This vegan beefy seitan roast is easy but a little labour intensive…
it’s totally worth the hassle.
This super delicious yet totally vegan, beefy seitan roast is my new go-to for the holidays! Tender, chewy, savoury with tons of flavour, this badboy has been tried and tested on my Thanksgiving spread and was received with gusto and enthusiasm! I had always been intimidated by seitan, but after getting to know this one particular recipe from Seitan and Beyond (affiliate link), I started to get more comfortable with playing around with seitan. I still have yet to try some others that use beans or chickpea flour, or perfect my blended tofu + gluten roast, but I’m happy to report that this one has been pretty foolproof!
The thing with seitan is that the longer you cook it, the chewier it gets. Cook it for too long though, you’ll reach a point where you’re chewing rubber. Don’t go that far. I cooked mine for 45 minutes in the oven, then about an hour on the stove (I’ve also done it for 45 minutes and it turned out just fine), and it came out to this tender, chewy, but not overly so, roast that slices like meat. It fulfills that savoury craving, that triumphant feeling of cooking your first complicated entree for a family feast. That Ah ha! moment when you realize that cooking for eight isn’t as hard or stressful as you thought it might be.
At least, for me it wasn’t. For some that might sound rather awful but cooking for friends and family gives me this unexpected high that keeps me coming back for more. A little jolt that goes down to my toes that reminds me that I have purpose. Is that sad? That I find purpose in feeding my friends and family? It seems so basic and rudimentary, but it fills me with satisfaction all the same.
If you’re more of a visual learner, check out how I made this recipe (and got a little more disheveled with each hour that passed) from my YouTube video:
Happy holidays and stay tuned for my super simple and easy stuffing recipe :)
Recipe adapted from Chef Skye Michael Conroy’s Seitan and Beyond (affiliate link)
Vegan Beefy Seitan Roast
Ingredients
For the seitan
- 3 cups (750 mL) vital wheat gluten
- 1 tsp (5 mL) ground white pepper
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) onion powder
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) garlic powder
- 1 tsp (5 mL) dried rubbed rosemary
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh rubbed thyme (or 1 tsp dried rubbed thyme)
- 2 1/4 cups (560 mL) water + 2 tbsp mushroom broth powder (or 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth)
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) tamari
- 1 tsp (5 mL) marmite
- 2 tsp (5 mL) vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp (10 mL) blackstrap molasses
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) oil
For the simmering broth
- 10 cups (2.5 L) water
- 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
- 2 medium parsnips, roughly chopped
- 2 medium-large carrots, roughly chopped
- 3 ribs celery, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) tamari
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) blackstrap molasses
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) mushroom broth powder
- 1 tsp (5 mL) black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) nutritional yeast
For the gravy
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch PER 1 cup (250 mL) of liquid (I used about 3 tbsp in the end)
Instructions
For the seitan:
- Preheat oven to 325F (or 300F if your oven runs hot like mine does)
- In a large bowl, combine gluten, white pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, rosemary and thyme and stir to combine.
- In another bowl, combine water, mushroom broth powder, tamari, marmite, worchestershire sauce, blackstrap molasses and oil and stir to combine.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir until a wet dough forms.
- Turn onto a clean surface and knead aggressively (I basically punched it multiple times) for about 5-10 minutes until it stretches before it tears apart.
- Roll the dough into a log, tucking in the edges as best as you can. Try to shape it so it will fit inside your simmering pot. Place on a lined, thick-bottomed baking sheet, seam down. Bake for 45-50 minutes until bottom is golden.
For the simmering broth:
- Combine all ingredients in a pot and simmer, covered for 45 minutes. Once 45 min have passed, skim the larger veggies from the broth and add the baked seitan. Cook for 45+ minutes (you can cook for up to 1 1/2 hours) on a very low simmer. Not so low that it's just hot water, but a low, steady simmer with bubbles barely breaking the surface.
To finish the seitan roast:
- Once cooked, remove the seitan and chill, with 1 cup of broth for 6-8 hours for optimal meaty texture. BUT if you just want to continue cooking to serve, instead place seitan on a baking dish with 1 cup of broth and braise/baste at 325F for 15-20 minutes (30-25 minutes if you're braising a chilled roast) until a light crust forms. Ensure you're basting every 5-10 minutes or so to keep the roast tender and moist.
- Remove from oven and slice to serve.
For the gravy:
- Meanwhile, use the strained simmering broth and add 1 tbsp cornstarch per 1 cup of liquid.
- Cook on medium heat until thickened. Serve gravy with the thinly sliced seitan!
Jennifer Bliss says
I need to get into Seitan more. It’s not that I don’t like it – it’s just that I don’t have it a lot
Lisa Le says
It’s so great! Ever since I started making it I can’t stop haha. It’s almost always better than storebought XD
Sarah says
What can I use in place of the mushroom broth powder – I have a mushroom allergy. A not beef bouillon cube perhaps?
Thanks!
Lisa Le says
That would work wonderfully! It might be best to dissolve it into the water first :)
Kylie says
I’m excited to make this for Thanksgiving!! Can the marmite be substituted or omitted though? I have no access to it. Could a tsp of miso possibly work as a substitution?
Lisa Le says
Miso would work just fine!
Sebastian Bach says
Great guidance! I like Vegan Beefy Seitan Roast very much. I will give this idea to my mom to make it on the special occasion.
Birdy says
Is it bad that I forgot the oil :(? Should I start over?
Lisa Le says
Hmmm I think it should be okay. If you can try and mix it in a little towards the end? I think I forgot the oil once and it was still okay haha. I tried mixing it in after and I just mostly ended up coating it in oil but it tastes good in the end!
Maren says
I’d love to make that for Christmas, but I work with the metric system D: do you know a good source for converting imperial to metric? Or maybe you could attempt to convert the numbers yourself? pretty pleeaaase!
Lisa Le says
I’ve added the volume metric measurements but I don’t have it weighted, sorry! The next time I make it I’ll weigh it for the recipe :)
Maren says
Thank you so so much! I’m very excited to try this out :)
Robert J Wasserman says
I got an app called Units Plus and I find it incredibly useful. There’s a free version called “Unit Converter FREE” and i think it’s available for both systems.
Carla Patterson says
Wow, so tasty and vegan on top of everything. Seems like I have found by accident a favorite recipe of mine – amazing blog. Thanks a lot, I will definitely follow you!
Anne Thomas says
Planning to make this for a family birthday party for my son, who has requested roast beef His brother and wife are vegan so I will make this for them. My question is can I make it the day before? My oven will be full on the day with the beef roast etc. so it would be best if I can make this the day before and reheat on the day.
Lisa Le says
Hi! Sorry if this is a late response, but yes, once you hit step 8, you can chill overnight and finish the rest the following day, but just make sure you store the seitan in a bag or container and cover it with the broth. Then continue with the rest of the recipe the next day :)
Greg says
I made this a few days ago as a test run for the holidays, and it was delicious!!! Lots of flavor, and love how it’s a big main dish. Thanks for posting it!
Greg Kraatz says
Can it be made the day before, and cooked the day needed
Lisa Le says
Yep, steps 1-8 are generally done the day before :)
Brenda Baggins says
I hope mine works out, i live in Belgium and we don’t have stuff like Marmite and worchestershire sauce and stuff, i just put in some paprika and poultry seasoning, and i forgot i had miso paste at home, so next time i am gonna use that :( it’s the first time i make seitan so i hope it works out! also, i run out of soy sauce so i skipped that too omg *cries*
Lisa Le says
Meep you skipped almost all the things that give it meaty flavour!! Hahaha. I hope it still works out for you. Marmite and Worchestershire sauce are both British ingredients, so it shouldn’t be that hard to find in Belgium!!
Lori says
I don’t have access to Marmite or Vegan Worchestershire sauce – what do you recommend? and in what quantity? I am not a vegan, but my daughter is a strict vegan – and feminist(i’m a feminist too) – but I do eat less meat than most! thanks!
Lisa Le says
You could sub with equal amounts of miso paste (red miso would be best but any miso should do), and sub soy sauce for the worchestershire sauce. It won’t be exactly the same but you’ll still have some savoury flavour to it :)
Maddie says
Hey Lisa! Do you have any tips for how to add stuffing to the center of this roast? There are lots of recipes out there where people stuff their seitan roasts with veggies, but I’m looking for more of the traditional bread stuffing style. Would you say a drier or more moist filling would work best, and would it alter the bake time? Thanks!
Lisa Le says
I think a generally more moist one might work, just gotta seal up the roast well. I think you might want to half the seitan recipe in that case, and bake for 20 min, then boil for 20-30 min after that :) I’ll have to test it for next year myself but those are just my general impressions.
Joe says
for those who aren’t familiar and are searching for that ingredient listed above, it’s spelled wrong in this recipe. It’s Worcestershire, not worchestershire. Secondly, check the ingredients. Worcestershire is often made with anchovies :( so not very vegan. There are vegan versions available.
Lisa Le says
Ah thanks for pointing out the spelling mistake. I used a vegan worcestershire sauce and I explained that in the video (IIRC), but I’ll put an extra note in the recipe.
Anastasia Bickel says
Hi Lisa,
We made this for Xmas with stuffing and gravy. It was amazing! And then today for Boxing Day, we made Mongolian Beef with the leftovers. It was even better the next day. Such a versatile fake meat. Thank you and happy holidays!
Chris says
What is the mushroom broth powder? At least you could have explained it or linked to an example.
Lisa Le says
It’s an ingredient I use a lot in my recipes. It’s a flavour enhancer, common in a lot of Vietnamese dishes. Its like granulated bouillon, I believe I explain it in the video.
Rabinder Ramachandra says
I hope mine works out, i live in Belgium and we don’t have stuff like Marmite and worchestershire sauce and stuff, i just put in some paprika and poultry seasoning, and i forgot i had miso paste at home, so next time i am gonna use that :( it’s the first time i make seitan so i hope it works out! also, i run out of soy sauce so i skipped that too omg
Lisa Le says
Oh boy that’s a lot of substitutions lol. How did it turn out?
Giselle says
We really liked this recipe. Could you freeze this? And if so at what time would be the best?