Pre-made seitan in the stores can cost a lot, so here is my easy homemade seitan recipe. This seitan is tasty, has a lot of texture and is fairly simple to make.
If you’re totally new to seitan, then you can read up on it here. This article explains it in detail.
I didn’t know how seitan was supposed to taste. The first seitan I tasted was the one I made myself after watching a video on Youtube. And let me tell you, getting seitan right takes practice. Trust me, I’ve failed a lot of times.
Now, however, I’ve found one of the many ways to cook seitan that works for me, and it comes out right every time. The best thing is that seitan is so versatile, you can use it in soups, stews, curries, etc. You can flavor it however you want to.
This seitan has:
- a lot of flavor (savory, earthy)
- a roast-like texture
- a meat-like feel
The key to getting it right
The key to getting it right the first time is kneading and simmering. The first time I made this, I did not know that, so I barely did any kneading and let it sit in boiling water. The result was something that made me want to give up on seitan. It was like hard rubber blob, not at all what I was expecting.
Although, I ended up running the whole thing through my kitchen machine and got a “minced meat” kind of thing. I later fried that mixture on a pan on high heat and used in dumplings, which turned out great! Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it right the first time, you can still use it in some way. Try it in dumplings or as a taco filling for example.
Kneading creates the texture, finding the balance is key. Kneading less will result in a softer texture, and kneading more will result in a firm, chewy texture.
You’ll know when you get it right, though. You’ll be amazed at how good that tastes and you’ll think about how you could potentially make money by opening your own vegan restaurant. I highly recommend keeping the broth as well. If you reduce this broth to a sauce, it will blow your mind. It is super tasty and goes so well together with mashed potatoes and pan fried seitan with garlic and salt.
If you have some leftover seitan then you can check out this Japanese Curry recipe with breaded seitan.
Store your seitan in the broth in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 6 months.
I really hope you like this recipe and it comes out right for you, just remember the two key things: kneading and simmering!
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment below, share it, rate it or tag a picture @chill_itsvegan on Instagram and hashtag it #chill_itsvegan. We’d love to see what you cook!
Easy Homemade Seitan
Ingredients
Seitan
- 250 grams vital wheat gluten
- 1/2 tsp quick rise yeast
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp mushroom powder run dried Chinese mushrooms through a blender
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 5 tbsp tomato sauce/canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp olive oil
Broth
- 1,5 litre water
- 50 ml soy sauce
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp sage
- 4 garlic gloves, whole
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Seitan
- In a larger bowl, start by adding all the dry ingredients, saving some vital wheat gluten for kneading later. Then add in the soy sauce, olive oil and the tomato sauce.
- Use a spoon to mix all the ingredients together. Once a rough dough has formed, start kneading by hand. This helps the gluten to develop. Knead for at least 10-15 minutes using some extra vital wheat gluten, if needed.
- Once you’re done kneading, roll it on a table with your hands, later shaping it into a ball. After that let it rest in a bowl for 20-30 minutes.
Broth
- In a larger pot, add in the water with the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower to heat to a simmer.
- Cover your seitan in foil* and add to the broth. Make sure to that the broth is simmering, not boiling. Let simmer for an hour at least.
- Let your seitan cool completely in the broth. Store in broth.
3 Comments