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Easy Vegan Sausage (Soy- & Gluten-Free!)
4.9 from 143 votes

Easy Vegan Sausage (Soy- & Gluten-Free!)

This vegan sausage combines cooked quinoa, pinto beans, and sautéed cremini mushrooms with pecans and a blend of herbs and spices including smoked paprika and fennel seeds. The mixture is processed to a textured consistency for shaping into patties. Baking dried beans before mixing helps maintain a non-mushy texture, while optional additions like Medjool dates improve binding. This recipe yields sausages rich in plant-based protein and complex flavors, making it a suitable soy- and gluten-free alternative to traditional sausage.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 8 (Sausages)
Calories: 140 kcal
Course: Main Course, Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan

Ingredients

SAUSAGE
  • 1 cup quinoa see notes for cooking instructions, cooked and cooled
  • 1 ounce pinto beans rinsed and dried // or sub black beans, canned
  • 2 heaping cups cremini mushroom thinly sliced or button mushroom
  • 2 Tbsp coconut aminos (or sub tamari, but start with less as it's saltier)
  • 2/3 cup pecans or sub other nut such as walnuts, or seed such as sunflower seeds, raw
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper plus more to taste
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tbsp thyme or sub half the amount in dried, fresh chopped, or rosemary or sage
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper optional // omit for less heat, or red pepper flake
  • 1 pitted Medjool date (optional // for binding — offsets the spice)
  • cooking oil optional

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. If you haven’t done so, cook quinoa and set aside to cool (see notes for instructions).
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and spread the rinsed and dried canned beans onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake beans for ~10 minutes. They should appear dry and cracked open (when cooked this way, they do not become mushy in the sausage mix). Set aside to cool.
  3. In the meantime, heat a medium to large cast-iron or metal skillet over medium/medium-low heat. Once hot, add the sliced mushrooms and coconut aminos and cook on medium/medium-high for about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently or until they’re browned, fragrant, and cooked down to half their original size (see photo). Set aside.
  4. To a food processor, add quinoa and pecans and blitz/pulse into a loose meal (some texture is good — you don’t want a powder).
  5. Next, add cooked beans, cooked mushrooms, sea salt and black pepper, garlic, fresh herbs, paprika, fennel, cayenne or pepper flake (optional), and date (optional for binding and well-balanced flavor). Pulse a few times to combine (some texture is good — you're not going for a purée). 
  6. The texture should be moldable when squeezed in your hands. If too dry, add more coconut aminos. If too wet, you can stir (not blend) in some extra quinoa. NOTE: The more you pulse / blend, the wetter the texture will become. So pulse just until combined to preserve the texture.
  7. Taste a small amount and adjust flavor as needed, adding more cayenne pepper or red pepper flake for heat, salt to taste, coconut aminos for more depth of flavor / saltiness, or paprika for smokiness.
  8. Form the mixture into patties (about 8 as the recipe is written) using your hands first to form into balls and then pressing to form into discs. NOTE: At this point you can arrange the sausage between layers of parchment paper if stacking and refrigerate up to 4-5 days in advance for quick + easy cooking throughout the week. Though for best freshness, it's best to transfer to the freezer after 2 days.
  9. TO COOK: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add just enough oil to coat the surface (or use a non-stick or seasoned cast iron pan) and add only as many patties as will fit comfortably in the pan. Sprinkle the tops with a bit more salt and black or red pepper. See notes for baking instructions.*
  10. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the underside is browned (turn down heat if browning too quickly). Then gently flip with a spatula and cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes more, or until the underside is browned.
  11. Serve immediately as is or alongside other breakfast favorites, like our Best Vegan Breakfast Potatoes, Southwest Tofu Scramble, or Easy Vegan Scrambled “Eggs.”
  12. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. You can also make patties ahead of time (up to 1 month), freeze (uncooked), and thaw before cooking. Cook as instructed.

Notes

  • Cook and cool the quinoa thoroughly before mixing to ensure the right texture in the sausage.
  • Bake the rinsed and dried pinto beans to dry them out and prevent a mushy texture in the final product.
  • Baking time for sausages ranges from 15 to 23 minutes depending on how crisp and done you prefer them.
  • Optional Medjool date aids binding and adds a subtle sweetness, but can be omitted if desired.
  • Nutrition information does not account for optional ingredients; consider adjustments for dietary tracking.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1sausages Calories 140 (7%) Carbohydrates 15.1g (5%) Protein 4.8g (10%) Fat 7.4g (11%) Saturated Fat 0.7g (4%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2.3g (14%) Monounsaturated Fat 3.9g (20%) Trans Fat 0g (0%) Cholesterol 0mg (0%) Sodium 294mg (12%) Potassium 279mg (6%) Fiber 3.6g (14%) Sugar 1.9g (4%) Vitamin A 200IU (4%) Vitamin C 1.7mg (2%) Calcium 40mg (4%) Iron 1.3mg (7%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8 (Sausages)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 140

% Daily Value*

Serving 1sausages
Calories 140 7%
Carbohydrates 15.1g 5%
Protein 4.8g 10%
Fat 7.4g 11%
Saturated Fat 0.7g 4%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.3g 14%
Monounsaturated Fat 3.9g 20%
Trans Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 294mg 12%
Potassium 279mg 6%
Fiber 3.6g 14%
Sugar 1.9g 4%
Vitamin A 200IU 4%
Vitamin C 1.7mg 2%
Calcium 40mg 4%
Iron 1.3mg 7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.