Best Vegan Turkey Roast
The perfect centerpiece for Thanksgiving or a holiday meal. Easy to make, and most of it can be made ahead of time, so it's a great stress-free option. It's super meaty, tender, juicy, rich yet mild flavor, and with buttery garlic crispy skin!! You and your family will be amazed at how delicious it is!
My Notes:
Servings: roast (about 1.7 pounds) feeds 4 - 6 people
Ingredients
For the vegan turkey:
- 1 14oz block(s) firm tofu drained
- 1 ยฝ cup(s) vital wheat gluten
- 3 tablespoon(s) nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoon(s) water
- 1 tablespoon(s) white miso paste
- 2 teaspoon(s) onion powder
- 2 teaspoon(s) vegetable broth powder vegetable instant stock mix powder or 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- 1 teaspoon(s) garlic powder
- ยฝ teaspoon(s) salt
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) dried thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground sage
For the crispy skin:
- 1/4 cup(s) vegan butter melted
- 4 clove(s) garlic minced or pressed
- 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) soy sauce or ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) dried thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon(s) black pepper
- 1 sheet rice paper
Instructions
To make the seitan:
- Food processor method: Add the tofu, vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, water, miso paste, onion powder, vegetable broth powder, garlic powder, salt, thyme, and sage to your food processor. Using the S-blade, blend the mixture until it is mixed well and forms a ball in the food processor. This should happen pretty quickly, but if it doesn't just ensure the ingredients are mixed well, and then you can form the dough into a ball by hand.By hand method: If you do not have a food processor, use a blender or immersion blender to blend together everything but the vital wheat gluten together until smooth. Now in a large bowl, use a strong spatula or wooden spoon to mix in the vital wheat gluten, mixing well, until a ball forms (you may need to use your hands as well).
- Place your ball of seitan on a sheet of aluminum foil. You can pat the ball into the shape you desire. I like a slightly oval shape. It doesn't have to be perfect, it will look great even if it's a messy ball. Wrap the foil around the ball securely but not too tightly. I like to do a double layer of foil to ensure it is wrapped well.
- Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the foil-wrapped seitan to the steamer basket and steam for 1 hour. The seitan will puff up in the foil and become tight. Once steamed, remove and allow to cool. For the best texture let the seitan cool overnight in the fridge. You can store the seitan covered in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze it for later.
For the crispy skin and to finish the roast:
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C). Lightly grease a baking tray.
- In a small bowl mix together the melted butter, garlic, soy sauce or salt, thyme, and black pepper
- Remove the foil from the cooled seitan and place it in the baking tray. Brush generously with the butter garlic mix. Run the rice paper underwater and allow it to sit on a clean surface for about 30 seconds until it begins to soften. Place the rice paper over the roast, (it's ok if it's still a bit stiff). Brush the butter garlic mixture over the rice paper to stick it to the roast. The rice paper will continue to soften with the added moisture. Make sure it's covering the roast and stuck down. (It's ok if there are wrinkles and air bubbles, those will be extra crispy bits).
- Bake the roast for 15 minutes. Brush with the remaining butter garlic mixture, then return to the oven and continue to bake for another 15 - 25 minutes until the outside is golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. The skin will get crispier as it cools. Enjoy hot or leftovers are fabulous cold as well.
Notes
Doubling the recipe: this roast makes enough for 4 - 6 people (depending on how many sides you are serving), but you can feel free to make extra roasts if you have a larger family so that there is plenty for everyone. The roast does need to be steamed so I recommend keeping the roast size as is so that it can fit into your steamer basket. Make as many roasts as you need, and store them in the fridge or freezer until ready to use.
Oil-free: for oil-free you can omit the vegan butter on the rice paper skin and instead sub it for vegetable broth. When roasting, keep a close eye on it as it may burn a bit easier.
Freezing: to freeze the roast, steam the roast and then let it cool completely before freezing. Freeze in an airtight freezer bag or container. Allow to thaw completely before adding the rice paper skin and roasting.
Vital wheat gluten is essential to this recipe, and there is no substitute. Therefore this recipe cannot be made gluten-free. For a vegan gluten-free roast try my Stuffed Butternut Squash recipe.
No skin: if you prefer a roast without the crispy skin, simply omit the rice paper, brush the roast with the butter garlic mixture, and roast until heated through.
Steaming tips: you need to steam the vegan turkey before roasting it. I recommend getting a steamer pot if you plan to make seitan often, or you can use a DIY method if you do not have a steamer.
Cleaning tips: vital wheat gluten is very sticky and can destroy dish brushes and cloths. So what I like to do is save old clothes, sheets, or towels that are too shabby to donate, and cut them into rags. I use these rags to clean up after preparing a seitan recipe and discard the rag once finished.
Aluminum foil alternative: if you prefer to avoid aluminum foil, wrap the roast in parchment paper, and then wrap the parchment paper wrapped roast in cheesecloth and tie closed with cotton baking twine.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (recipe makes 4 servings) | Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1046mg | Potassium: 238mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 4mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #easyveganmealplan
