Thanksgiving is this Thursday for most of us in the U.S., but believe it or not, I’ve already made Thanksgiving dinner twice. I’ve been determined to come up with a new main dish, a simple adaptation of my Seitan Stuffed with Walnuts, Dried Cranberries, and Mushrooms.
It took me a couple of tries, but I finally came up with the perfect savory, mushroom-infused seitan roast. You’d think that after enjoying it two times in three days, my family would be tired of Thanksgiving food, but you’d be wrong. My daughter E wants me to make this again on Thursday. My husband D and I loved it as much as she did, so it’s quite possible I will be making it a third time this week.
E is our family’s chief “Thanksgiving cheerleader.” She insists that we have the full feast every year, even if we’re only cooking it for the three of us. So before I get to the recipe, I thought it might be helpful to make a list of all of her (and our) favorite holiday dishes. These are not necessarily the fanciest dishes on this blog, but they’re the ones we come back to year after year. Our feast always includes at least one dish from each category below, as well as mashed potatoes. Got to have the mashed potatoes!
Check out our family favorites below, and if you don’t see what you’re craving, be sure to peruse my entire list of Thanksgiving recipes.
Main Dishes
- Baked Tofu (above, with Jalapeño-Orange Cranberry Sauce): This is the simplest main dish of them all and the one my daughter always asks for. —gluten-free
- Seitan Stuffed with Walnuts, Dried Cranberries, and Mushrooms: People will not believe you made this elegant dish yourself! –soy-free
- Dreena’s No-fu Love Loaf: This loaf has been wildly popular since Dreena Burton allowed me to share it on my blog, and rightfully so. I served it to non-vegans last year to rave reviews. —gluten-free, soy-free
- Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf: This grain-free loaf is tender on the inside and crispy on the outside and contains all the savory flavors of fall. —gluten-free
Side Dishes:
- The Best Vegan Green Bean Casserole: Lives up to its name. E has to have this every year.
- E’s Super-Awesome Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms: My daughter created it and still loves it. —gluten-free, soy-free
- Vegan Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing: Based on my mother’s non-vegan recipe, no one ever realizes it doesn’t contain meat.–soy-free
- Ginger-Orange Glazed Carrots: An easy vegetable side dish that you can make ahead. —soy-free, gluten-free
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Dried Cranberries and Cashews: Everyone will be impressed by this vibrant salad with pickled red onions, spicy cashews, and maple vinaigrette. –soy-free, gluten-free
Essential Thanksgiving Sauces
- 911 Vegan Gravy: This 5-ingredient, gluten-free gravy is simple to make and easy to season to your own tastes. –gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free
- Vegan Mushroom Gravy: Absolutely essential. And delicious. —soy-free, gluten-free
- My Family’s Cranberry Relish Recipe: My father usually makes this, but when he doesn’t, my husband insists I do. —raw, gluten-free, soy-free
Vegan Desserts
- Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake: My family would probably divorce me if I didn’t make this on Thanksgiving. It’s higher in fat and uses more processed foods than I like, but everyone loves it and it’s only once a year.
- Impossible Vegan Pumpkin Pie: Much lighter than other pumpkin pies because it forms its own crust. Another must-have for my family. —soy-free, gluten-free
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping: This casserole is a dessert in my family. Make it and you’ll see why!
- Pumpkin Bread Pudding: My family’s newest favorite is this lightened-up version of a New Orleans classic dessert. —soy-free
There are three reasons why I’m including this Mushroom Seitan Roast on our list of favorites from now on. First of all, it’s delicious. The mushrooms add a savory flavor without being “mushroomy.” They are chopped fine, and even the hatingest hater of mushrooms would have trouble knowing they’re there. They break up the texture of the seitan a little so that it’s more tender than most gluten roasts without being noticeable themselves.
Second, the recipe is fairly easy. You don’t have to stuff one thing into another or baste anything or stand over a stove. Put it in the oven and come back every 25 minutes to turn it over. That’s it.
And finally: Leftovers. This roast firms up in the fridge overnight and makes the best thin-sliced sandwiches ever. Enjoy!
Be sure to check out all 56 of my Thanksgiving Recipes, with more added all the time!
Mushroom Seitan Roast
Ingredients
- 10 medium mushrooms regular, crimini, or baby bella
- 2 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
- 1/2 cup rolled oats or quinoa flakes (old fashioned oatmeal)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon hickory smoked salt optional
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth room temperature
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, coconut aminos, or gluten-free tamari
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 tablespoon tahini or other nut butter
Instructions
- Wash and dry the mushrooms. Place them in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade and pulse until they are finely chopped. Set aside.
- Combine in a mixing bowl: gluten, oats or quinoa flakes, nutritional yeast, thyme, sage, onion powder, smoked salt, and a generous grating of black pepper. Mix well to distribute all ingredients evenly.
- Place the broth, soy sauce, garlic, and nut butter in blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the contents of the blender and the mushrooms to the dry mix and stir until combined. Once it becomes hard to stir, use your hands to knead the ingredients together, making sure that all the dry mix is moistened. Shape into a ball and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut two 20-inch pieces of aluminum foil. Place them on the counter with one overlapping the other horizontally by about half its width. You should have a surface of foil about 20 inches wide by 20 inches deep. Cut a piece of parchment paper about 20 inches long and place it over the aluminum foil with the bottom edges even. Put the uncooked seitan in the middle of the parchment, and shape it into a loaf about 9-10 inches long. Fold the short ends over the seitan and then bring the long edge closest to you over and roll it up. Place it on a baking sheet with the edge of the foil down.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Turn over carefully and bake for another 25 minutes. Turn again and bake for another 20-30 minutes. Seitan should feel firm and not jiggly. You can test for doneness by cutting into the middle and making sure that it is firm and not dough-like. If necessary, give it more time.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing. Keep leftovers tightly covered to prevent them from drying out.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Katie
Can you omit the nut butter?
Susan Voisin
You can leave it out, but that little bit of fat affects the protein in the gluten and makes the seitan more tender.
denise leach
Oh yeah! I just left a comment that I did leave out the nut butter and nutritional yeast, and added tomato paste, but I did add a couple tablespoons of oil. I didn’t know the reason, just found that it does add a lot to the texture.
Jennifer
Do you think I could make it without mushrooms? My partner is allergic.
Susan Voisin
Yes, but you might want to substitute some thing for the mushrooms. Maybe a cooked grain or another vegetable.
Amanda
First time making seitan!! This roast blew my mind and even my very carnivorous family had to admit it was good and if I hadn’t told them they never would have guessed it was vegan! I made it exactly as the recipe calls except I added some truffle capacious I had (i was feeling decadent 🙂 and a handful of reduced sugar craisins, wow! Only thing is after I baked it according to directions (having never made seitan I had no point of reference for doneness) I thought it seemed decently firm but maybe a Lil jiggly so I popped it back in for 5 min got distracted and left it for 20 min! Oops so a wee dry but totally my bad but still really good!! Do you know a method for re-moistening the sliced pieces? They still taste great just a bit tough. Thanks so much for this amazing recipe and actually all your recipes. I love this blog. Such a life saver for a vegan with oil intolerance issues 🙂
Susan Voisin
I’m so glad your family liked it! I always reheat it in gravy to keep it moist. Barbecue sauce also works. Makes great sandwiches!
Amanda
*cappaccio not capacious . Oops Autocorrect
Alexis
Made this for thanksgiving as I needed something heavier for myself in lieu of turkey.
I did not have smoked salt, so I followed another commenters suggestion of 1/4 TSP salt and 1/4 TSP liquid smoke, and it worked well.
I’ve never made anything like this before, so when I made the dough and it was all weird and gummy I got a little concerned. Was it supposed to be like that, I wondered. I added a small sprinkling more of gluten as it seemed a bit too sloppy. The oats kept coming out of the dough as well. I really thought I messed this up. Big gamble making something I’ve never done before for a family dinner!
I packed it up and put it in the oven. I checked on it after the full time, stuck a toothpick in but figured it should be drier, so I out it back in for another 20 mins.
It worked! I carved it up, made a can of mushroom gravy and set it out. I was disappointed in the texture, though. Was rubbery. As a vegetarian I’m used to “fake meats” being this way so it didn’t bother me, but I figured the meat eaters wouldn’t care for it much. Should I not have maybe added the extra gluten?
The next day after being in the fridge the texture improved immensely and was more meaty. Its funny though, it tastes exactly like fake meat hot dogs… Probably due to my liquid smoke I’m thinking.
Now that I’ve made it once I will probably make it again. Maybe try some different flavours.
denise leach
I loved this! I omitted the nut butter and nutritional yeast, added a couple tablespoons of tomato paste and one teaspoon of rosemary to other herbs and spice. Better than Boullion NO beef base for broth.
I wish I’d taken your advice on parchment as it did stick to the foil!
Definitely will be making this with stuffing and gravy for Thanksgiving dinner!
BTW- I thought the blender for nut butter and broth unnecessary.
Thank you!
Jenifer
Do you have a weight equivalent of “10 med mushrooms”?
Jan Roy
I made this mushroom seitan loaf and loove it!
I have a texture-aversion to certain foods that makes some recipes less successful, but this one works for me for both flavor, texture, and nutrition/low-fat-ness.
Thank you!
Karina
Can I half or quarter this recipe?
Susan Voisin
Halving should work fine. I don’t recommend quartering.
Michèle
Hi Susan,
I made your Seitan roast and froze it.
What would be the best way to reheat it? Thanks.
My thanksgiving table is a delicious advertisement for your talents and my family loves it. I owe you so much!
Susan Voisin
Thanks for the kind words, Michèle. You can reheat it any gentle way that preserves moisture: covered in the microwave, in the oven in a covered dish with a couple of tablespoons of water, or sliced and simmered in gravy on the stove.
Jessica
Thank you for sharing this recipe it turned out fantastic. I altered it a bit. Caramelized onions and mushrooms first and then rolled it in fresh herbs and bread crumbs. I think it will be a hit this Christmas 🙂
denise
I’ve made your mushroom seitan 3 times now, and it’s become our favorite of all seitans! It’s so forgiving, I’ve somehow mismeasured either dry or wet and had to sprinkle a lot more gluten to get the mix to biscuit dough texture. It was fine. I accidently shut the oven off midway and have no idea how long it baked. It was fine.
I add a good tablespoon of rosemary and thyme because they’re my favorite. Next time I’m going to add diced onions
SO moist and slices thinly with ease. Pair with anything, but for Christmas I made along with vegan scalloped potatoes with took almost as long to bake.
Many thanks for this and so many other wonderful recipes!
Kat
Hi Susan and thank you for this mushroom roast recipe, I followed the directions exactly ( I cooked mine a bit longer) and is was so good. My boyfriend was so pleased with it, he wants me to make it all the time. I am going to experiment with the spices and see what else I can do but I will use this base from now on, I love the mushrooms.
Thanks Kat
Jane
This seitan roast is a winner! It’s fool-proof AND adaptable – and is on its way to becoming a staple for us. Thanks so much for your wonderful recipes.
Anna
Susan,
Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe. Although I am not vegan, just vegetarian, I have a hard time getting as much protein as I like. I’m an athlete so I shoot for 100g+ per day, but egg whites, greek yogurt and soy get tiresome. I love that this is such a lean source of protein and SO tasty. I have made this at least 10 times in the past few months and I know that I will continue to make it!
P.S. In case anyone is wondering, I sub oil for the vegan butter and that works well!
Sam
Having tried a number of seitan recipes, this is one that I always come back to because it’s so dang delicious. Such a great recipe! Here’s a mod I recently tried that I really like:
I used 8 mushrooms instead of 10, and I chopped and peeled 1 medium sized beet and blended it and added it to the blended mushrooms. I increased the gluten to 2 3/4 cups and replaced the 1/2 cup of oats with 1/2 cup chickpea flour. Also added 1/2 tsp turmeric. Super tasty!
Jamie
Hi! Thanks for this recipe it sounds great. I’m super excited to try it for thanksgiving this year. However being the only vegan in my household, do you think it would turn out okay if I halfed the recipe? How would that affect the cooking time? Thank you so much💚
Susan Voisin
Yes I think halving would be fine. Start with half of the time and check it every 10 minutes until it’s done.
Monika
Thank you so much for this recipe! You’ve been my guide through my beginnings as a new vegan and this roast has made me a hit with the whole household!
Katja
This roast is indeed delicious and leftovers do make the best sandwiches!
dora Helwig
Dear Susan, You are godsent thank you.I am a vegan and now am starting a fat free cooking with oil.your receipe’s are great .
Nicola
Thank you for your recipes. Today for Canadian Thanksgiving we had Mushroom Seitan Roast, Mushroom Gravy, Sweet Potato Casserole and Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake, all from your site
I did cut down on the sugar and spices in the Sweet Potato dish as I wanted it as a side not a dessert.
It was all great!
Monique Connealy
I am definitely making this for Thanksgiving! I’ll need to do a test run of course 🙂
Katie
I made this and the flavor was great, the ends were very tasty, but the middle was really dense yet mushy. Do you think I didn’t cook it long enough, or maybe should have kneaded it more? Thanks!
Susan Voisin
I’m sorry the middle wasn’t done. More time would help, and if you could make it a little longer and thinner next time, that would help the middle get done.
werner
Finally made this as trial for our holiday dinner. It’s a good one! Followed recipe as written plus 1 tbsp tomato paste. Baked extra 20 min after reading comments, but in hindsight not necessary. The roast’s stellar performance was the next day – sliced thinly and heated in delicious gravy. Thanks for another winner.
Em
I making this to take to a thanksgiving. Whenever I make this or a dish like it I infuse the broth with herbs before hand just to enhance the herbal flavors. Makes it a bit more money but I can taste the difference. This recipe is so YUM without even doing that too and am looking forward to eating it and having leftovers as well
Justine
Can you just put it in a parchment covered loaf pan?
Dee
Since my baked seitan often turns out ‘iffy’ in terms of dryness or bread-like, I decided to pressure cook this. It was FABULOUS. Definitely a new tradition for Thanksgiving in this household! I made it exactly as written, but couldn’t help adding some smoked paprika and some Kirkland no-salt seasoning. Then I rolled it in parchment paper-lined foil and twisted the ends. (You could also roll it in cheesecloth and tie the ends.) I lowered it into my Instant Pot, put in a mix of 3 c vegetable broth, 2 c water, 1/4 c soy sauce, a tsp onion powder, and 2 T vegan worcestershire sauce. Then I pressure cooked it for 30 min. After it cooled naturally, the center seemed a bit soft (mine was fat, as my Instant Pot is the small one), so I stuck it back in for 10 more minutes and let it release naturally once more.
After cooling in a bit of broth in the fridge, it slices thinly and makes a wonderful un-turkey sandwich. So moist and tender and flavorful! I’m sure it will be wonderful sliced with potatoes, gravy and stuffing on the big day! Thank you for an amazing recipe, Susan!
Teri of NC
I made your mushroom seitan loaf for Thanksgiving this year… it was really good! Thank you for the great recipe!
Megan
I know it is July and living in Florida makes it incredibly hot. But I stumbled upon your website and just had to try this recipe. I am typing this as I just ate it. YUM thank you so so much for sharing this delicious slice of a newly converted vegan
Susan Voisin
I’m so happy you liked it! I’m in Mississippi, and I wish I had the energy to make it this time of year. It’s one of my favorites.
Lisa
Hi Susan,
Could I make this with only parchment paper and not foil and perhaps put it in a loaf pan wrapped in the parchment paper? I don’t use aluminum foil after Dr. Mcdougall ‘s recent webinar on aluminum and Alzheimer’s.
Susan Voisin
You could try, but I’m not sure it’ll be tight enough. The whole reason for the parchment paper is so the food doesn’t touch the foil.
Lisa
Thank you Susan for your quick reply. I made it with only parchment paper in a loaf pan and cooked it as long as the recipe called for. The outside was very dry but the inside was great. I wonder if it was very dry because of my convection oven or maybe because of not using aluminum foil. I really love all your recipes and thank you for sharing your talent as I am immensely grateful to be able to cook your healthy and delicious recipes for my family.
Susan Voisin
I’m glad you liked it! Yes, the foil helps keep in moisture. I wonder if it’d be moister if you cooked it in a covered Dutch oven.
A
I loved this recipe and paired it with your mushroom gravy. The only issue that I had was the parchment paper stuck to the loaf and I had to carve it off. The areas where it didn’t stick were golden and the texture was amazing. Any pointers for me? With recipes like this I hope to convert my carnivore spouse.
Susan Voisin
I’m so sorry! I haven’t had that happen and am not sure how to prevent it. 😢
Ruchama Burrell
I am wondering if this could be prepared in a slow cooker, ideally slow cooked and then held on warm for 5 or 6 hours. This would allow us to serve it for a Shabbat lunch. If it can’t be held, I’d still be interested in preparing in a slow cooker and then removing it and serving it cold.
Raelene Boyd
I have not yet made this recipe, I have just found it. I have grown up with a range of dishes similar to this but we call them lots of different names just not Seitan. All of them are very yummy cold. We make a Stuffed Gluten for Christmas every year (quite similar to this recipe) and it is the best thing cold the next day. I make 2 of them so we are sure to have some cold on sandwiches or with salad the next day.
Maria
I really want to try this for Thanksgiving, can I prepare it the day before and bake it on Thanksgiving? Have you tried this. I’m worried that if I bake it tonight and reheat tomorrow it will be dry.
Susan Voisin
It reheats very well. I just keep it covered and add a little broth. I haven’t tried preparing it ahead and *not* baking it.
Valrie
This is the second year that I have made this because it is that good. I have not usually liked seitan, but I find this roast to be very tasty. Last year, I didn’t exactly follow instructions and ended up using too many mushrooms; the loaf was a little lumpy, but it still tasted great. This year, the loaf turned out just like your picture, tasted great again, and I had leftovers for several days. I am definitely going to make this now throughout the year and not just for Thanksgiving. Wonderful!.
Kim
Made for my vegan daughter for Christmas lunch. She (and I!) thoroughly enjoyed it, and later cold in sandwiches. She doesn’t usually encourage me to wrap leftovers to transport back to her house but she wrapped the end of this herself. Praise indeed!
Susan Voisin
I’m so happy to hear this! ❤️
ACC
Thanks so much for the recipe! I was wondering if you thought this could be made with shitake and/or oyster mushrooms. Also wondering if this could be steamed instead of baked?
Leslie Shocket
I had a Susan Voisin Thanksgiving! The Mushroom Seitan Roast was amazing with your Vegan Mushroom Gravy! I’ve sliced the leftovers-should I wrap individually to freeze? I didn’t have bread crumbs for the Green Bean Casserole, but used homemade vegan Challah! Ginger-Orange Glazed Carrots with extra ginger! I’m so thankful for all your delicious recipes Susan!
Susan Voisin
I’m so glad you enjoyed it all! Homemade challah sounds amazing! I think freezing leftovers in serving sizes sounds like a good idea because then you could thaw what you need.
Jan V
Thank you so much. I am a newbie. I love seitan. I love that I can make it myself. Your recipe worked for me! I started late at night and it was a cinch. Very, very quick to throw together and then just bake/turn/bake. I selected your recipe because it didn’t require equipment I don’t have. I had most ingredients and subbed a few herbs I was missing. Added a beet. I cannot thank you enough!!!
dee
This is the most well balanced mock meat I have made. It is the perfect mix between tender and chewy. Many different spice combinations could be used for variety. If I ground the mushrooms up a bit more, I think this would be perfect for deli slices. Thank you!
Louise Proulx
Hello Susan, First thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes! I’ve made many. This mushroom seitan load twice :). For the mushrooms roughly how many cups do you think? I feel like the last time I added too many. Thanks much! Louise
Susan Voisin
Thanks, Louise! I’ve never measured them by the cup, but if I had to guess, I’d say 1 1/2 to 2 cups whole mushrooms. Again, this is just a guess.