This homemade Seitan Roast En Croute recipe is the perfect main dish for your vegan holiday table. Stuffed with vegetarian bread stuffing and wrapped in a puff pastry crust, this is a fantastic plant based replacement for turkey for your Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any special dinner. It takes a fair amount of time to prepare but is pretty easy to put together and is sure to be a big hit with the whole family!
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In my seven years as a vegan (and previous five as a vegetarian), I can tell you there is nothing I look forward to more than our holiday seitan roast. Whether it was store-bought or homemade, I go crazy over this meaty main dish every single year.
This homemade vegan Seitan Roast I’m sharing with you today is the PERFECT main dish for your vegan Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any special dinner. It feeds six VERY hungry people. I mean, VERY hungry. Like, get out your Thanksgiving pants hungry.
It’s also worth mentioning this recipe has been tested, re-tested, and very much approved of by our not-yet-vegan friends and fam, so you know it’s gotta be something special.
And if you haven’t made your own seitan roast (or even seitan in general) before, don’t worry! I know I say this a lot, but it really is easier than it seems. And making your own homemade seitan opens up a whole new world of possibilities as far as your veganization skills are concerned. If you’re still nervous to make this for the big day, you can always make a roast ahead of time to see how it turns out. More roast is always a bonus in my book!
Seitan Roast Ingredients
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This recipe is definitely not light on the ingredients, but hey – it’s a special occasion! And each ingredient has a very specific function that come together to make the best taste and texture roast you’ll ever eat!
For the seitan itself, you’ll need:
- Extra firm tofu – Two days prior, you’ll want to prep the tofu by freezing it, defrosting, and then pressing and weighing it. I know this seems like a lot, but it adds the BEST meaty texture to your roast that’s totally next-level.
- Vegan butter – Refined coconut oil or vegetable shortening can also be used, but vegan butter is the BEST option because it really nails the whole holiday vibe.
- Chopped onion, celery, and garlic
- Fresh thyme and rosemary – Feel free to replace this with all of one or the other. Dried herbs can also be used, but I would cut the amounts in half.
- Vital wheat gluten – There’s no replacement for wheat gluten in seitan recipes.
- Vegan chicken bouillon powder – We used a batch of our homemade vegan bouillon powder but left out the turmeric to keep a more neutral color. If you use a bouillon powder with turmeric, your roast will be a brighter yellow color.
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
For the rest of the roast, you’ll need:
- Vegan-friendly bread stuffing – We have made this recipe with both our homemade vegan stuffing and Pepperidge Farm vegan-friendly stovetop stuffing (just make it with vegan butter and vegetable broth).
- Puff pastry – Check the ingredients to make sure the brand you’re buying is vegan-friendly, but a lot of brands are. The most common is probably Pepperidge Farm.
How to Make a Holiday Seitan Roast
This recipe is definitely more of a holiday cooking project and less of an everyday recipe. So, take your time, pour yourself a glass of wine, maybe enlist the help of a partner or friend, and enjoy the process!
Step 1: Saute the vegetables.
Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and add 1 Tbsp of the vegan butter. Once melted, add the onion and celery, sprinkle them with a pinch of salt, and saute for 5 minutes. Then, add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Turn the heat to medium and saute for another 2 minutes. Finally, add the water and remainder of the vegan butter and stir until the butter is completely melted.
Step 2: Blend the wet ingredients.
Remove the skillet from heat and carefully add its contents to a blender or food processor. Add the tofu and blend on high for 1 minute until everything is smooth and well-combined.
Step 3: Make the seitan dough.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Use a large wooden spoon to create a well in the center of your dry mixture and pour in the contents of the food processor.
Stir until a rough dough is formed. Then, get in there with your hands and knead the dough together for no longer than 30 seconds (set a timer / do NOT overknead.) The dough should be completely combined with no dry spots.
Step 4: Roll and steam the vegan roast.
Prepare your steaming mechanism and lightly flour a clean counter and rolling pin with the wheat gluten. Place the seitan on the counter and roll it flat into a large rectangle. Line the stuffing along the longer side of the rectangle, about ½ inch from the edge.
Use clean, dry hands to roll the seitan upwards over the stuffing and keep rolling upwards until there is no more seitan to roll. Pinch the seam and ends together to seal and roll it in tin foil. You want to roll it securely but not TOO tightly. If you don’t do tin foil, you can use cheesecloth.
Steam for 30 minutes and let it cool another 10 minutes before unwrapping it.
Step 5: Wrap and bake the seitan roast.
When your roast is almost finished cooling, preheat the oven to 400F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and roll out the puff pastry sheet to be slightly longer than the roast.
Carefully unwrap the foil from the roast and re-wrap it tightly and evenly in the puff pastry, pinching the seam and ends to seal. If you have excess puff pastry, feel free to cut it off.
Place your roast on the baking sheet (seam on the bottom) and bake at 400F for 10-15 minutes or until the puff pastry is lightly browned. Let the roast cool 5-10 minutes before slicing, and enjoy!
How to Serve a Vegan Holiday Roast
Serve this homemade vegan seitan roast next to a big pile of vegan stuffing, mashed potatoes, and a generous helping of cashew gravy for a spectacular holiday dinner!
How to Store Leftover Vegan Turkey Roast
FRIDGE: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week in an air-tight container.
FREEZER: When freezing, we like to slice the roast and freeze them in freezer-safe bags. Lie them flat until fully frozen. Then, you can freeze for up to 2 months.
TO REHEAT: If frozen, allow the roast slices to thaw completely before reheating in the microwave or oven (covered) until completely warmed through. If it gets a little dry, feel free to sprinkle a little vegetable broth on each slice while reheating.
You should totally go for it and make this beautiful Homemade Seitan Roast for your holiday table this year. And when you do, we wanna see! We want to jump up and down in an excited frenzy with you to celebrate your awesome-ness.
We would SO appreciate it if you left a comment and rating below (it helps more people find the recipe!). And be sure to snap a photo and tag us on Instagram! If you’re not already hanging out with us over there, we’re @theplantpowercouple with the “the”.
More Seitan Recipes:
Stuffed Vegan Seitan Roast
Ingredients
For the seitan dough - wet ingredients:
- 5 oz. extra firm tofu (frozen, defrosted, and pressed)
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1 Tbsp chopped garlic
- 1 tsp minced fresh thyme
- 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
- 1/2 cup water
For the seitan dough - dry ingredients:
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 2 Tbsp vegan chicken bouillon powder*
- 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
For the filling:
For the crust:
- 1 large sheet vegan puff pastry, defrosted**
Instructions
- TWO DAYS PRIOR, PREP THE TOFU: Place it in the freezer (in its container, water and all) until frozen through (usually overnight). Then, remove the tofu from the freezer and let it sit on the counter or in your fridge until defrosted. From here, you can open the package, drain the excess water, and press the extra water out of the tofu block using a tofu press or paper towels. You can also give it a gentle squeeze over the sink after pressing to REALLY get the water out. Weigh the tofu in this state and proceed.
- SAUTE THE VEGGIES: Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and add 1 Tbsp of the vegan butter. Once melted, add the onion and celery, sprinkle them with a pinch of salt, and saute for 5 minutes. Then, add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Turn the heat to medium and saute for another 2 minutes. Finally, add the water and remainder of the vegan butter and stir until the butter is completely melted.
- BLEND THE WET INGREDIENTS: Remove the skillet from heat and carefully add its contents to a blender or food processor. Add the tofu and blend on high for 1 minute until everything is smooth and well-combined.
- MAKE THE SEITAN DOUGH: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Use a large wooden spoon to create a well in the center of your dry mixture and pour in the contents of the food processor. Stir until a rough dough is formed. Then, get in there with your hands and knead the dough together for no longer than 30 seconds (set a timer / do NOT overknead.) The dough should be completely combined with no dry spots.
- ROLL AND STEAM THE ROAST: Prepare your steaming mechanism and lightly flour a clean counter and rolling pin with the wheat gluten. Place the seitan on the counter and roll it flat into a large rectangle. Line the stuffing along the longer side of the rectangle, about ½ inch from the edge. Use clean, dry hands to roll the seitan upwards over the stuffing and keep rolling upwards until there is no more seitan to roll. Pinch the seam and ends together to seal and roll it in tin foil***. Steam for 30 minutes and let it cool another 10 minutes before unwrapping it.
- WRAP AND BAKE THE ROAST: When your roast is almost finished cooling, preheat the oven to 400F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and roll out the puff pastry sheet to be slightly longer than the roast. Carefully unwrap the foil from the roast and re-wrap it tightly and evenly in the puff pastry, pinching the seam and ends to seal. Place your roast on the baking sheet (seam on the bottom) and bake at 400F for 10-15 minutes or until the puff pastry is lightly browned. Let the roast cool 5-10 minutes before slicing, and enjoy!
Notes
*We used a batch of our homemade vegan bouillon powder but left out the turmeric to keep a more neutral color. If you use a bouillon powder with turmeric, your roast will be a brighter yellow color.
**A lot of store-bought puff pastry is accidentally vegan, but always be sure to check the ingredients just in case.
***If you’d like to avoid using tin foil, you can use cheesecloth to wrap the roast while steaming.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6 servingsServing Size:
4 slicesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 403Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 34g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and may not always be accurate.
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