This epic vegan Sunday roast dinner is complete with savory seitan roast beef, marinated tender root vegetables, and a creamy mushroom gravy. Make this vegan and vegetarian roast for a cozy and hearty Sunday dinner or for a memorable holiday meal.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Roast Dinner
- Chewy, Savory ‘Meaty’ Vegan Seitan Roast: This roast is complete with the BEST vegan seitan recipe.
- Flavorful Marinated Vegetables: the tender carrots, celery, onion, and potatoes absorb all the marinade for flavor in each bite.
- Omnivore Approved Dinner Recipe: this is the recipe for you if you’re looking for a roast that has more protein and a great meaty texture that’s more convincing than nut roasts.
- Complete with a Delicious Vegan Gravy: make this a complete meal with the vegan miso mushroom onion gravy recipe linked below!
- Step by Step Recipe with Photos and a Video Tutorial: if this is your first time making seitan, no worries! This recipe has step by step photos and a video tutorial above the recipe card to help guide you.
What is Seitan?
Okay, but what is seitan? If you’ve never heard of seitan, it’s a protein-rich food that is an excellent meat replacement.
The main ingredient in seitan is vital wheat gluten which is made up of the protein found in wheat.
The origins of seitan date back to 6th century China where it was first documented, and it’s often used as mock meat in Buddhist, Chinese, and vegetarian cuisines.
What is a Sunday Roast?
A traditional Sunday roast is a British meal that is made up of roasted meat, roasted veg, and often sides like gravy, Yorkshire pudding, and stuffing. Vegan wellingtons, lentil loaves, and nut roasts are some other traditional vegetarian alternatives.
Ingredients
There are 3 main components to this roast: the marinade / basting liquid, the root veggies, and the seitan roast. Most of the ingredients for the seitan roast are spices and flavoring. This list may look a little long, but each ingredient packs TONS of flavor!
Below are the main ingredients for the vegan roast beef:
- Vital Wheat Gluten
- Chickpeas
- Onions
- Tomato Paste: for a savory flavor and some color
- Vegetable Stock: for flavor and to help keep the roast moist
- Soy Sauce: for umami flavor
- Olive Oil: for moisture
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce: like Annie’s
- Seasonings: nutritional yeast, garlic powder, smoked paprika, ground mustard
Substitutions
- Olive Oil: extra virgin olive oil can be subbed for another neutral oil like vegetable oil or canola oil.
- Ground Mustard: if you don’t have ground mustard you can sub in 1 tbsp yellow mustard instead.
- Garlic Powder: swap in the same amount of onion powder.
- Tomato paste: sub the same amount of tomato puree.
- Red Wine: If you don’t want to use red wine in the basting liquid, it can be substituted with veggie stock, but some of the rich flavors won’t be present.
- Chickpeas: these can be subbed for the same amount of white beans (cannellini beans).
- Yukon Gold Potato: swap normal yellow potatoes for sweet potato or butternut squash.
- Brown Sugar: sub the brown sugar in the marinade for maple syrup.
The best vital wheat gluten for this seitan roast:
The brand of vital wheat gluten that I use in this vegan roast recipe is Anthony’s Vital Wheat Gluten.
I can buy a huge bag of this online, making it super affordable (plus it lasts a long time).
You can also find vital wheat gluten in most grocery stores. Usually Bob’s Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten is the brand I see in stores. It comes in smaller bags and is much more expensive than Anthony’s.
Vital wheat gluten is the ingredient that gives this vegan seitan roast its chewy, stretchy texture. Wheat gluten is the main ingredient in seitan and is close to 80% protein.
Helpful Equipment
- Food Processor: to chop up the chickpeas and the onion for the seitan. The food processor I’m using in this recipe is by Cuisinart.
- Digital Scale: Accurately measuring the vital wheat gluten in this recipe will help ensure the texture is exactly the way it should be. This is the scale I’ve been using which I love.
- Large Mixing Bowl: to make the seitan.
Step-by-step Instructions
🎥 *Video Tutorial is Above the Recipe Card Below!*
STEP 1: Mix the marinade ingredients together and oil a 9×13” pan (22 x 33 cm).
STEP 2: Whisk the vital wheat gluten and dry spices together. Then make a well in the center.
STEP 3: Add the liquid ingredients for the seitan, as well as the chopped chickpeas and chopped onions. Mix to combine with a rubber spatula or spoon.
STEP 4: When no more dry ingredients can be incorporated with the spatula (see below), switch to kneading by hand.
STEP 5: Knead the dough for 1 minute. Shape the dough into a log (see picture below).
📌 TIP: Try not to knead the dough for longer than 1 minute. This can lead to tough seitan that is too chewy.
STEP 6: Place the seitan in the pan. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
Then, cut 3 equally spaced slices about ¾” (2 cm) into the seitan. This helps all the amazing flavors of the marinade seep down into the dough.
📌 Optional: Wrap the log in cooking twine to help it keep its shape while baking.
STEP 7: Add the veggies to the pan, and pour ¾ of the marinade over the seitan and vegetables. Cover with pieces of tin foil / aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven.
STEP 8: Uncover, and apply the remaining marinade / basting liquid. Bake for another 20-25 minutes uncovered.
How to Serve the Vegan Roast Dinner
The seitan roast is ready when the outside looks slightly caramelized and browned. The roast potatoes and veggies should be fork-tender.
While the roast is baking, you can prepare the vegan gravy according to this recipe.
📌 TIP: Let the vegan seitan roast cool for 5-10 minutes prior to slicing it. The seitan will become chewier as it cools down.
For some extra flavor, garnish the roast with fresh herbs like sage, thyme or rosemary!
This roast is perfect for a weekend dinner or even a special occasion like Thanksgiving or Christmas. If you’d like, you can prepare additional veggies or delicious side dishes to go with it, like:
- Roasted Maple Balsamic Vinegar Brussel Sprouts
- Maple Glazed Rainbow Carrots
- Garlicky Green Beans
- Mashed Potatoes
- Cranberry Sauce
- Vegan Brioche Buns
- The Best Meatless Stuffing Casserole
Storage
- FRIDGE: You can keep this vegan and vegetarian roast in an air-tight container in the fridge for about 3 days. Seitan has a tendency to dry out in the fridge, so if you plan on storing it longer than that I recommend freezing the cooked roast.
- FREEZER: Wrap the whole roast, or slices of the roast, tightly in plastic wrap and then wrap with aluminum foil or place in a freezer-proof baggie. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- REHEATING: The seitan can be reheated by thawing it on low power in the microwave and then pan-searing the outside to add crispness back to the exterior.
Pro Tips
Below are some helpful tips to get the perfect meatless roast:
- Don’t over knead the dough: this will create a tough texture that is too chewy. Knead the dough for a maximum of 1-2 minutes.
- Don’t add more liquid than needed: if the dough looks dry, add veggie stock 1 tbsp at a time until it comes together into a moist, but not too moist loaf.
- Coat well with the marinade: the marinade helps keep the seitan moist in the oven! If enough isn’t applied, the seitan will dry out while roasting.
FAQ
– It’s important to note that not all wines are vegan. To make sure the wine you’re using is vegan, you can visit the website Barnivore.
– This website lists tons of wines, beer, and alcohol and lets you know whether they’re vegan-friendly or not.
– A lot of seitan recipes do call for steaming as part of the cooking method. Steaming is often used as a way to create a moist dough.
– This vegan Sunday roast has enough moisture in the dough from the chickpeas, onions, and liquid seasonings that it stays moist and tender when baked. The marinade also helps keep this seitan recipe moist while baking.
Annie’s makes a great vegan Worcestershire sauce. I also use Simple Truth’s (Kroger’s in-house brand) vegan Worcestershire.
More Vegan Recipes and Meat Alternatives:
- Vegan Steak with Garlic ‘Butter’
- The Best Vegan Beef Tips
- Vegan Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Savory Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
- Hearty Vegan Meatloaf with Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Vegan & Vegetarian BBQ Seitan ‘Ribs’
Did you make This vegan and vegetarian roast dinner recipe?
I’d love to know! Leave a star rating and comment below!
Video Tutorial
[Note: ad-blocker plugins block this video, which may be why it isn’t visible. Temporarily disable the plugins to see the video.]
Vegan Sunday Roast Dinner with Gravy
This epic vegan Sunday roast dinner is complete with savory seitan roast beef, marinated tender root vegetables, and a creamy mushroom gravy. Make this vegan and vegetarian roast for a cozy and hearty Sunday dinner or for a memorable holiday meal.
Serve with sides like vegan brioche buns or mashed potatoes for a complete Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner
Ingredients
Marinade / Basting Liquid
- 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tbsp melted vegan butter or sub olive oil, Country Crock Plant Butter
- 1 tbsp dry red wine, or sub more veggie stock
- 1 tbsp light or dark brown sugar
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp finely minced fresh rosemary, or sub ½ tsp dried ground rosemary
Vegetables
- 1 large yellow or red onion, roughly chopped or quartered
- ½ lb of carrots, peeled & roughly chopped
- 5-6 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 cup Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
- Fresh Rosemary, Thyme and Sage, for garnish
Seitan Roast (Dry)
- 2 cups (245g) vital wheat gluten, spooned into the measuring cup- not scooped from the bag (measure with scale for the best results)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground mustard
Seitan Roast (Wet)
- ¼ cup canned chickpeas, drained, minced (see instructions below)
- ¼ cup yellow onion, minced (see instructions below)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup + 3 tbsp veggie stock * or sub water for lower sodium
Serving
- 1 recipe Vegan Miso Mushroom Gravy
Instructions
Marinade and Vegetables:
- Mix the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Prep the vegetables by chopping them. Then, place them in a 9x13” (22 x 33 cm) pan drizzled with olive oil.
To Make the Seitan:
- In a large bowl stir together the vital wheat gluten and the dry spices (1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground mustard, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast).
- In a food processor, add the chickpeas and onion. Chop until they are a finely minced texture, but not a blended paste. Set aside. They should still have some texture (see image in the post above).
- Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the chickpea and onion mixture and the liquids (3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire, ½ cup + 3 tbsp veggie stock).
- Stir to combine. Use your hands to gently knead any remaining vital wheat gluten left at the bottom of the bowl into the seitan. If the dough feels very dry, add 1 tbsp veggie stock and gently knead to combine. (See images or video above for reference). If there's a little bit of vital wheat gluten that can't be incorporated, this is okay.
- Knead with your hands for 1 minute until the dough feels elastic and comes together into a moist loaf (see images or video in post above). Do not over-knead- this will lead to seitan that is too chewy.
- Shape the seitan into a rounded log/loaf about 7” long and 3-4” wide.
- Cut three, equally spaced slices (about 3/4” / 2 cm down) into the log (so the marinade can seep into the inside of the seitan).
- Optional: Wrap with cooking twine to help it keep its shape while baking.
To Make the Roast:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190C).
- Place the seitan into the center of the oiled baking dish with the prepared vegetables.
- Pour ¾ of the marinade on top of the roast and veggies. Make sure the outside of the seitan is evenly coated. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil.
- Bake the seitan for 45 minutes, covered.
- Uncover, and baste with the remaining marinade. Stir the veggies to coat. Bake for 20-25 more minutes uncovered.
- The seitan should be slightly caramelized and browned. It may still feel soft but once it cools slightly, the roast will firm up and become chewier.
- Let cool 5-10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh thyme, rosemary or sage. Serve with gravy.
Notes
Substitute for Red Wine:
- The same amount of veggie stock can be substituted for the red wine. Please note, the roast won't have the same bodied richness if omitting the wine.
What To Do If The Dough Looks Crumbly:
- If the dough looks like very dry after adding the vital wheat gluten, knead it gently with your hands. If no more wheat gluten can be incorporated, add 1 tbsp of veggie stock at a time (up to 3 tbsp) until the dough ball comes together and looks similar to the process photos in the post above.
Storing the Vegan Roast:
- You can keep this vegan and vegetarian Sunday Roast in an air-tight container in the fridge for about 3 days. Seitan has a tendency to dry out in the fridge, so if you plan on storing it longer than that I recommend freezing the cooked roast.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 489Total Fat: 14gCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 12gSugar: 15gProtein: 50g
Nutritional info is an estimate.
Want to Save this Recipe for Later? Pin it to Pinterest!
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this post might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my blog so I can continue to provide you with free content each week!
Leave a Reply