This easy homemade seitan recipe was something I always wanted to attempt. I was actually looking for something to fill my sandwiches up, something different than chickpeas, tofu, or hummus. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love hummus ( chickpeas) and tofu! This time around I was craving a change and a little bit of different texture in my sandwich and the seitan chicken recipe felt like it would fit the bill.
This recipe is made from vital wheat gluten aka seitan. Seitan is a vegan meat substitute that is nothing like tofu or chickpeas. It’s chewy, meaty, high in protein, and very versatile. You can flavor in a variety of ways, and this particular recipe mimics chicken.
While you can sometimes find seitan to buy at the store, it can be very expensive. Plus, homemade tastes much better and is so easy to make!
What is seitan
Seitan is also known as wheat gluten, vital wheat gluten, wheat protein, vital wheat protein, textured wheat protein, mock meat, and wheat meat. It is made from gluten, which is the main protein in wheat. Seitan is made by washing the starch away from wheat flour, leaving strands of gluten. Seitan is a meat-free option often used to mimic the texture of animal-based meat.
History of seitan
The word seitan was coined by George Ohsawa, a Japanese advocate of the macrobiotic diet in 1961. The name has Japanese origins with ‘sei’ meaning ‘made of’ and ‘tan’ from ‘tanpaku’ meaning ‘protein’. It has been traditionally prepared by Zen Buddhists since the 6th century but, due to the rise of vegetarianism and veganism, its popularity began to grow in the mid-20th century. Seitan is now a vegan staple and is a key ingredient for many plant-based diets and recipes.
If you’re one of those people jumping from eating meat to vegan this year – this vegan seitan chicken recipe is a great starting point for you. I have a delicious wrap recipe on my web and you can substitute the tofu and chickpea with this recipe 😁 it’s so versatile and protein-packed that there really is no reason why you shouldn’t try it!
Seitan recipe aka vegan ‘chicken’
Ingredients
- 2 cups Vital wheat gluten
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp chicken seasoning
- 1 cup sliken tofu
- ½ cup veggie bulion
- 2 tbsp tamari
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the 2 cups Vital wheat gluten with the salt and chicken seasoning.
- In another bowl, whisk the 1 cup tofu, ½ cup bullion, and 2 tbsp tamari until the tofu breaks down into tiny pieces.
- Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and when it forms a ball.
- Knead the dough for about 1 minute.
- Using a sharp paring knife, cut out the chicken cutlets.
- Place a steaming basket in a large pot and fill with water until the water is just below the basket. You don’t want water to touch the cutlets. Bring the water to a boil.
- Place apiece of baking paper at the bottom of the steaming basket to prevent the cutlets from sticking.
- Reduce the water to a simmer, cover the pot, and steam for 30 minutes.
- Remove the cutlets from the pot and refrigerate for at least an hour. This will let the seitan develop a better texture.
- ENJOY! 👌
How to use it ?
There is endless list how to use it.
- You can substitute in any recipe that is calling for a chicken.
- It is delicious when you fry and bake it in marinate.
- Add slices to bread for a cold-cut sandwich.
- Add to soups and stews
- wrap it up!
💡 interesting facts:
- Like meat, seitan is packed with protein and is a source of iron. Unlike meat, it has an insignificant source of saturated fat. It’s also relatively low in carbohydrates. And seitan provides all nine essential amino acids, those ever-important building blocks of protein.
- Seitan dates back to ancient China, almost 1,500 years ago. Buddhist monks in the sixth century discovered the wheat meat after soaking their wheat dough in water, removing all the starch, leaving a high protein wheat gluten
https://www.totallyveganbuzz.com/trending/what-is-seitan-definitive-guide-everything/
Yummi good
Thanks😉🙂