Vegan Turkey Roast!
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 45 mins
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Servings
4 servings
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Calories
347 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Vegan Turkey Roast!
Description
The Vegan Turkey Roast combines chickpeas and vital wheat gluten with flavoring ingredients like nutritional yeast, soy sauce, garlic and onion powders, and poultry seasoning to create a meat-like seitan dough. The dough is kneaded and shaped into a large central log with separated smaller pieces resembling turkey limbs to simulate the bird’s shape. Rice paper is used to form a crispy skin upon roasting. The basted vegan butter mixture, infused with garlic, oregano, and soy sauce, adds richness and moisture during cooking. The roast is steamed or oven-roasted for thorough cooking. This recipe recreates the hearty texture and complex savory profile of turkey using plant-based ingredients and careful shaping techniques.
The finished roast can be served as a holiday or special occasion main dish, accompanied by typical sides. Its substantial texture holds well when sliced and offers a familiar presentation to traditional turkey. Stuffing the central portion allows customization and added moisture.
Instructions note checking doneness after steaming, with up to 30 extra minutes cooking as needed. The roast can be pre-steamed, cooled, refrigerated, and then re-roasted to reheat before serving. Roasting is recommended over stovetop for full-size turkeys to enable even browning and crisp skin development. Use a roasting rack for larger roasts.
Ingredients
For the Turkey Roast
- 1½ cups chickpeas drained
- 1 cup vegetable broth or vegan chicken-style broth
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoons onion powder
- ¼ teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning see notes for homemade version
- ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons miso paste
- 1⅓ cups vital wheat gluten
For the basting liquid:
- 8 oz vegan butter might add more for the oven basting!
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon vegan bouillon optional
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For Crispy Skin
- 3 heets rice paper
Instructions
Make Wheat Meat Turkey
- Add all the turkey roast ingredients except the vital wheat gluten to a food processor (drained chickpeas, broth, olive oil, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, and miso paste) and process until smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, making sure to scrape all the good bits off the processor jug. Add the vital wheat gluten to the bowl and mix it up with a silicone spatula to start and your hands to finish.
- Once it has come together in a coarse ball, sprinkle some vital wheat gluten on a clean countertop. Knead the dough (at least 10-12 times). (*See notes for stuffing your turkey)
To Shape Log:
- Roll the dough and shape it into a thick log. Note that this will look quite small, but it expands when you cook it.
To Shape Turkey:
- Once you finish kneading the dough, break it up into five parts. Five small loaves (for the arms and legs) and one larger piece for the body. Use the skewers to shape the legs around it.
Steam, Brown and Baste Turkey
- Steam the turkey: Pick up a large Dutch oven or pot and a steamer basket. Wrap your turkey meatloaf and any other pieces in foil paper tightly and place it on the steamer basket. Then pour at least 3 cups of hot water into the bottom of the pot, bring to a boil and lower the heat to steam for at least one hour. (*See notes for tips when steaming the turkey).
- While the turkey is steaming, make basting liquid (aka compound butter) by mixing the ingredients in a bowl (vegan butter, soy sauce, minced garlic, better than chicken vegan bouillon, oregano, and black pepper).
- Make rice paper skin: Soak rice paper in water for 30 seconds and allow it to dry completely. Once the turkey is steamed, brush the turkey log or each individual component with the basting liquid. Then, wrap the rice paper around the log or each individual component. It’s okay if there are crinkles or air bubbles, you just want to get it covered as much as possible. Then, brush the top of the rice paper with more basting liquid.
- Brown the turkey (in the oven): You can do this either on the stovetop or in an oven. If using an oven, while the turkey is steaming, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Place the steamed turkey in a baking dish and pour basting liquid over the turkey. Bake for 20 minutes. Spoon the basting liquid over the turkey every 5 minutes to avoid it from drying out on the inside.
- Brown the loaf (on the stove): Heat a large skillet with some vegan butter. Add basting liquid and place the turkey in the pan and let it brown on all sides. Spoon the basting liquid mixture on the turkey once every 1-2 minutes to make sure you're getting all the sides until browned and under medium-low heat.
- Serve and slice with a serrated knife.
Notes
- To stuff the roast, roll the dough into a circle, place stuffing in the center, then roll into a log shape before shaping the turkey.
- Stuff only the large central piece for a closer resemblance to a real turkey.
- Seitan cooking times vary by size; check after one hour steaming and add up to 30 minutes if needed.
- Smaller roasts can be baked in a 9x9 inch dish; full turkeys require a roasting rack.
- Make ahead by steaming the roast, refrigerating in an airtight container, and reheating in the oven wrapped in foil before basting and browning.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 347 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 347kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 28g | 9% |
| Protein | 39g | 78% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Trans Fat | 0.04g | 2% |
| Cholesterol | 0.1mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 971mg | 40% |
| Potassium | 339mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 179IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 114mg | 11% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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