Best Homemade Seitan

This seitan is eaten by vegans as a meat substitute. The flavoring for this goes well with pretty much any dish, but depending what you are using it for you can change the flavors up a bit by adding finely-chopped herbs to the mixture, or if you're making something Asian or Indian, some grated ginger wouldn't hurt.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins
• Calories: 188 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend
• 1 ½ cups vital wheat gluten flour
• 1 cup ice cold vegetable stock
• 10 cups ice cold water

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine the vital wheat gluten flour and nutritional yeast flakes in a bowl; set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the vegetable stock, 1/2 cup of soy sauce, tomato paste, garlic, lemon zest, and seasoning blend.

Step 2

Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir with a firm spatula. Knead the dough until a spongy, elastic dough forms, about 3 minutes. Roll the dough into a log shape and cut it into 3 equal pieces.

Step 3

Combine 1/2 cup of soy sauce and cold water in a large pot. The simmering broth should be very cold when you add the dough to help it keep a firm texture and ensure that it doesn't break apart. Place the dough pieces in the cold broth, partially cover the pot, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and simmer for 1 hour, turning the dough pieces occasionally.

Step 4

Remove the pot from the heat and let the gluten cool in the broth for at least 30 minutes. To store the gluten, refrigerate, covered in the broth, in a sealed container for up to 5 days.

Step 5

If your recipe calls for seitan, cut the gluten into pieces. Add vegetable oil to a heavy skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the gluten pieces and cook for 20 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally.