These flavorful sausages, inspired by a recipe by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, are fun and easy to whip up in your kitchen. Homemade Vegan Kielbasa is versatile and can be enjoyed on your grill, as an appetizer with mustard, roasted with potatoes and peppers, or fried with apples and sauerkraut. No matter how you slice it, this recipe is one you should try–and share with hungry friends and family members, all year round.
These sausages are medium-firm in texture: for a firmer sausage, add in an additional ¼ cup of vital wheat gluten.
Fill a large pot with a couple inches of water. Place a steamer insert inside or a steamer basket over the pot. Cover, and bring to a low boil. Cut eight 9-inch square sheets of aluminum foil: you’ll be rolling each sausage in foil individually, then steaming them.
In a large bowl, mash the pinto beans with a potato masher or fork until mostly smooth. (Some texture is fine, but try to avoid having any whole beans.) Add in the vegetable broth, olive oil, tamari, nutritional yeast, garlic, spices, salt, and pepper, and whisk to combine.
Add the wheat gluten to the bowl and use your hands mix together. Knead the mixture in the bowl for a minute or two, until the soft dough just holds together. Turn the dough out onto a cutting board, and cut into eight equal pieces. Roll one of the pieces into a 5-inch cylinder, then place on a sheet of foil and roll 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, cover, and steam for 40 minutes. Unroll each sausage, and either use right away, or wrap tightly and refrigerate or freeze until needed.
Fill a large pot with a couple inches of water. Place a steamer insert inside or a steamer basket over the pot. Cover, and bring to a low boil. Cut eight 9-inch square sheets of aluminum foil: you’ll be rolling each sausage in foil individually, then steaming them.
In a large bowl, mash the pinto beans with a potato masher or fork until mostly smooth. (Some texture is fine, but try to avoid having any whole beans.) Add in the vegetable broth, olive oil, tamari, nutritional yeast, garlic, spices, salt, and pepper, and whisk to combine.
Add the wheat gluten to the bowl and use your hands mix together. Knead the mixture in the bowl for a minute or two, until the soft dough just holds together. Turn the dough out onto a cutting board, and cut into eight equal pieces. Roll one of the pieces into a 5-inch cylinder, then place on a sheet of foil and roll 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, cover, and steam for 40 minutes. Unroll each sausage, and either use right away, or wrap tightly and refrigerate or freeze until needed.
Is that 2 cups of 1/2 vital wheat gluten or is it 2 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten?
HI – our website interprets some of our imported recipes a little wonky! It’s 2 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten!! Thank you!
I love this recipe. I substituted two tablespoons of coconut oil and one olive oil to give the sausage fatty bits when completed. Loved it. Thank you for posting this recipe
Being vegan, I really missed kielsbasa. It’s part of my heritage and memories of home. I think this recipe is a hit. It’s as close as I think I could get to the original and it’s cruelty free. Sliced it and fried it in a bit of vegan butter for a similar mouth feel. Spices and texture and ease to make were great. Some seitan recipes I find a bit difficult and have had failures. So I was a little apprehensive, but hopeful. The recipe makes a lot. The texture and flavors were even better after letting it rest in the refrigerator. I do hope it freezes well. Can’t wait to try it with sauerkraut and maybe for breakfast with Just Egg. Thank you.
So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Sometimes seitan can be tricky so when you find a recipe you, like, then you can use it all the time to make things like this kielbasa, cutlets, and even meatballs. Such a versatile idea…and made from wheat…imagine! Save us a bite from your next batch! Thanks so much for reading!