Vegan Steak
This Vegan Steak is tender and juicy, with a shreddable texture! Perfect as a full steak dinner, or chopped or shredded up for another dish!
This Vegan Steak is made from Seitan, which is something I don’t make too much. That’s because it has a lot of room for error, and more often than not, you need to let it rest overnight. Well the great news about this recipe is it’s super dang easy, and you can have it ready in about an hour!
And it’s great either as a Steak Dinner with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, but the texture on this is so shreddable that you can easily shred it for another dish. I sliced it real thin and made a Cheesesteak with it and that was phenomenal!
It’s super creamy and has a slightly sweet roasted flavor, perfect for fall and winter when it’s getting a bit colder out!
Ingredients for Vegan Steak
- Lentils – I used canned lentils to make this easy, but you can cook some yourself. You’ll need about 1 cup. A can typically has about an extra 1/4 – 1/2 cup, so save those for another dish (or just eat them like I did!)
- Vital Wheat Gluten – This is what makes Seitan! So unfortunately if you are gluten free you cannot substitute it!
- Seasonings – In order to make this recipe super flavorful we’ll be relying on a bunch of panty staples. We’ll do Soy Sauce, Vegan Worcestershire, Nutritional Yeast, Smoked Paprika, Onion and Garlic Powder and optionally some Mushroom Seasoning.
- Baking Powder – I’ve been adding this to my seitan as I find it reduces the unpleasant aftertaste that seitan can sometimes have. Some folks using Baking Soda, but I haven’t experienced much difference between the two.
- Kitchen Bouquet – You can also use Gravy Master or Dark Soy Sauce. This is optional to give some color, but it’s recommended if you can get it.
how to make Vegan STeak
Mash the lentils.
Mix in the seasonings and vital wheat gluten and knead.
Knead until it’s shreddable, then knead and fold in half to create layers. Cut in half.
Form each half into a steak like shape.
Steam the steaks for about 45 minutes.
You can store them in Tupperware in the fridge overnight. This will make them slightly firmer. But you can also cook the steaks immediately after steaming, the texture is still great!
You can even baste it with some vegan butter, rosemary and thyme and garlic! It’s super good that way!
You can also shred or slice this up to use in any dish that you like. I just had the leftovers as a Cheesesteak and it was amazing!
storage and reheating
You can store steamed steaks in the fridge for up to 5 days. Feel free to shred or chop them up for easy meals. Freeze for up to 3 months.
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Vegan Steak
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cooked Lentils (I used canned)
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Vegan Worcestershire
- 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Mushroom Seasoning (or salt to taste)
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 cup Vital Wheat Gluten
- 1 Tbsp Oil
- 1 Tbsp Kitchen Bouquet, Gravy Master or Dark Soy Sauce (optional for color)
Instructions
- A can of cooked lentils will typically give you about 1/4 – 1/2 cup extra so just save them for later or eat them like I did!
- Add cooked lentils to a mixing bowl. Mash them down with the back of a spoon until they resemble refried beans.
- Add in everything else except the Oil and Kitchen Bouquet.
- Knead mixture together with clean hands for about 5 minutes. Start off in the bowl. Knead until the seitan takes on a stretchy and shreddable texture. Then add in the oil and Kitchen Bouquet / Dark Soy Sauce. Knead that in as well. The browning sauce / dark soy sauce will create a nice marbling effect! If seitan feels dry, add 1 Tbsp of water and knead in. Repeat until the seitan holds its shape.
- Then, transfer to a work surface like a cutting board. Continue to knead. I like to flatten it out, then fold it in half on to itself to create layers, or a grain. Fold it in half in the same direction to form the grain about 4 or 5 times.Check Notes for more info on kneading!
- Cut it in half and form each half into a steak like shape. Try to keep it relatively flat and even to obtain even cooking. Around 1/2 to 1 inch thick. If the seitan won’t get that flat, let it rest for 10 minutes and try again.
- Fill a pot lined with a steam basket with about 1 – 2 inches of water. Bring to a simmer, then add the seitan steaks to the steam basket. Cover the pot and simmer to steam the steaks for about 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, if you can, check with a thermometer to see that the internal temp of the steak is between 180 – 200 F. This will mean it's done!
- You can store them in Tupperware in the fridge over night. This will make them slightly firmer. But you can also cook the steaks immediately after steaming, the texture is still great!
- Simply pan fry in a well seasoned cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat for about 2 – 3 minutes per side. Flipping as often as you’d like. Season with salt and pepper or whatever you like!
- You can even baste it with some vegan butter, rosemary and thyme and garlic! It’s super good that way!
- You can also shred or slice this up to use in any dish that you like. I just had the leftovers as a Cheesesteak and it was amazing!
