Log seitan

I really love seitan and because it’s so simple to make I really have no excuse for not doing so more often.  I spend so much cashola on the prepared kinds at Whole Foods.  That’s not okay.  Especially because I just dropped a thou$and smackers on flights to Spain and Paris (and there may be some car damage repairs in my poor little Civic’s future, too).  Contrary to what soon-to-be-revealed purchases may imply, I am not a baller, nor am I made of money.  Kyle and I are living on a single income, so it’s time to crack down on the budget.* 

So back to the seitan.

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I know I’ve previously posted step-by-step tutorials, but as it turns out, there’s an even EASIER method that I just tested out.

Log Seitan

Ingredients:

Dry

  • 2 1/2 c vital wheat gluten
  • 1/2 c chickpea flour
  • 1/2 c nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder (I used garlic salt and omitted added salt)
  • 1 tsp salt (optional)

Wet

  • 1 3/4 c water (or veg broth)
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Bragg’s

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Instructions:

Separately combine and mix wet and dry ingreds.  Add both together.

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Warning: inappropriate looking photos are coming up

Place seitan blob on a sprayed sheet of tin foil and roll it up like a tootsie roll.

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Bake for 90 minutes at 325 degrees.

[From start to oven, this took under 5 minutes – does it get any easier than that?]

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I realize the end result looks like nothing anyone should eat, but it smelled sooo good.

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I was nervous about how hard it would be because it was very different from the seitan I usually make.  Luckily, it was still semi-sponge-like (but definitely a more dry form). 

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I didn’t mind that it wasn’t the chewy faux-meat consistency I am used to.  Although it did remind me of a fat salami roll as I was slicing it off in rounds. 

Flavor-wise it’s exactly like the seitan I’m used to.  AH-MAZE-ING.

How have I been enjoying it?

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With roasted veggies.

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Doused in Bragg’s.

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In sandwiches.

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Toasted Alvarado Street sprouted bread + avocado + mustard + seitan

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And then with both roasted veggies and Bragg’s.

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It’s going fast, but now I’m sure it will become a staple because of how quick and easy the log method is. 

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As for storage…

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I’m so used to keeping seitan in liquid to maintain it’s moisture so trying to keep this new, drier “meat” was such a foreign concept.  I stored it in the tin foil and in a tupperware because I was concerned it would dry out. 

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It has been a few days now and it’s still perfectly soft and delish. 

Try this!!!!!

As for that budget thing.  Well. 

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Clearly I still need help.

*If this makes it seem like I’m at all resentful about being Kyle’s sugar mama while he’s in school, please note I am being entirely sarcastic and happily support our pricey lifestyle.  🙂

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Comments (107)

  1. hippierunner

    That is really cool that you made it yourself! And lol to the sugar mama comment.

  2. Pure2raw Twins

    Love the tutorial 🙂 Seitan looks great, too bad I can not have any since gluten does not due well with me 🙁

    Hope you have a great weekend. And so jealous about you getting tickets to Spain and Paris, I want to go back! haha

    I feel you on watching the money, not fun that ‘healthy’ foods have to be so expensive.

  3. Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga)

    the seitan looks great. skylar just came over to look at the screen and say oh mom that girls’ bread looks great (she’s only 3 and tries to read blogs w/ the best of em)

    your flights and your new camera!!! YAYYYYYY! congrats!

    i have the Rebel T2i and the past 6 weeks have been a joy w/ it! enjoy yours!!

  4. Tracy

    Is vital wheat gluten/seitan healthy? It seems so processed to me. I’ve always wondered. It is a nice meat replacement, but in general I’ve stayed away so far.

    Would love your thoughts. thanks! and I LOVE LOVE the blog- it’s the first one I read everyday!

  5. Jennifer@ knackfornutrition

    Seitan intimidates me. I mean, what if I don’t like it! The horror! 🙂

    You can throw some chobani, seitan logs, and mulah my way any day.

  6. edenseats

    clearly, you are the vegan domestic goddess. As a hardcore carnivore (dont get offended, I just like my dairy and meat), i seem to suck at making tofu or any other meat alternative so I’m following your instructions to a tee. So if I mess up, I’m blaming it on you 😛
    PS. If I saw a chobani package on my doorstep, I think my heart would flutter. hearts flutter, right?

  7. JL goes Vegan

    I confess, I never thought I would want to make seitan. But based on this tutorial. I’m doing it! Today!

  8. Olivia

    I have never thought to make seitan homemade, what a great idea! That sandwich looks so yummy, I love love love avocado and non-meat protein (tofu, tempeh, seitan) on sandwiches!! Thanks for the recipe!

  9. kissmybroccoli

    I really want to try seitan after seeing all your posts about it. I think I’ll be trying this recipe first…it’s like a faux meat loaf log!

    Congrats on the new camera! I have the same one! Just bought it from a friend a couple of weeks ago and still learning my way around it, but I love it so far!

  10. alexshealingbeauty

    I just stumbled across your blog and really like it already! I’ve never made seitan but I’m itching to try it now!

  11. Angela

    Brilliant! It never even crossed my mind to make homemade Seitan. Thank you for the tutorial!

  12. lynn @ the actor's diet

    thank you for the seitan lesson!

  13. movesnmunchies

    ahh i have always wanted to make sietan but i cant get the vital wheat flour! BOO!

  14. Ashley

    Chickpea flour…. hmm.

  15. elise

    I know. It’s missing from the photo. I actually used fava bean/garbanzo bean flour. It’s a mix but works the same. Bob’s Red Mill.

  16. Elle

    It looks so beautifully roasty, yum!

    I haven’t made seitan in forever but I think you can knead it a little to develop the gluten for more chewiness.

    Congrats on booking your Europe trip!

  17. elise

    Thanks for the tip! I’ll try that next time 🙂

  18. JL goes Vegan

    I made it this afternoon. It. Is. Delicious! Thank you so much!

  19. Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine

    This is too funny because I was JUST telling Mike last night that I need to learn how to make seitan…and here’s a recipe. Perfect timing!

  20. elise

    i swear its so friggin easy. promise.

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  22. Courtney

    Want an even *easier* and *quicker* way to make seitan? Steaming it! You can cook it in 30 min that way. Let me know if you want a recipe…?
    Courtney

  23. elise

    steaming? hmmm…yes.

  24. Brown On Rice

    Your seitan preparation looks just like how we make our Filipino “meatloaf”. That’s not what it’s called, it’s actually called Imbotido. Spelling may be off, but I believe it’s a dish from the region my parents are from, Pampanga. I’ll have to show you next time. I was instantly reminded when I saw the brownish log thingie wrapped in foil. My Gma steams them after wrapping the meat for a couple of hours instead of baking, but she makes like mass amounts of them, so it’s not really that time consuming. Deelish!

  25. Courtney

    I sent you the recipe in an e-mail yesterday…did you get it? I hope so!

    Courtney

  26. elise

    I did. Thanks 🙂

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  28. Joy

    I can’t wait to try this it looks so easy!

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  31. kim

    what can you use in place of soy sauce
    and the Bragg’s ?

  32. elise

    not really, those are kinda crucial ingredients to the flavor of the seitan.

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  34. Frances Hlavacek

    Hi! I made the seitan and it was great! No creepy blobbies crawling out of the pot like when I simmer seitan 🙂

    I am, however, the only veghead in a land of carnivores. Have you tried freezing this? I wondered if I could slice it up into various pieces for different dishes and stash it in the freezer to save me from the dinner freak out. I know seitan in broth freezes well…

    Thanks for any info!
    fran

  35. elise

    hmmm…ive never tried freezing it, but i dont see why it wouldnt work? if you do try it lemme know (and ill do the same).

  36. JL goes Vegan

    It froze up beautifully! I’m also the only vegan in the house so I cut it in half, kept it wrapped in foil and placed in a zip lock baggie and froze it. Was just as fabulous out of the freezer!

  37. elise

    Awesome. Thanks for sharing!

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  39. Frances Hlavacek

    Thank you JL & Elsie!
    fran

  40. Bridget

    Thanks so much for this recipe… it is AWESOME!!! So easy and delicious… and the bulging log coming out of my oven was pretty hilarious too 🙂

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  45. Kaleigh

    Made this today – awesome! I did the calculations on the recipe calculator from spark.com, and if you only break it down into 10 servings, there are 48.5g protein, 16.7g Carbs, 1.8g fat, and total of 262.5 calories. Vitamin A 0.0 %

    Vitamin B-12 53.9 %

    Vitamin B-6 192.1 %

    Vitamin C 0.4 %

    Vitamin D 0.0 %

    Vitamin E 0.0 %

    Calcium 9.3 %

    Copper 7.7 %

    Folate 24.1 %

    Iron 20.1 %

    Magnesium 5.6 %

    Manganese 2.1 %

    Niacin 112.6 %

    Pantothenic Acid 4.2 %

    Phosphorus 21.8 %

    Riboflavin 226.3 %

    Selenium 45.6 %

    Thiamin 256.1 %

    Zinc 11.6 %

    Awesome! Thanks for great, healthy and EASY recipe!

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  47. paula

    this turned out great! you’re gonna save me bundles not that i can make my meat from scratch!!
    thanks and by the way, i love your blog!

  48. Elise (Post author)

    thanks paula!

  49. Elise (Post author)

    awesome!! thanks for the info

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  52. Prathiba

    I just made this tonight. It is awesome! But, my log was like 2.5 times the size of your log in the picture.

    Anyway, it’s great and SO simple. Thanks for the recipe!

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  57. Janessa

    Yum! This turned out great! I used all vital gluten flour and added a touch of cooking sherry for a flourish, and it worked like a charm. Thanks for the recipe!

  58. Elise (Post author)

    hooray! glad you liked it janessa 🙂

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  62. Sue G

    What is nutritional yeast?andwhere would I get it and what happens if I leaveit out? I sawother recipes where ushape it and then boil it to death so the texture is more spongy. I tried ur other recipe and left the yeast out – and it sorta chewy – would the yeast make it more spongy?

  63. Elise (Post author)
  64. Sue G

    So today I tried this recipe. I could not find the chick pea flour but I found Bob Mill’sGarbanzo Beanflour – I am assuming it is the same. The log is a little chewy and dryer but very tasty – do you think like 2c of broth or water would be better? Or would it be too mushy? I did find nutritional yeast in bulk –

    On a different topic – I iike the qunoa casserole recipe – can I use other than eggs – since I am trying out this Engine2 diet.

    Thanks so much for having this blog – hopefully by following what you do and eat – I can be a true vegetarian.

    Sue

  65. Elise (Post author)

    bobs red mill garbanzo flour is the same. even the fava bean/chickpea flour blend will work. if you do increase the broth, only increase it a little bit because im afraid it would get too mushy with much more liquid (2 cups is probably a good start).

    about the egg substitution, are you referring to the quinoa quiche recipe?

    i think chia seeds mixed with water could be substituted for eggs (1 tbsp chia seeds + 1/8 cup water = i egg)

    hope thats helps! im so proud of you for how whole heartedly youre diving into this. congrats and keep it up!

  66. Sue

    Thanks Elise for helping me out and answering my questions. I put your link to your blog on FB since there are so many people I know who are trying to eat healthy and they have been asking how I make seitan so…hope it is OK! If so, u r famous :-))

    I’ll give the egg sub a try and let you know and also adding a little more liquid to the log seitan andlet you. The log seitan I made last night was tasty – a little dry like u say –

  67. Elise (Post author)

    hooray im famous! 🙂
    let me know if you have success tweaking the recipe

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  69. Denice

    Elise-
    I made this tonight. And it is SSSOOO good. I too didn’t use the garbonzo flower, and it turned out great. However, it is a little questionable looking, and even more if you unwrap it while it is hot and steamy…..steaming brown log….. my room mate was all sketched out.

  70. Elise (Post author)

    hahaha, i KNOW! sometimes i feel gross taking pics of it to post on the internet. it looks like…umm…yeah

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  73. Crystal

    I’ve been planning on making seitan for about 4 months and was put off by having to boil it etc so when I saw this today I was so excited! It was sooo easy and super yummy! Thanks so much for sharing this! Do you just microwave it for your sandwich with avocado or do you eat the seitan cold?
    Thanks!!

  74. Elise (Post author)

    i like it warm and cold. slice it like deli “meat” for a sandwich or cut it into chunks for a faux meat option in a stir fry or whatever!

  75. Kristin

    I recently have been told I cannot have gluten, dairy or soy and was wondering if I could have seitan? I have to follow a Low FODMAP diet which has been rough being a health fitness specialist.

  76. Elise (Post author)

    seitan is made primarily with gluten (vital wheat gluten is the wprotein portion of wheat), so it wouldnt be tolerable for you if you are on a gluten free diet. i have a fodmaps friendly version here: http://fodmapsdiet.com/2012/02/02/fodmaps-free-seitan-sausage/
    but it still contains gluten.

  77. Tessa

    Just put this into the oven..mine was more rounder though hope it turns out okay.

  78. Elise (Post author)

    howd it turn out??

  79. Tessa

    It turned out how it was suppose to but I’m not sure how I felt about it overall. I prefer any food made by others alot of times, mainly because I’m too critical of my own and convince myself it tastes funny. I went vegan for a few months but now I’m more of a “flexetarian” lol. For various reasons I don’t like cooking meat I prefer someone else to do it even though I don’t consume alot of it anyways.

  80. Elise (Post author)

    im the same way. im so hyper critical of my own cooking. also i know i have weird food preferences so im always nervous what i love, others wont. there are plenty of things i make that i feel so so about and then kyles raves about it….so at least it goes both ways.
    when i first when meatless i didnt mind cooking meat, but now i really would prefer not to be around it. i have no issue with fish though.
    flexitarian is the diet of the future i think…im all for a plant strong flexy lifestyle 🙂

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  82. Amanda

    I tried this out and it is heavenly. I love how I can cut perfect slices and it is soo easy.

  83. Elise (Post author)

    awesome!! so so glad 🙂

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  87. Bern

    Elise, for the non-Americans amongst us (I’m an Aussie/Australian) what exactly is Bragg’s? I so want to try this recipe. Thanks again for sharing.

  88. Elise (Post author)

    bragg’s liquid aminos are a soy based liquid seasoning much like soy sauce or tamari. its flavor is a bit different, but for recipe substitution purposes you can swap it for tamari or soy sauce if you can’t find bragg’s aminos at a local health foods store.

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  90. Allison

    I’m a little nervous to try this, but after all reassuring these comments, I think I just might do it! Peace 🙂

  91. Chelsea

    Oh, wow! My little sister wanted to learn to make seitan, and this method seemed a bit easier than your other tutorial (which I also love, by the way.) We are both so impressed with the result. Thanks for this recipe!

  92. Elise (Post author)

    yay! glad you guys liked it 🙂

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  94. Susanne McAllister

    Vegan cooking is all new to me. What is BRAGG’S?

  95. Susanne McAllister

    Whoops. I should have read through all the posts first.
    Aminos. I’ll look for it in the health food store.

  96. Elise (Post author)

    glad you found it – i love bragg’s aminos 🙂

  97. Rabbit

    I made the FODMAP free version (Seitan Sausage) and when I took it out of the oven, it had risen so much that it no longer fit in the foil. It looked like bread. It wasn’t dense like yours but very very spongy. Also, it was impossible to peel off the foil as it was completely stuck to the sausage. Can the seitan be wrapped in cloth instead of foil? Do you have any tips on what I can do next time so that it looks like yours? I’m wondering if the gluten flour I was using could have been too old? It’s been in my pantry for several years, but seemed fine.

  98. Elise (Post author)

    how weird? i don’t really know. i have made this recipe a hundred times without any issues so i guess the flour was old? i wish i had a better idea…did it taste okay at least??

  99. Elise (Post author)

    i will add – a lot of texture issues with seitan can be due to under or over kneading the dough. perhaps you may need to knead it more next time to get a denser outcome.

  100. Rabbit

    Elise, yes the flour was maybe 3 + years old. Also, maybe I did underknead the dough. It did taste ok, but texture is so important to enjoyment. I’ll try it again with some fresh flour and will knead it more.

  101. regularvegan

    Made this today.turned out great! Added some chili and mustard powder, wrapped it in parchment paper before the foil, but pretty much the same. Thanks, regular vegan

  102. regularvegan

    One more thing – I skipped the nutritional yeast.

  103. Chelsea

    I was wondering if anyone has tried storing this without refrigeration. I’m going on a week-long camping trip next month, and this would be great to have along, since it’s so easy and so filling. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep it cold though.

  104. alex

    My main problem with this recipe is that it isn’t actually a low formal recipe! The use of onion and garlic powder is definitely not ok on formal, and the chickpea flour is also a huge no no. Vegetable broth should be onion free as well to be safe for low fodmap. Any advice on appropriate substitutions? I am looking to replace onion and garlic powder with hing/asafoetida. I would suggest you not advertise this recipe as low fodmap, or at the very least tag the high fodmap ingredients you use as a warning.

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