So I decided to work on the most perfect vegan roast “beef” for two reasons. One, I think it makes the most incredible main dish for the upcoming holidays. You can serve it with mashed potatoes and very easily transform the cooking liquid into a gravy. Two, I and many other people I have talked to recently have been missing an Arby’s Beef and Cheddar. So, I decided to conquer the roast beef portion and serve it with the mashed potatoes and gravy this week. Next week, I will be slicing the roast beef thin and serving it on an onion roll with an epic cheese sauce.
What You Need For This Seitan Roast Beef:
- Vital Wheat Gluten: This is the main base for the roast “beef.”
- Mushrooms and Garlic: You sauté these and then pulse them in a food processor to make the easy to mix into the seitan.
- Beet Powder: This is optional and just to give it a bit of color.
- Vegetable Broth, Apple Cider Vinegar, Maple Syrup, Tahini and Liquid Smoke: These are the liquids that get mixed into the dry to make the seitan.
- Mustard and Black Pepper: These are to coat the outside of the seitan and then sear it.
- Onions, Thyme and Rosemary: Mixed with vegetable broth these flavor the roast as it cooks.
This vegan roast “beef” is slightly more complicated than a lot of my other recipes. However, it is pretty foolproof. You just mix everything together, knead it for a minute and form into a roast shape. Then just braise for about 2 hours. I will also definitely stand by the fact that it is more than worth the effort. This roast is so freaking good and so versatile. It can be served with all kinds of things and you can make a bunch of different sandwiches with it too. This recipe makes a huge amount, so it is great for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Or it stores well and you can keep it around to eat with different things all week.
Why Should You Make This delicious Roast?
- It is so comforting and delicious.
- A pretty easy seitan recipe.
- Perfect for the holidays.
- Great for roast “beef” sandwiches.
- This is a pretty hands off recipe, so you can sit back and relax.
Vegan Roast “Beef”
Ingredients
For The Roast "Beef"
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
- 8 Ounces Baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- 6 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 2 1/2 Cups Vital wheat gluten
- 2 teaspoons Beet powder, divided(optional)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 1/2 Cups Vegetable broth
- 1 Tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons Tahini
- 1 teaspoon Liquid smoke
For Coating the Roast "Beef"
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
For The Braising Liquid
- 3 Cups Vegetable broth
- 2 Sweet onions, quartered
- 2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees(F).
- Heat the olive oil on medium high in a large non-stick skillet. Add the mushrooms and garlic and sauté, reducing heat as needed until the mushrooms have released their liquid and are beginning to brown. About 7 to 10 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- While the mushrooms and garlic sauté, add the vital wheat gluten, 1 teaspoon of beet powder, salt, onion powder and black pepper to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Once the mushrooms and garlic are cooked, add them to a food processor with the remaining 1 teaspoon of beet powder and pulse until very finely chopped. Almost a paste.
- Add the the mushrooms and garlic to a separate medium sized mixing bowl.
- Then add the vegetable broth, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, tahini and liquid smoke to the bowl with the mushrooms and garlic and whisk to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and start to stir.
- Once it becomes too difficult to stir, begin to knead with your hands and bring the seitan together.
- Once it forms a ball, turn the seitan out onto a surface that has been dusted with a little more vital wheat gluten. Knead for another minute, then form into a roast or loaf shape.
- Brush one side of the outside of the seitan roast with 1/2 the Dijon mustard and sprinkle with 1/2 the black pepper.
- Heat the olive oil on medium high in the skillet you used for the mushrooms and then put the roast into the skillet. Sear one side of the roast for about 2 to 3 minutes or until it forms a golden brown crust.
- While one side sears, brush the other side with the rest of the Dijon and sprinkle with the rest of the pepper. Flip and sear the other side.
- Make the braising liquid. Pour the vegetable broth into a large pot that you have a cover for. Add the onions, thyme and rosemary.
- Put the seitan roast into the pot with the broth and kind of nestle it down into the broth. It should be a little more than half way covered by the broth.
- Cover and then roast in the oven for 1 hour. Flip the seitan the best you can, it will still be very soft, then cover again and roast for another 45 to 50 minutes or until the seitan is firm.
- It will firm up a bit more as it cools.
- Serve sliced thick with mashed potatoes and gravy or slice thin and make a sandwich with it!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Amazing looking recipe.
A question though; I have avoided making seitan for the reason that it always seems to have to be wrapped tightly in foil to prevent it expanding and becoming like bread..
I notice you do not wrap yours and wondered how that affects the texture? This seems a much easier recipe than some of the others I have seen. thank you.
Since this seitan is slowly braised, it really doesn’t need to be wrapped! It will stay the same shape that you make it!
This looks great and I can’t wait to try it! Growing up my mom would put onions, halved potatoes, and carrots cut into about 2-3″ lengths into the roasting pan with her roasts. Thinking of trying that with this recipe. Anyone tried that?
I made the roast yesterday and it smelled divine! But my biggest question is how should I reheat it when I serve it tomorrow? Thanks!
So let me start by saying that I love the flavor profile in your recipes. I read through the ingredient list first and just know when I’m going to like something. Honestly, every one that I’ve made, I’ve enjoyed. This ‘roast beef’ is no different. I had my challenges (I always do), but in the end, my husband and I wolfed down the whole loaf in 2 days. I made it Sunday night, along with my green bean casserole, and between lunches and another dinner with fresh roasted veggies, it was gone Tuesday night. The leftovers are delicious, sliced thin on toasted rye bread with mustard and coleslaw, btw. Mmmm mmmm good. Back to cooking… when I mixed all the ingredients together, my dough was really wet, falling apart wet, so I thought I miscalculated either the VWG or liquids, so I added in some more VWG, like about 1/2 cup more and then I worried that the flavor would not be as good because I added in too much VWG. I put the loaf in my dutch oven, and it was swallowed up in the broth completely, so I took out about 1/2 the broth and cooked as instructed. When I opened it up after an hour, all the liquid was gone and the loaf was much larger in size. I’m guessing because of all the additional VWG I added, this happened. I wished I didn’t dump the broth but saved it to add in now (remember for next time, maybe) I flipped it over, closed the lid and 45 minutes later, took it out, sliced it up and served with mushroom gravy and the GBC. It was really good and sliced really really well. Thank you! Now I know what I’m making on Thanksgiving!
Can I make this ahead for thanksgiving (like day before)? If so, how do you recommend warming it back up?
Yes! Keep it in a container with the broth, then reheat in the oven with the broth when you’re ready to go!
I made this for Christmas and just finished the loaf after 4 days of eating! It gets better every day and I just sliced off a piece each day and reheated in a little spray oil in a pan DELICIOUS! Mine started out a bit rubbery from over mixing but the texture changed a bit as it rested more, the last slice chewed like a sirloin steak (weird for a vegan but very satisfying). Good with vegan gravy or ketchup or on a sandwich. One tip make sure you braise on fairly salty vegan broth.
I made this for Thanksgiving … first time attempting seitan.. It turned out fabulous. I served it with vegan gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. The next morning, I sliced it thin, and fried it in vegan butter, liquid smoke, black pepper, and brown sugar. Best vegan bacon ever!