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If you’re looking for a vegan holiday roast, look no further than this homemade vegan turkey seitan roast! It’s stuffed with the best fall vegetables, savory vegan stuffing, then served with vegan gravy and a side of cranberry sauce and potatoes au gratin. You can’t go wrong with this one!
What is vital wheat gluten?
Vital wheat gluten is essentially wheat flour stripped of everything except the gluten. This is done by hydrating the wheat flou, then stripping the flour of all starches, leaving just the main protein behind.
This ingredient, also known as “wheat gluten,” “gluten flour” or “wheat meat” is a very popular meat substitute, particularly in Asian cuisine and among Buddhists. It’s well known for its extra chewy, meat-like texture and makes for an amazing chicken, turkey and even beef substitute.
At first, we were intimidated by using vital wheat gluten, but it’s much easier than it seems! Now, we make seitan all the time AND thought why not make our own Tofurky or Field Roast inspired vegan roast? We are super stoked on the outcome and we hope you love it as much as we do!
Try our Homemade Vegan Deli Meat and Vegan Chicken Nuggets made with vital wheat gluten next!
A few ingredient notes:
- Kabocha squash: This vegetable is compared to the taste and texture of pumpkin and sweet potato combined. Kabocha squash is readily available at our local grocery store in the fall and winter, but if needed, feel free to substitute with cubed pumpkin, butternut, or sweet potato!
- Fresh herbs: This vegan roast is made with a blend of fresh herbs including thyme, sage and rosemary. Fresh herbs are much more flavorful than dried and we highly recommend them over dried.
- Vegan stuffing: For this stuffed holiday roast, you’ll need 1 cup of vegan stuffing. Feel free to use one of our vegan stuffing recipes: Vegan Buttermilk Biscuit Stuffing Everything Bagel Stuffing, or Gluten-Free Sourdough Stuffing. Or, opt for a store-bought version.
- White beans: Beans improve the texture of the vegan roast and add an additional source of protein. We used Great Northern beans, but any white beans will work in a pinch.
- Vital wheat gluten: Bob’s Red Mill has by far our favorite vital wheat gluten, and we would highly recommend you try theirs out for your homemade seitan. Find a store near you that sells it!
- Garbanzo bean flour: Like white beans, garbanzo bean flour (also known as chickpea flour) improves the texture of the roast and makes it soft and chewy.
Equipment Needed
How to Make a Vegan Holiday Roast
This vegan holiday roast recipe is a bit more involved than most of our recipes. It may be helpful for you to watch us make this vegan roast start to finish before getting started.
- Prepare the vegan roast filling. Mix together the vegetable filling ingredients in a greased medium-sized baking dish and bake for about 40 minutes, mixing halfway through. Once cooked, remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Start making the seitan. In a medium-sized bowl, mash the white beans with a fork or potato masher until broken down but still textured. Add the vegan chicken broth and vegan Worcestershire sauce. Mix to combine.
- Make the vital wheat gluten dough. In a separate large-sized bowl, whisk together the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, garlic power, onion powder, poultry seasoning, fresh herbs and salt and pepper. Once uniform, add in the white bean mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until a dough-like consistency is reached.
- Knead the dough. Once the mixture has become a dough, switch to kneading the mixture until soft and stretchy, about 5 minutes. Watch how to make it here!
- Roll the seitan dough out into a 12”x10” rectangle. Lay down a layer of foil followed by a layer of parchment paper, then place the seitan dough on top of the parchment. Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 12”x10” shape.
- Add the filling. Place the roasted vegetables on the lower ⅓ of the seitan rectangle in a tight bundle. Leave about 2” around the edges to prevent the vegetable filling from falling out.
- Roll the vegan roast. Grab the parchment paper layer and use it to roll the bottom half of the seitan over the filling. Continue rolling until the vegan roast is in a log shape. Fold over the sides to seal the vegan roast shut by pinching the sides together to close the seam.
- Wrap the roast in parchment paper and foil. Roll the sides of the parchment paper in and then wrap it up tightly like you would a burrito. Do the same with the foil, then twist the ends of the foil like a peppermint candy to seal the loaf inside.
- Bake! Place the vegan roast on a baking sheet or in a baking dish and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Rotate the roll every 20 minutes for even cooking.
- Cool and serve. Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing and serving!
Filling Variations
You can bake this vegan holiday roast with our vegetable filling made with some of our favorite fall ingredients, but you could really fill this roast with anything you want. Just keep the ratios somewhat similar so the roast isn’t overfilled
Here are a few of our favorite side dishes you could choose to fill your vegan roast with:
- Easy Cranberry Sauce
- Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Vegan Potatoes Au Gratin
- Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Easy Vegan Gravy
- Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese
Make it a Wellington
Once the holiday roast has baked and cooled, lightly flour a work surface and roll out puff pastry about ¼” thick. Place the seitan onto the puff pastry and roll the pastry around the seitan loaf. Wet the ends with water, then pinch them together to seal.
Refrigerate it for 30 minutes, then bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 400F, or until the puff pastry is golden brown.
Serving Suggestions
Plan a full vegan Thanksgiving spread with our 50+ Easy Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes or at the very least, serve this vegan roast with vegan gravy and cranberry sauce!
Recipe FAQs
No, vital wheat gluten and flour are very, very different products. There is unfortunately no possible substitute for vital wheat gluten.
If unopened and stored in a cool, dry place, vital wheat gluten can last for several years. Once opened, it is best to use within a year for optimal freshness.
Vital wheat gluten is typically found near the other baking ingredients such as flour and gluten-free flours. It can also sometimes be found in the “health food” section, if it is a smaller grocery store.
If your roast comes out tough, it may have needed to be kneaded a bit more. When making, we suggest kneading for about 5 minutes, or until soft and stretchy.
Although making your own at home is always ideal, sometimes you need a quick entree to bring to a friendsgiving or a last minute get together. Check out this Ultimate Guide to Vegan Holiday Roasts and find a new favorite.
Storage Instructions
Vegan roast is best enjoyed within a day or two of cooking, but will last in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week. We have not tested freezing this recipe, but if you give it a try, let us know!
To reheat, place in a baking dish and pour over some vegetable broth. Warm through in the oven at 350 F for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Other Vegan Holiday Recipes You May Enjoy:
- Skillet Biscuit Pot Pie
- Oil-Free Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Vegan White Lasagna
- Easy Veggie Meatloaf
- Vegetable Wellington
- 50 Easy Vegan Christmas Recipes
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes, we love to see your photos!
Print
Vegan Holiday Roast
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices
Description
In need a vegan entree for the holidays? Look no further! You can make this flavor-packed holiday roast from scratch! A vegan turkey seitan roast loaded up with a mushroom and squash filling, you can’t go wrong with this one!
Ingredients
Vegetable Filling
- 1 cup diced kabocha squash (cut into 1/3″ cubes)
- 2 ounces baby bella mushrooms, diced small
- 1 leek (white and light green parts only), finely sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 1/4 cup diced yellow onion (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh sage
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
- 2 tablespoons vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper, as desired
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
- 1 cup prepared vegan stuffing (either homemade or storebought)
Seitan
- 1/2 cup cooked great northern white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups vegan chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (we used Edward and Son’s / optional)
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill vital wheat gluten
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill garbanzo bean flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon each of fresh thyme, sage and rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Serve with
Instructions
- First, prepare the filling. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a medium baking dish with oil or vegan butter. Place all of the ingredients for the filling into the baking dish and mix it together until uniform. Place into the oven for 40 minutes, mixing halfway through. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
- Once the vegetables are out of the oven, move on to the seitan*. Keep the oven preheated at 350°F. Grab a large baking dish or a baking sheet and set it aside for later. In a medium bowl, add the white beans. Mash the beans with a fork or a potato masher until broken down. Make sure that all of the beans are broken down but also that the mixture is not too smooth as the beans will help add texture to the seitan. Add in 1 1/2 cups vegan chicken broth and the optional vegan Worcestershire. Mix together and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, garbanzo bean flour, garlic powder, onion powder, poultry seasoning, fresh herbs, salt, and black pepper. Whisk together until uniform, and then pour in the bean mixture. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, combine until a dough-like consistency is reached. If it is too moist, add in more vital wheat gluten 1 tablespoon at a time until it becomes a dough. Switch to using your hands to knead the dough until it becomes soft and stretchy, anout 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Place two large pieces of foil (about 18 inches long) horizontally in front of you. The sheets should overlap one another in the middle by about 6 inches. Then place a large piece of parchment paper over the foil (as long as both combined). Place the seitan dough on top of the parchment paper and using either your hands or a rolling pin, spread it out into a 12 x 10″ rectangle. Don’t worry about any rips or tears, just simply grab a piece of dough from another area and fill in the gap.
- Place the filling in the lower 1/3 of the seitan rectangle, leaving about 2 inches of space from all edges. Make sure the filling is compact, use your hands to form it into a nice, tight bundle. Try to pack in as much filling as you can! The seitan will expand when cooking to it will get thicker.
- Now roll! Grab the parchment paper and use it to roll up the bottom half of the seitan over the filling. Keep rolling until in it’s in a log shape. Fold over the sides to seal it shut and then pinch it together at the end to close the seam. If there are any holes or tears, do not worry! Just do what we did earlier and rip a piece off of a thicker part to patch the whole. It will look lumpy and uneven now but once it bakes, everything will merge together and you will get a smooth loaf. Roll the sides of the parchment paper in and then wrap it up tightly like you would a burrito. Then bring it back to the bottom of the foil and roll it up tightly. Twist the ends of the foil like a peppermint candy to seal the loaf.
- Transfer to the baking sheet or dish that you set aside and place it into the oven to bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes*. Rotate the roll every 20 minutes for even cooking.
- Remove from oven and let cool. Unwrap, slice and serve!
Notes
- Seitan recipe adapted from our Vegan Chicken Nuggets recipe.
- We wait until the vegetable roast to make the seitan because they need to cool before going in.
- This recipe is best when enjoyed the within a day or two of cooking but will last in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- You could also take this recipe a step further and make it into a wellington-type recipe. After it bakes, let it cool and then unwrap it. Once it has cooled, on a lightly floured surface, roll out puff pastry into a large rectangle about ¼ in thick. Place the seitan onto the puff pastry and roll the pastry around the seitan loaf. Wet the ends and pinch them together to seal. Place into the refrigerator for 30 minutes. To bake, preheat the oven to 400°F and bake the loaf on a lined baking sheet for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown.
- The nutrition facts do not take into consideration the stuffing in the filling as that is going to vary depending on what box or recipe you use.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Category: Entree, Holiday
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional’s advice. This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!
This looks really good!!
Can it be frozen?
Can you prepare this the day before and then bake it the next day?
It would be best if you baked it ahead of time and then reheated it when you are going to serve it! It will dry up a bit when you are reheating it so I suggest maybe pouring over some vegetable broth while it heats up. Pop it into the oven at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes, or until warmed through.
This looks amazing! Definitely trying it!
Yay let us know what you think 🙂
Do you cook the homemade/store-bought stuffing before placing inside, as with the veggies, or do you let the stuffing cook up inside the roast?
Hi Jessica! The stuffing should already be prepared before going in 🙂
Thank you! First attempt at seitan came out pretty tough, but I think I need to very carefully measure out flat cups of the gluten. I think I healed it in there. Baking is so delicate! The filling was SO GOOD!
I am glad you liked it! It may need to be kneaded a bit more, we suggest 5 minutes.
Not gonna lie, I’d totally make that vegetable filling on its own. BUT, I do love homemade seitan, so I’d definitely end up whipping up both components of the dish! Kabocha is such an amazing ingredient–I adore it! Now I am tempted to make this recipe NOW, LOL!
Haha you totally should, it’s delicious on its own as well!
Wow. Inspired (recipe adapted from?) Isa Chandra Moskowitz’ Post Punk Kitchen recipe for Seitan Roast.