Easy Recipe For Homemade Seitan
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Jump to RecipeThis recipe was created for both of my vegan step-daughters! Love you girls! XOXO
A Little Something First
Please let me explain why and how I came to make homemade seitan.
Every Thanksgiving our family usually hosts a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with roasted turkey and all the fixings. In 2010 things kinda got switched up on us.
You see, we have two young daughters, who became vegetarians right around 2010. With that being said, Thanksgiving dinners now have a whole new meaning in our family.
My husband and I thought it was just a phase the girls were going through.
Almost a year later the girls restricted their diet even more by only eating plant-based foods. They were now vegans.
In 2017 our family celebrated Thanksgiving with our traditional turkey dinner and I decided to make a vegan turkey dinner just for the girls. That wouldn’t be too difficult. Now would it?!
Although I did a lot of research I still was overwhelmed. I searched the web for all different type of recipe suggestions.
I researched meat substitute recipes and came across a dish that called for seitan. Seitan can normally be found at a natural food grocer but my thoughts were “why couldn’t I make homemade seitan?”. I would think the homemade version would be better.
To make a long story short I made a homemade seitan turkey dinner and it was absolutely fantastic! My new wheat meat recipe for my girls.
I will be honest, I have never tried the store bought version of seitan so I can’t officially compare the two but I do know I will never buy it as the seitan I prepared was excellent!
What is Seitan?
Seitan is a meat substitute familiar to vegetarians and vegans. It is made with the gluten from wheat making it high in protein.
It’s texture is similar to meat, which makes it ideal for vegetarian dishes. Tofu is another excellent source of protein for vegans and vegetarians. It is made from soybeans. I have not experimented with that recipe. Yet!
You don’t have to be vegan or vegetarian to make or even eat seitan. I’m not and neither is my husband!
It is an easy recipe that is flavorful. But if you are gluten sensitive or have celiac disease, seitan is not for you.
What You Can Make With Seitan
Since making seitan is pretty new to me I have not made too much. So far I have made turkey seitan, fried chicken seitan, chicken nuggets and now taco seitan. I have made them just no postings yet. Don’t worry. I will.
Seitan can take the place of any meat in any dish. It all depends on how it’s prepared and flavored. Some other dishes I have been thinking about making on with seitan include teriyaki seitan, stir fry, Kebabs, meatloaf, and meatballs just to name a few different variations. Yep, those are on my to-do list.
What’s in Seitan
Seitan is simple to make. The recipe calls for vital wheat gluten. Vital wheat gluten is the natural protein found in wheat. Garbanzo flour . Garbanzo flour is gluten free and is made from ground chickpeas. It is loaded with protein and dietary fiber and a good source of iron. I also include probably the most used ingredient used by vegetarians and vegans, nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a flaky or powdery deactivated yeast. I use the flake type. Many vegan dishes call for nutritional yeast as it has a cheesy, nutty flavor.
Spices include: onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, poultry seasoning and vegetable broth.
Making Seitan
Before getting started wash hands and gather supplies: large bowl for mixing, foil for wrapping seitan and a double boiler for steaming the seitan.
Start out by measuring out all the dry ingredients and place in a large bowl. Add vegetable broth and knead by hand for about 5 minutes. The mixture will take shape like dough but will become tight and thick. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Divide dough using a knife cutting into four pieces. Shape each piece into a log. Wrap in foil and close ends. Place in double boiler with lid. Add about 1-2 cups of water in the lower pot and steam for 30-45 minutes. While the seitan is steaming it will expand some so keep an eye on it so the lid stays in place. If you don’t have a double boiler you can use a large pan with a steamer basket.
After Steaming
The seitan is officially ready after steaming. Remove from heat and allow to cool before removing from pan or use tongs to remove from pan and sit aside to cool.
Cutting and Storing
Cut seitan lengthwise into long strips or width-wise. Cut as thick or as thin as desired. You can even make crumbles for tacos.
The seitan can be used right away or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or longer if placed in the freezer. When storing in freezer keep seitan in the foil wrapper and place in a freezer bag.
ENJOY!
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Homemade Seitan
Learn to make homemade seitan. The well known meat substitute for vegetarians and vegans. Makes great chicken nuggets, fried chicken, taco’s or turkey seitan.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1/2 cup garbanzo flour
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
Instructions
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Before getting started gather supplies: large bowl for mixing, foil for wrapping seitan and a double boiler for steaming the seitan. Wash hands.
-
Measure out all the dry ingredients and place in a large bowl.
-
Add vegetable broth and knead by hand for about 5 minutes. The mixture will take shape like dough but will become tight and thick. Let sit for 5 minutes.
-
Divide dough with a knife making four pieces. Shape each piece into a log. Wrap in foil and close ends. Place in double boiler with lid. Add about 1-2 cups of water in the lower pot and steam for 30-45 minutes. While the seitan is steaming it will expand some so keep an eye on it so the lid stays in place. If you don’t have a double boiler you can use a large pan with a steamer basket.
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After steaming the seitan is officially done. Remove from steamer and allow to cool before removing from pan or use tongs to remove from pan and sit aside to cool.
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Seitan can be cut lengthwise into long strips or widthwise. It can be cut as thick or as thin as desired. You can even make crumbles for tacos.
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The seitan can be used right away or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or longer if placed in the freezer. When storing in freezer keep the seitan in foil wrapper and place in a freezer bag.
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ENJOY!
PRODUCTS WE USED IN THIS RECIPE
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