like that coconut oil solidifies at room temp, giving the sausage a (only very slightly) more realistic fattiness in comparison to liquid oils. However, canola or olive oil also works.
- Tomato paste: Contributes color and flavor. I made this recipe without tomato paste a few times and it turned out fine, so it's not going to ruin the sausage if you don't have it.
- Soy sauce: Adds umami and depth of flavor.
- Italian seasonings: Dry parsley, rosemary, basil, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, and Aleppo pepper flakes. The Aleppo pepper flakes are optional but recommended, as they only add a subtle amount of spice. An equal amount of standard red pepper flakes also works.
- Fennel seeds: (not pictured) This is a very important ingredient for that traditional sausage flavor. Don't omit it unless you just don't like the flavor.
- Maggi seasoning: This is an instant umami sauce. It's optional, but you should be able to find it in the International aisle at most grocery stores.
How to make the sausage dough
Before you begin: I'm all about making recipes your own and straying from recipe instructions, but this is one of the few recipes on my blog that requires you to follow the instructions closely. It's not a difficult recipe, but vital wheat gluten does require some particular steps to turn out the best way possible.
- Start by blooming the herbs. Heat a small skillet with coconut oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the herbs, red pepper flakes, and fennel. Toast for just a minute or so, stirring frequently, until aromatic. The oil will turn red from the pepper flakes. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
- In another bowl whisk together the vegetable bouillon and hot water to form vegetable broth. Whisk in the tomato paste, soy sauce, and optional Maggi seasoning.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir in the herbs and oil from the pan. Use a large spoon to stir until mostly combined. Turn the dough out onto a clean, dry surface. Knead for just 2 minutes, folding and punching it as you would with bread. The dough should be easy to work. If it's too dry, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable broth at a time. If it's too wet, add additional nutritional yeast or chickpea flour.
How to cook the sausage
- Divide the dough into 6 equally sized balls. A kitchen scale works well for this part. Roll each ball into a sausage shape.
- Transfer to the center of a piece of foil or parchment paper-lined foil. Roll the sausage link in the foil, careful not to roll it too tightly because the sausage needs room to expand. Twist the edges closed.
- Transfer the sausage to a steamer basket over very gently simmering water. Only a few bubbles should be popping at a time. Don't boil the water! It's okay if there isn't enough room to lay the sausages down, they can be piled on top of each other. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the steamer basket and unwrap. At this point the sausage is edible but I recommend pan-frying it to add a crisp texture. Either slice the sausage or pan-fry the entire link.
Tips and variations
- Chorizo-style seasonings: Use the dry spice seasonings from my tofu chorizo crumbles in place of the Italian seasonings to make chorizo-inspired vegan sausage.
- Make-shift steamer basket: If you don't have a steamer basket, simply fit a large fine-mesh strainer onto a pot with the same diameter. Cover with the pot lid. The lid should keep the steam in, but the strainer shouldn't be touching the simmering water.
- Don't overknead the seitan! Set a timer for 2 minutes and gently knead the dough as you would bread dough. Unlike bread dough, the seitan will not be perfectly smooth and stretchable.
- Use a bench scraper when slicing the dough. If using parchment paper, use the bench scraper to push the sausages into the correct shape in the parchment paper. Otherwise, just use your hands.
- Don't worry too much about making the perfect sausage shape. The seitan will increase in size a bit as it steams and will mold to the shape of the foil.
- If the dough is too dry and not holding together, add just 1 tablespoon of vegetable broth at a time until it becomes easier to work with.
FAQ
No, this recipe only works with vital wheat gluten.
I haven't found a better solution than foil. I know that some people like to wrap the sausage in parchment paper and then foil, but this is not required unless you are concerned about potentially absorbing small amounts of aluminum. I tested this recipe with only foil and with foil and parchment paper together and found no differences in overall quality.
Yes, the sausages do have to be steamed. This is for a few reasons:
1. Moistens the sausage and prevents it from drying out
2. Cooks the vital wheat gluten
3. Helps with the shape and texture
Wait no more than 24 hours to steam the sausages, as the dough dries out in the fridge over time. I recommend wrapping the uncooked sausages in foil and then refrigerating, as the dough is more difficult to work with after refrigerating.
This happened to me once during testing and it's because the water was boiling instead of steaming. Vital wheat gluten can be a bit finicky, so it's really important to make sure the water is very gently steaming. Only a few bubbles should be popping on the surface of the water at a time.
When this happens to the sausages, they're still edible, just not top quality. I recommend slicing or chopping them up and pan-frying them to brown.
This is another situation that I encountered while learning to make seitan. Typically this happens because the water was simmering too gently and the sausage is simply undercooked. Finicky, I know. Just keep cooking another 10-15 minutes, or until it is firmer.
Storage tips
- I recommend storing the sausage without the foil wrapping. I usually put them in a plastic bag or another type of storage container.
- After steaming, the sausages keep well for 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
- These vegan sausages freeze well either sliced or as full sausages. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge before pan-frying or roasting.
Looking for similar recipes?
I have a lot of recipes that use veggie sausage. Try using this sausage in place of the storebought kind in this Vegan Pasta Bake, Cheesy White Beans and Kale, or Sheet Pan Baked Gnocchi.
Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating in the recipe card or a review in the comments below. Or check out my cookbook and keep up to date with my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or newsletter!
Recipe
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Vegan Italian Sausages
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil canola or olive oil also work
- 1 ½ teaspoons dry parsley
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon each dry rosemary, basil, and oregano
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes or standard red pepper flakes; optional
- 2 cups vital wheat gluten
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon vegetable base *omit if using vegetable broth*
- 1 ¼ cup hot water *or vegetable broth*
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons Maggi seasoning optional; see note
Instructions
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the coconut oil. Once hot and melted, add the parsley, fennel, rosemary, basil, oregano, and Aleppo pepper flakes. Toast for just a minute or so, stirring frequently, until aromatic. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt.
- In another bowl whisk together the vegetable bouillon and hot water to form vegetable broth. Whisk in the tomato paste, soy sauce, and optional Maggi seasoning.
- Pour the liquid ingredients, herbs, and oil from the pan into the dry ingredients. Use a large spoon to stir until mostly combined. Turn the dough out onto a clean, dry surface.
- Knead for just 2 minutes, folding and punching it as you would while kneading bread. The dough should be easy to work. If it's too dry, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable broth at a time. If it's too wet, add additional nutritional yeast or chickpea flour.
- Use a knife or bench scraper to slice the dough into 6 equally sized balls. Roll and fold each ball into a tube shaped like a sausage, then transfer to the edge of a piece of foil. Roll the sausage link in the foil, careful not to roll it too tightly. Twist the edges closed.
- Place a steamer over gently simmering water. Just a few bubbles should be popping at a time. Do not boil the water. Transfer the sausages to the steamer basket and cover with a lid. It's okay if there isn't enough room to lay the sausages down, they can be piled on top of each other.
- Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the sausages are firm to touch. Remove from the steamer basket and unwrap. Cook per preference.
Cooking Methods
- To saute: Saute whole sausages or sliced sausages in a hot pan over medium heat. Flip or rotate when golden and crisp.
- To roast: The sausages dry out quickly in the oven, so keep an eye on them when roasting. I recommend 375F for just 15 to 20 minutes, but they can tolerate higher heats for a shorter period of time.
- To grill: Use a cast iron grill pan or an outdoor grill to add sear marks to sear.
Video
Notes
- Vital wheat gluten: This is a processed form of wheat. It cannot be omitted and the amounts should not be adjusted, as it is the key ingredient in seitan.
- Nutritional yeast: An equal amount of chickpea flour can be used in place of nutritional yeast, as needed.
- Seasonings: Feel free to adjust seasonings to taste. Note that fennel is a significant flavor in most sausage seasonings, so only omit it if you don't like the flavor.
- The sausages can be wrapped in parchment paper and then aluminum if you prefer not to have aluminum directly touching the food while cooking.
- Storage tips:
- I recommend storing the sausage without the foil wrapping. I usually put them in a plastic bag or another type of storage container.
- After steaming, the sausages keep well for 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
- These vegan sausages freeze well either sliced or as full sausages.
- Wait no more than 24 hours to steam the sausages after assembling the dough, as the dough dries out in the fridge over time. I recommend wrapping the sausages in foil and then refrigerating, as the dough is more difficult to work with after refrigerating.
Jerilynae M Pointer says
I tried this and they came out amazing! Thank you 😊
Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD says
So happy to hear it! Thanks for the review!
Victor Baisley says
Awesome recipe, delicious sausages
Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD says
Awesome, thanks for the review!