Name: Homemade Vegan Italian Sausage
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 (15.5-ounce) refried beans (or substitute mashed cannellini or pinto beans); ¼ cup nutritional yeast; 4 cloves of garlic, minced; 3 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 teaspoons dried oregano; 2 teaspoons onion powder; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional); 1 ¾ cups vegetable broth; 2 ¼ cups vital wheat gluten

1 (15.5-ounce) refried beans (or substitute mashed cannellini or pinto beans)

¼ cup nutritional yeast

4 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1 ¾ cups vegetable broth

2 ¼ cups vital wheat gluten

Set a steamer basket over a pot of water 2 inches below the basket. Cover and bring to a simmer. Tear 6 square sheets of aluminum foil and set aside. Cover, and bring to a simmer.

In a large bowl, mix together the refried beans, nutritional yeast, garlic, soy sauce, oil, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, fennel seeds, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the vegetable broth. Add the wheat gluten and mix together with your hands. Add a little more broth or water by the tablespoon if the dough is dry; it should be soft, smooth, and pliable. Once the dough comes together, knead the mixture for 5 minutes or up to 10: the longer you knead, the chewier the texture will be. This can also be done in a food processor.

Shape the dough into a loaf and cut widthwise into 6 equal strips. Roll one of the pieces into a cylinder, then place it on a sheet of foil and roll it up, twisting the ends together tightly like a candy wrapper. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Place the wrapped sausages in the steamer basket, in two rows if necessary, leaving room for the steam to rise through. Cover and steam for about 40 minutes, rotating the sausages from top row to bottom row halfway through cooking. Remove the steamer basket from the pot and let the sausages cool before unwrapping and using them in a recipe. Wrap extras in plastic and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.