How to make easy and delicious soy-free vegan sausages using vital wheat gluten and a handful of basic pantry ingredients. 
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Moist, firm & full of flavour, my vegan sausages are better than anything you can buy in the shops! I make them the day before I’m planning to use them but if you’re pushed for time, you could get away with refrigerating them for just five hours.
Thai Sausages
When we lived in Thailand, there were sai oua (sausage) sellers everywhere, and many was the time I mused that if I ate meat, I would probably live on them. Not that I ever tried any but if the smell was anything to go by… Let’s just say that my tummy rumbled an awful lot when the food carts came out in the evenings!
Vegan sausages in Thailand
Fortunately, I did find a few jay (vegan) street carts and cafés, where they sold suitable sausages. Sai oua, that is, not Western-style vegan sausages. They were every bit as good as I imagined their meaty counterparts to be. I ate rather a lot!
What are vegan sausages made of?
These ones are made from vital wheat gluten, which is the protein left after the starch has been removed from wheat flour. Vital wheat gluten is used to strengthen flour for bread-making, and also to make plant-based meat, known variously as seitan, mianjin, and wheat-meat.
Seitan has been made in Asia for centuries, and is well-known in Buddhist culture, where meat-eating is not always a thing. If you've seen tins of mock duck or mock chicken in Chinese supermarkets, you'll be familiar with at least a couple of its uses.
One of the great things about living in SE Asia was the abundance of seitan, especially in George Town, Penang (Malaysia), where there's a huge Chinese community. If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend Lily's Vegetarian Kitchen, where you'll find a veritable feast of seitan dishes!
Ingredients for vegan sausages
- vital wheat gluten
- buckwheat flour
- cooked white beans
- vegetable broth
- aquafaba
- extra virgin olive oil
- seasoning: dried onion flakes, nutritional yeast (AKA nooch), liquid smoke, coconut aminos (or soy sauce), garlic, sausage seasoning (optional)
How to make vegan sausages
It's really easy to make vegan sausages. First you need to blend all the wet ingredients (I use my VAC2), then mix them well with the dry ingredients (the vital wheat gluten, etc.) in a large bowl, until you have a dough.
Knead the dough, then set aside for a few minutes to rest. While it's resting, tear off eight sheets of aluminium foil (about 30cm / 12" long).
When you're ready to make the sausages, divide the dough into eight equal pieces. Take one piece, roll it into a rough sausage shape, and then plonk it onto a piece of foil, close to the edge. Roll it up tightly, and twist the ends closed. Don't worry about making the dough neat - it will expand as it's cooking. It will fill the foil, and come out perfect!
Once you've done the same for the remaining seven pieces of dough, place into a steamer, and cook for 40 minutes. When the sausages are done, remove from the steamer, and set aside to cool before placing in the fridge for a few hours to firm up.
Do I need to do anything else?
If you plan to use the sausages as an ingredient in, for example, a casserole or tagine, then no, they can just be cut up and used as is. If you'd like to serve them in their own right however, then gently warm and brown them in a skillet before serving.
Don't microwave them though - they can go hard very quickly!
Fasole bătută with vegan sausages
Tips for making vegan sausages
Where can I get sausage seasoning from?
Either make your own seasonings (good places to start looking are blogs dedicated to traditional sausage-making), or buy ones which are already made up.
My favourites are the Premium Pork Sausage Seasoning from Butchers Sundries and the Premium Pork & Herb Sausage Seasoning from Tongmaster. Prices are excellent, and delivery is very fast. And they are suitable for vegans, of course.
What can I use instead of coconut aminos?
If you’re fine with soy, then do feel free to use a tablespoon of light (aka all-purpose) soy sauce instead. Or you could use Asian seasoning sauce, such as Golden Mountain, Healthy Boy, or Maggi.
What can I use instead of buckwheat flour?
Many people add chickpea flour (besan) to their seitan mix but I have found that buckwheat gives a more robust texture, which is especially useful if using seitan in casseroles, curries, and tagines, for example.
Can these sausages be made gluten-free?
I have been asked repeatedly whether these can be made gluten-free, and the short answer is no! Gluten is the main ingredient, and it’s what gives these sausages their meaty texture and mouthfeel.
I can't buy vital wheat gluten locally, can I use a different flour?
I'm afraid not - not for this method. The high-gluten content is essential, and you just don't get that from other types of flour.
That said, it is possible to make seitan from normal flour. It's how I used to make it about 15 years ago. However, this is not ideal for making sausages because any flavouring you mix in will be washed away, so you'd have to wrap them in muslin, and simmer in a strongly-flavoured broth. Or knead the seasoning in once the dough has been rinsed. To be honest, I'm not sure how well they'd turn out.
If you want to have a go at making it though, check out this video.
I don't like the idea of foil touching my food, what can I do?
You could wrap these vegan sausages in silicone baking parchment or muslin first, then foil. Don't use non-silicone parchment though, or your sausages will stick.
Which kind of beans should I use?
Any white beans are fine. Or you could use chickpeas. My preference is for cannellini or butter beans (Phaseolus lunatus - lima beans).
Can I use different flavours and seasonings?
You certainly can - check out the recipe notes for a few ideas.
Want more meaty vegan recipes?
📖 Recipe
Easy and Delicious Vegan Sausages
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 120 g cooked white beans
- 200 ml vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon pork sausage seasoning
- 80 ml aquafaba
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Dry Ingredients:
- 150 g vital wheat gluten
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tbsp buckwheat flour
- 2 tablespoon dried onion flakes
Equipment
- high-powered blender
- steamer pan
Instructions
- Bring the water to boil in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer insert. You want the the water level to come just below the bottom of the steamer.
- Blend the wet ingredients together until smooth.
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then add the liquid.
- Mix well, making sure that everything is completely incorporated. (The mix will be quite wet.)
- Knead for a couple of minutes, then divide the dough into 8 equal parts.
- Cut 8 strips of tin foil, roughly 30cm (12") long.
- Place a vaguely sausage-shaped piece of the dough onto the centre the foil, along one of the edges, then roll up into a sausage shape. Twist the ends tightly.
- Place into the steamer, reduce the heat, and steam for 40 minutes.
- Once cooked, remove the sausages from the steamer, and set aside to cool.
- Put the sausages, still wrapped, in the ‘fridge for at least five hours to firm up. Overnight is better.
To heat
- Gently fry for a few minutes on each side (I recommend either a non-stick skillet or a cast-iron one, brushed with a little oil). If you're going to use the sausages in a casserole, or with a sauce, etc., there's no need to fry - simply add them to your dish five minutes before the end of the cooking time to warm through.
To store
- Keep in the 'fridge, in the wrapping for up to a week. They also freeze well.
Notes
- 2 tablespoon tomato purée
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon mesquite liquid smoke
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon mesquite liquid smoke
- 8 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup = US cup = 240 ml
- 1 tablespoon = US/UK = 15 ml
- 1 fl oz = US = 30 ml
Stevie
Tongmaster also sell a dry smoke flavouring. I prefer it to the liquid smoke I had before, and better value.
Nico
Ooh, fab - thank you for the tip, Stevie, much appreciated! xx
Sharon
???❤️
Nico
Why, thank you very much, Sharon! 😉 xx
Craig
Hey Nico, Thank you so much for posting this great resource. Have made quite a few batches now and have started experimenting with some variations too. Recently made a Japanese breakfast sausage using soy beans and a shiso furikake rice seasoning mix. Using it as part of a breakfast bowl to serve to guests at our Vegan hotel in Kyoto. Seem to get the best results with the foil steaming method as the cling film here has a tendency to burst if it touches the sides of the saucepan. Having no off the shelf vegan sausages available here your recipe has been a blessing. So cheers again!
Nico
Craig, I am so happy the recipe is working out for you, thank you for letting me know. If you have time, I'd love it if you would send me a photo or two of your breakfasts! xx
Tom
These look great and I'm going to try and make them tomorrow.
Nico
Enjoy! xx
Warren
I made the garlic version but the extra 2 tbsp of liquid smoke probably should be left out. I couldn’t even tell there was garlic in it. The texture was good and I’m going to try some other flavors.
Nico
Glad you liked them, despite not tasting much garlic, Warren! I appreciate your feedback - it's good to get the opinion of someone else who's made them. I like the extra smokiness, and I don't find it detracts from the garlic at all... but it could be that I have access to stronger garlic. Or maybe you're even more of a garlic fiend than I, and need copious amounts! Enjoy your next batch! xx
Mary Krysinski
so i'm trying to make a nice summer sausage (not individual). I've been getting requests for this because alot of my family is vegan (I've been now for 2 years) could you give me some pointers as to how I would transform this to a whole summer sausage type?
btw.. cant wait to try your recipe
Nico
Congrats on you and your family becoming vegan, Mary, how fab! If you want to make one large sausage instead of individual ones, just simmer (or steam, depending on your chosen method of wrapping) for around 75-80 minutes. I very often make one large one to slice up and use in sandwiches. Make sure you wrap it tightly though. Enjoy! xx
Janet
The recipe seems very easy and will try it next time I need vegan sausages instead of buying them. 🙂
I have a question though. How do you tie the ends tightly? What do you use? Thanks!
Nico
I just twist each end of the foil, close to the sausage mix! Enjoy! xx
Anne Evans
I loved reading how you felt about meat and about the food you eat; it sounds a lot like my philosophy. I'd love to try your sausage recipe sometime - I need to get a few ingredients before I do. I'm just about to make vegan sausages using mainly mushrooms and chickpeas.
Anne
Nico
Thank you so much for your kind words, Anne - they mean a lot to me. I really hope you love my sausage recipe; in the meantime, enjoy your mushroom and chickpea ones! xx
Daniel
Hi Nico! Thanks so much for the recipe. It looks very yummy and easy to make, so I will definitely try it soon. Just a quick note regarding the seasoning from Butchers Sundries. There is no such thing as Premium Pork & Herb Sausage Seasoning on their website, or at least I didn't find it. The two similar options I did find in the Seasonings section of their website are Premium Pork Sausage Seasoning, which is vegan, and Traditional Pork and Herb Sausage Seasoning, which contains E120, thus not vegan. Hope that helps!
Daniel
Nico
Hi Daniel, thanks so much for pointing that out... yes it does help! It seems they've changed the name of it. I just bought some of their premium pork sausage seasoning, and it's the same as the old pork and herb one. I've updated the recipe notes with a direct link to the right one, plus also a link to the same one sold by Tongmaster. Thanks so much for your feedback, it's really appreciated! xx
Patricia
Do we make the aquafaba from the liquid in the can before adding or are you referring to just adding the liquid ??
Nico
Hi Patricia, no, just add the liquid from the can. Or if you've made your own AF, use that instead. Enjoy! xx
Diana
Just did these yesterday and I loved them. The only thing I could say was that I hoped they would be a bit more firm, with a bit more of consistency. Flavour wise was amazing. Any tips on how to increase the firmness? Thank you in advance. Best regards
Nico
Hi Diana, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment, and I'm so happy you enjoyed the sausages. Sorry they weren't firm enough for you though, how long did you knead the dough for? Next time, you could knead it for another few minutes, which will make the sausages firmer. As you can see from pics, mine are firm! Good luck, and do let me know if there's anything else I can help with! xx
Patricia Cage Bibbs
This is an absolute delicious sausage. I made it and put it it in my spaghetti sauce over veggie pasta and my husband who grew up in New Orleans has come along with me of eating a lot of vegan recipes. Even though we are pescertarians...only seafood lovers, all other recipes are vegan. We gave up all other meats July 2017 and our daughter Satin has joined us. These sausage are great with my homemade sandwich bread with veganeise.
Nico
I am so, so thrilled that you love these sausages, Patricia, thank you for letting me know. It always gives me big happy when people take the time to leave such wonderful feedback! Good for you for adopting a mainly vegan diet, and it's great news that your daughter (lovely name, BTW) has joined you both now. Keep it up! xx
Lee Cooper
I'm about to give these a try!
Being a rabid anti-vegan (I've yet to find ONE edible recipe), I do attempt to find substitutions for my Pescatorian wife. I personally don't eat much meat anymore, due to cooking for a non-meat-eater, but for certain things, I go looking for meat-substitutes.
I have a few cumberland sausages that I brought from the UK back to Egypt and I'm going to use them to make a taod-in-the-hole, but that's no good for my lovely lady, so off I went to see if it could find a veggie alternative for her (she doesn't like the taste of meat, so veggie sausages pretending to be meat won't do her, and veggie sausages aren't really available here anyway).
You recipe looks wonderful, going by the photos and the look of the sausage texture. There's next to no chance of us getting VWG here, although I'm going to search high and low for a high-gluten flour to replace it.
I'll also be using soy sauce rather than the coconut aminos and probably gram flour rather than the buck wheat. The pork sausage seasoning will be sage and onion most likely, so I'll report back with the results. A dozen of these, 4 going into the yorkshire pudding for the toad-in-the-hole and the rest being frozen, should last us a while.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Nico
Hi Lee, great to hear from you! I understand the anti-vegan thing... there's a lot of woo out there, and even more recipes which I wouldn't even think about making! I'm sure you'll find some very edible recipes here on yumsome though! 😉
Re. finding vital wheat gluten - if you can't get it in Egypt, you can make seitan with normal all-purpose flour (or white bread flour if you can get that), making a dough, then rinsing it in cold water. It's a bit time-consuming, and it does mean that flavourings have to be worked into it afterward or added to the simmering stock, but that's how I made it for years before I knew about vital wheat gluten. There are lots of videos on youtube if you need them (check out Connie's Rawsome Kitchen - not all of her recipes are raw, BTW!).
Your toad in the hole sounds like it's going to be gorgeous - I look forward to reading about how you got on with it, and what your wife's thoughts were! xx
sylvia smits
This is the best seitan I have made untill now. The whole family loves them. I made 8 times the amount and I think it will be gone in about a week. Thank you so much!!! Love from Holland.
Nico
Eight times the recipe? Wow, I don't think I've ever had anyone show such enthusiasm before! I am beyond happy that you love these sausages so much! xx
Tara
These are so delicious! I went vegan about a year ago and has just started experimenting with seitan in an effort to help minimize my cooking time with making my vegan meals and my family's meat meal. I figured if I can learn how to make good vegan "meat"that perhaps I could save myself some time having to cook 2 separate meals all the time. My carnivore husband made these with me last night and he really liked them. It is just a smidge on the salty side but add some maple syrup and it's seriously the best!
Nico
Firstly, congratulations on a year of being vegan, Tara - go you! Secondly, thanks so much for the feedback; I'm really happy you and your family are enjoying the sausages! xx
Mary
Can I slice up the finished product and add it to stew or soup? I am dying to try this.
Nico
Absolutely, Mary - I do it all the time, and it's fantastic! In fact, I do it for this tagine recipe! xx
Rachelle
delicious sausage, Just a a little proud of myself, was the first time using VWG, and newly vegan. SOO many recipes to try YaaY Me.
Nico
Ha ha ha - brilliant, Rachelle... definitely something to be proud of! Welcome to the wonderful world of seitan! Oh, and huge congrats on becoming vegan - if there's anything I can help with, please don't hesitate to ask! xx
Diane Teare
Hey! Just made my first batch of these, I didn't have any sausage seasoning so just mixed some herbs I had to hand. I completely forgot to put the AF in so hopefully they aren't too dense! I'll let you know if it does work out 🙂
Just wanted to ask about storing them. I have a small business on a very small island - Happy Cows on the Isle of Man! I want to start providing sugar free mock meats 🙂 I'll give you the kudos on my page for the inspiration
Nico
Hi Diane - lovely to 'meet' you! Re. storing the sausages, once cooked and cooled, they can be kept wrapped up, in the fridge for a week or so, or in the freezer for up to three months. How did they turn out without the AF? Did you add extra stock or some water, or did you realise too late?!
I hope your customers love these; if you give me a link to your website, I'll spread the word... my sausages (and a whole load of other dishes) are also on the menus of guesthouses, cafés, and restaurants around the world - literally from the US to Japan - so it's great to have another to add to the list! xx
Mary
I have just discovered you site. I love the sound of this recipe and will definitely try this. Can I just say to those who don't want to use foil. It's the old saying. Everything in moderation. If only use it occasionally then it's fine. I buy a foil that has baking parchment inside and the outside is foil. I look forward to trying your recipes. You talk a lot of good sense. No judging. Thanks.
Nico
Thank you for your kind words, Mary, they mean a lot to me. I am so happy you found yumsome, and I hope you love these sausages as much as we do. xx
(PS I've not come across parchment-lined foil - I must keep an eye out for it!)
Barbara Miller
When I make regular seitan from vital wheat glute, it expands by about twice. Should I leave some extra room in the foil to allow for expansion?
Nico
Hi Barbara! I don't leave any extra room; I just wrap them reasonably tightly. If you wrap loosely, you'll end up with a looser texture to your sausage... which is absolutely fine if that's what you want but I prefer mine to be firmer. The ones in the images were all wrapped tightly, so didn't have much room to expand. I hope you really enjoy them! Do let me know if there's anything else I can help with! xx
Paula
I made these yesterday and they are delicious! However, the texture is not very chewy, maybe because I used chickpea flower. Or maybe I didn't cook them long enough (but I really think I did).
Anyway, thanks for the recipe, it won't be one-time only for me.
Nico
Really glad you enjoyed them, Paula. Buckwheat flour is a bit more robust than chickpea (which produces a looser dough). If you use chickpea flour again, try adding a little less water, and see how you get on.
Also, it could be your vital wheat gluten; I don't know for certain but I suspect that since different brands of flour have their own subtle differences, the same might be said for gluten flour too. I use this vital wheat gluten from Buy Wholefoods Online; if yours isn't the same, the problem could lie there. You could add another tablespoon or two of gluten flour to the mix to see if it helps.
Let me know if there's anything else I can help with! xx
Paula
Thank you for your reply, Nico!
I used Veganz Seitan-Basis, but maybe I will add an extra spoonful or two next time. And even if the sausages don't turn out chewy, it won't matter, they are super delicious and once again thank you for this recipe, I owe you big time lol.
Nico
Awww, thank you, Paula! xx
Kelly
Thanks for the information! I did actually weigh my ingredients, I just didn't trust that they would hold together the way they looked in the bowl. So maybe they will be even better if I just stick to the recipe!
Nico
Oh, do trust the recipe! LOL! FWIW though, I totally get why you changed things a bit... I rarely follow other people's recipes exactly!
I love receiving feedback like yours, Kelly, because it tells me that what I assume to be clear instructions may not always be the case, so thank you heaps for letting me know how I can improve upon what I'm doing. I really do care about my readers, and it's really important to me that you're all able to make my recipes... so I guess in this instance, I need to make a video! (Yikes!) xx
Kelly
I made the spicy garlic version steamed in foil and they turned out great. Going to experiment with the other flavors too. I did have trouble with the "dough" not becoming spongey or sticky enough using the cup measurements provided and I had to add extra gluten amd adjust the spices. I thought it was interesting that no one else left a comment sharing the same experience - so I read the ingredient list 3 times to make sure I didn't miss something. If you have any advice please let me know, thanks!
Nico
Really glad you enjoyed them, Kelly!
Re. the measurements, the dough shouldn't be spongy or sticky - it's quite a wet mix. Perhaps the reason no one else has commented is because no one else found it to be a problem! 😉
EDIT: I've just re-read this, and I sound like an @$$ - I'm so sorry, that wasn't my intention! LOL!
Another explanation is that maybe when you measured out the gluten flour, you actually had less in your cup than you thought. Which method did you use? I scoop, tap the cup so that the flour settles, then level off the top. But using something which measures volume with an ingredient which should be measured out by weight is notoriously inaccurate*, which is why I always use kitchen scales, and advise others to do the same. (A set of digital kitchen scales can be bought very cheaply from Amazon and most department stores.)
*EDIT 2: I didn't mean to imply that you, personally, were being inaccurate - just that using cups instead of weighing is!
Something else which may explain your issues is the flour itself. I haven't used all brands of gluten flour but I do know that there's a difference between brands of self-raising and plain flours, so perhaps the problem lies not with the measuring but with the flour itself.
For all of my recipes, I weigh out the dry ingredient - in this case, gluten flour - then measure it in cups. My recipes work perfectly if you follow them exactly; however, if you change or substitute things, I can't really tell you what went wrong because I'm not there to see what you did! But honestly, the best advice I can give you is to use digital scales, not cups! xx
Barbara Gibbs
Hi, Nico. Thanks for figuring all of this out. You make it sound much less scary than other seitan recipes I've looked at.
If I wanted to make a sausage with a larger circumference (maybe two inches across), to slice for sausage and biscuits, how long do you think it would need to cook?
Nico
I'm going to show your comment to amato mio, Barbara, because he maintains that my recipes are complicated. He's the only person who says that though! Ha ha!
When I make seitan 'loaves' (which sounds better than 'slabs'!), I steam them for an hour. They are usually about 3" wide but flatter than a sausage, so for your larger sausages, I'd simmer them for 55-60 minutes, I guess. I'll be making some more this week, so I'll make some big ones, then let you know how I got on.
Also, I'm so sorry it's taken me a few days to get back to you - I moved back to Britain on Friday, so the last week has been one hectic blur of packing up the house, sitting in airports, going to the storage unit... I'm exhausted! LOL! xx
Barbara Gibbs
Thanks for the reply, especially at what is a terrifically busy time for you! Congrats on the move. I'll let you know when I get organized and try my hand at seitan sausage.
Nico
Fab - I look forward to reading about your results! Have a wonderful festive season! xx
Sarah
Thank you so much for this recipe, it seems like the best vegan sausage recipe ever! I can't wait to make it 😀 But I will have to buy almost all the ingredients on the list to do so 🙂 I put that on my 'must absolutely try' recipe board 🙂
Nico
Hi Sarah! Have you made the sausages yet? If so, what did you think of them? xx
Cynt
Hi there! Do you think it would be fine to use Spelt flour as a replacement for the buckwheat flour.
I'mso eager to try.
Nico
Hiya! It should be fine, although you may need to add a tablespoon or two of water if the dough is very firm. Let me know how you get on! xx
Cherie
I will try these tonight. I wanted to say that your approach on veganism mirrors my own exactly. My teenage boys have rebelled and request meat. Once a week, I provide them meat (thankfully, I can provide from quality, SPCA certified local farms), while I eat something else. Sausage and hot dogs are often a teen's favourite, so this recipe may go a long way to reducing meat requests.
Thank you.
Nico
How did it go, Cherie? Did they love them?
My son, after being veggie for most of his life, got drunk one night, and was persuaded by his friends to have a kebab. I was so disappointed at first! But you can't live people's lives for them, can you? He never ever turns down my vegan food when I cook for him and his family though!
I think it's great that you respect your boys' wishes, so many parents don't. When I was teaching, I had several pupils who asked me to speak to their parents because they wanted to stop eating meat but their parents wouldn't listen to them.
But then, I've also known vegan parents who refuse to allow their kids to try meat, dairy, etc. - even outside the home. In fact, one mother I used to be acquainted with refused to allow her parents access to her 14 year old son because he'd asked them if he could try a burger, and they bought him one. As it turned out, he wasn't terribly impressed, and was not in any hurry to repeat the experiment but his mother had a massive hissy fit over it! She was, admittedly, a very highly-strung person... the type who used overly emotive language when talking about animals. Torture, slavery, rape... her body was certainly not a graveyard! And she was massively insulting to anyone whom she perceived as being less of a vegan. Basically, anyone who wasn't her!
I'm sure that your boys will always remember how open you've been to their requests, and I hope that they appreciate what a big thing it is for you to accommodate them. xx
Cherie Michels
They were very good! Everyone in the house enjoyed them. There were a few learning and teaching moments, but well worth the effort...thank you!
Nico
I really appreciate you taking the time to come back, and give some feedback, Cherie, and I'm so happy the sausages were a hit! xx
Katie Bryson
Wow Nico, you've really blown me away with this recipe! I've never tried to make my own veggie sausages before, but you've totally inspired me - especially the Italian flavoured ones. I'm going to try them out on my family. xxx
Nico
I am so happy to hear that, and I'm pretty sure that you and your family will love them. They really are worth making yourself - so yummy! Do let me know how you get on! xx
Javi
These are by far the best vegan sausages I've tried! The texture is legit awesome! (not too chewy not too soft, just perfect). I made mine with chickpeas instead of beans as it was what I had on hand, but they still turned out great! And I'm loving how you can customize them 🙂 Thank you!!
Nico
Javi, I am so pleased you enjoyed these sausages - it makes me really happy, thanks so much for letting me know. 🙂 xx
Rachel
I made the smoked garlic variation for my lunches this week, and they turned out great! I put a little boullion into the dough mixture. They're plenty flavorful, though just a little bit drier/firmer than I'd prefer. Do you think a bit more liquid in the dough would make for a softer final product? I will sheepishly admit to wanting something more like cheap grocery store hot dogs in texture, because I have happy childhood memories of them. 🙂
Thank you for this marvelous recipe and cooking method! I'm excited to try more variations on this.
Nico
Hi Rachel - so glad you enjoyed these, and thank you for your lovely, kind words!
Did you use bouillon powder in the dough? If so, that's probably why the sausages were a bit on the dry side, so if you do that again, just add a couple of extra tablespoons of liquid. Or, what I sometimes do is crumble a veggie stock cube into the dry mix, and then add water instead of stock.
I've actually been experimenting with making something more hot-dog like - I'm not there yet but I'm persevering! And speaking of trashy childhood treats, I used to love saveloys from my local chippie - I've been trying to make vegan versions of those too. Yum! xx
Ashley
Can this be made with vegan sausage casings instead? Thanks!
Nico
Absolutely, Ashley. If you know of an online supplier, please feel free to either email me or post the link here so my other readers can get some too if they want. Thanks! xx
Carolyn
Oh gosh! This looks so good!!! I will have to try these!!! yum! Thank you for the recipe.
Nico
Oh, yes... do it, Carolyn - I'm sure you'll love them! xx
Emma
I was intimidated by the idea of making homemade sausage, but this was so easy. I sautéed some onions and bell peppers and served it all in a hotdog bun. Loved it!
Nico
Emma, I am so, so glad you enjoyed them. And now I'm on my way over to your place for hot dogs, right? 😉 xx
Stella - The Smoothie Vegetarians
These sausages look really good! Thank you for posting.
Nico
Thanks, Stella - I really hope you enjoy them! xx
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables
My husband is mostly vegetarian, but I know he does miss sausage! It would be so cool to make him some that we could both enjoy! 🙂
Nico
Oh yes, definitely, Liz - I'm sure you'll both love these! xx
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Well aren't those nifty! So much better making them at home then spending an arm and a leg at the store for processed grossness!
Nico
Absolutely, Rebecca! I don't understand why store-bought ones are so expensive when the ingredients are cheap, and the manufacturing process is easy. Cashing in on the vegan bandwagon, I guess! LOL! xx
Bianca
Just had them for dinner and they were a success, I liked the texture and taste, made the Italian sausage , will make them again and experiment with flavors.
Nico
I am so happy you enjoyed them, Bianca - thank you for letting me know! Glad you'll be making more too. 🙂 xx
Sylvia
These sound really good! And I love that you've provided a couple of different spice variations! Thank you!!
Nico
Thanks Sylvia - I hope you make... and enjoy them as much as we do! xx
Roland
I plan to make these this weekend. I need to cook some beans first. I make seitan sausages pretty regularly and am intrigued by your use of the buckwheat - first time I've seen that. Thanks!
Nico
Hey Roland - good for you... I hope you love these ones! xx
ELEANOR TURRINGTON
HI! What does the liquid smoke do and is it vital? Thanks! El x
Nico
Hi Eleanor! It gives the sausages a bit of a smoky flavour but you can leave it out if you want - it's not essential! xx
Donna Hampton Reeves
These look delicious.
Nico
Thanks, Donna - I'm sure you'll enjoy them. xx
Michelle
What can be substituted for someone with a gluten allergy?
Nico
To be honest, Michelle, as it says in the recipe notes, given that these rely on gluten, if you want sausages that are suitable for for people who can't have it, you'd have to find a completely different recipe. In my reply to Star (above), I've linked to one which may work for you. xx
Kay
Can the sausages be frozen? I am very eager to try them but can not imagine eating all of them in one week.
Thank you in advance for your reply.
Nico
Hi Kay,
Yes, as it says in the recipe, these sausages freeze well. 🙂 xx
Ygor
Hey there! Great recipe (: Would gluten flour (50%) work? I can't find vital wheat here...
Nico
Hi Ygor!
Glad you like the recipe! Gluten flour is the same as vital wheat gluten, so yes, go ahead and use that! And then let me know how your sausages turned out! xx
Corina
These look delicious and sound really tasty! I know I'd find sausages hard to give up at times if I gave up meat and it must have been hard in Thailand as those sausages look fantastic too!
Nico
They do look good, don't they, Corina?! And the smell... out of this world. It's a good job we don't have scratch and sniff computer screens... I bet we'd all have permanently rumbling tummies! xx
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
Wow - these do look like fabulous sausages...I would happily eat these any day! I love your philosophy on food...so wonderfully positive...you definitely give vegans a good name (unlike the person who posted a sheep gif and an angry comment on my FB comments the other day...the less said about him the better!), not that I need to be convinced vegan food is good, of course! I do think travel gives a much better perspective on many things...and a much more open mind...whilst I am by no means as well traveled as you, I did a fair bit of travelling in my late teens and twenties and have had the privilege of living in other countries too, and it certainly changes you (for the better!). Sorry for rambling in your comments...I get rambly when it's late! Eb x
Nico
Awww, thank you, Eb! I'm firmly of the opinion that there's little point in being the vegan police (and why would I, anyway?) - no one ever, when faced with an insane-sounding ranty person, said;
"Oh, y'know what? Shouting in my face has really made me think about the way I live my life, and I've decided that I'm going to change everything about myself now because you're such a paragon of balance and virtue."
Or at least, I suspect they haven't!
That's so rude of that person to do that to you... would they come into your house, and start shouting at you? Just because it's online, it doesn't make it OK to behave like an arse! Anyway, your food always looks so delicious... even when you cook with something I don't eat. Abstaining from a thing doesn't mean I can't appreciate it. I don't paint portraits but does that mean I think the Mona Lisa is rubbish? LOL!
And you're absolutely right about travel - it does give you a different perspective on life. And hopefully stops us living in echo chambers. It probably helps to be the self-reflective sort too!
Please don't ever apologise for leaving a long comment; I love it when people do that, and it gives me a chance to engage! xx
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
These sausages look really tasty! I'm really enjoying meat substitutes since giving up meat but I never thought of making my own, however this recipe sounds easy to follow so I will have to try it out!
Nico
Oh, I hope you do make your own - it's so much better than anything you can buy in the shops, IMO, Kat. And cheaper by far. For little more than the price of one 4-pack of commercial vegan sausages (at least here in the Balkans), I can get a kilo of VWG, and make 53 sausages! >.< xx
Alyssa
Are the beans supposed to be left whole or are you supposed to put them in the food processor? The raw 'dough' seemed weird with the whole beans in it. They're cooking right now, so I'll have to update on how they turn out.
Nico
Hi Alyssa! As it says in the recipe, "Blend the wet ingredients together in a jug or suitable container until smooth." - the beans are at the top of the list of wet ingredients! I imagine the sausages would be a little strange if you left the beans whole! Also, you can see in the images above that the sausage texture has no beany lumps! 😉 xx
Star
Thank you for the vegan sausage recipes. Is there a substitution for the vital wheat gluten that I can use? I have a severe reaction and intolerance to gluten.
Nico
Hi Star, thanks for dropping by! These sausages rely on the VWG to give them their substance but Rhea, over at The V Word, has some you might like to try:
http://thevword.net/2012/06/gluten-free-spicy-italian-sausage-part-ii.html
I haven't tried them, BTW, but they look and sound fantastic, and apparently, Rhea's recipes tend to be very reliable. I really hope you find a recipe that works for you... life is too short to not have good sossies! xx
Sophie
I have made my own seitan different times , then sliced it & froze it,..it was delicious each time. Now, I am ready to make your tasty vegan sausages,...they look very tasty too!
Yum Yum Yum! Sometimes, I buy vegan chorizo sausages from.the German brand: Wheaty. they are pretty great too.
Nicole
I'd heard really good things about Wheaty but I've tried it a few times, and haven't been impressed. I found it to be tough and lacking in flavour. 🙁
Do let me know how you get on with this recipe! xx
Patrick Reubinson
Thanks for the recipe. The technique for shaping and cooking the sausage was devised in 1985 by a chef called Ian MacAndrew, owner of Restaurant 74, Canterbury, Kent. The lobster and chicken sausage was poached in the "skin" of gladwrap, in water, not stock it was unnecessary, and no one knew how such perfect skinless sausages were made. We were sworn to secrecy until his book was published in 1986 and now the technique is often used.
Nico
That's interesting you should say that about Ian MacAndrew; he may think he devised the technique but he didn't! How do I know? Because I've been making sausages like this since the '70s. And my grandmother made sausages in this way too (although hers had meat in them), since at least the '60s when I was a child!
🙂 xx
Kirsten
Your recipe sounds great and I look forward to trying it out! I have a son who has become a vegan which has lit a creative fire to my culinary adventures and skills.
Nico
Hi Kirsten!
Congrats to your son for going vegan... and I think it's great that you're willing to make delicious and creative vegan food for him. I wish you many happy vegan meals together! xx