Vegan Sausage
These delicious, wholesome, vegan sausages are the perfect addition to a mid-week meal, BBQ, or potluck. With a soft and flavorful interior and slightly crisp exterior, this vegan Italian sausage is sure to leave an impression. Plus, this recipe is meat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-fat, plant-based, and can be made nut-free, too, if preferred!
Servings 7 sausages
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (270 g) white beans from one 15 oz can, drained and rinsed (see notes)
- 1 cup (90 g) oats (gluten-free if needed)
- 1/2 cup (60 g) walnuts (see notes)
- 1/2 medium (60 g) onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 chia eggs (3 tbsp ground chia seeds + 1/4 cup water)
- 1 flat Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3/4 tsp sea salt or less/more to taste
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper or more to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds optional
Instructions
- You can watch the video in the post for visual instructions.In a small bowl, mix the ground chia seeds with 1/4 cup of water and set the mixture aside for 5 minutes to thicken. Note: You can blend whole chia seeds in an electric spice/coffee grinder or blender for a few seconds if you don't have ground chia seeds.
- In the meantime, rinse the canned white beans very well in a sieve, then drain them and pat dry with a paper towel. Make sure they aren't wet at all.
- Process the oats and the walnuts in a food processor or blender (use the pulse function, as they should still have some texture and not turn into fine flour).
- Add all the other ingredients to the food processor and pulse again. Don't over-process the mixture, or it will be mushy. The mixture shouldn't be sticky, but if it is, simply add some flour (e.g. oat flour).Tip: You could freeze the mixture for about 10 minutes, then it will be easier to shape it into sausages.
- Form 6-7 sausages with your hands (I used 1/3 cup of the mixture per sausage). Place the sausages on a large plate lined with parchment paper and transfer the plate to the fridge for about 20 minutes.
- Wrap each sausage in some parchment paper and tin foil* (see note below) and twist the ends, like a candy wrapper. Then, place them in a steamer basket/pot (I used a large pot with a sieve) and steam for around 35 minutes. See step-by-step photos in the blog post.*Do not throw away the tin foil and use it again in the future. Or use a silicone sausage mold in your steamer basket instead.
- Once cooked, you can serve immediately, pan-fry, or even grill for a crispy result!Pan-Fry: Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Brush the sausages with a little oil on each side and add them to the pan. Fry for around 7-10 minutes, turning occasionally until browned and heated through.
- Enjoy with mustard, BBQ sauce, or serve in a burger bun like a hot dog! Read the blog post to find out how you can grill them or make a vegan sausage casing.
Notes
- Beans: You can use canned beans that are already cooked or cook dry beans until soft.
- Walnuts: You can use nuts of choice or seeds like sunflower seeds.
- Chia eggs: Flax eggs (3 tbsp ground flax seeds with 1/4 cup water) should be fine too but you'll most likely need to add a little more oat flour because chia seeds absorb more water.
- Oats: You could use buckwheat groats instead of oats.
- Add a few drops of liquid smoke for a smoky flavor.
- Store leftover sausages in an airtight container in the refrigerator (up to 6 days).
- Read the blog post above for more helpful tips, serving suggestions, step-by-step photos, etc.
- Recipe adapted from my Vegan Black Bean Burger. Rice wrapper inspiration (optional method) from Nutmegnotebook
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Sausage
Serving Size
1 sausage
Amount per Serving
Calories
192
% Daily Value*
Fat
8
g
12
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
5
%
Carbohydrates
24
g
8
%
Fiber
7
g
28
%
Sugar
1
g
1
%
Protein
8
g
16
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.