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    Home » Thanksgiving

    Vegan Holiday Roast

    October 27, 2022 By Melissa Huggins / 58 Comments

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    Make your festive dinner complete with this succulent Vegan Holiday Roast. It's filled with savory flavors and finished with a mouth-watering glaze. 

    Two slices of vegan holiday roast on a  white plate with gravy on top.

    Let the celebrations begin!! I'm SO ready for some spiked nog and a nice sit-down dinner with family and friends. It's always a blast!

    I usually make this Vegan Holiday Roast along with my Vegan Wellington for the main entrées and serve them with all the holiday classics. It's an absolute feast!

    This vegan roast recipe may look intimidating but it's actually quite easy to make, so don't be scared off. The hardest part is waiting for it to come out of the oven. I promise it'll be worth it though! Check it out...

    Table of Contents

    • Ingredients Needed
    • How to make a Vegan Holiday Roast
    • Success Tips
    • What should I serve with a Vegan Holiday Roast?
    • The best way to reheat leftovers
    • Vegan Holiday Roast

    Ingredients Needed

    Here are the ingredients you'll need and some additional notes:

    Ingredients to make the recipe on a stone backdrop.
    • Olive oil - you can also use avocado, sunflower, grapeseed, etc.
    • Onion - I used a yellow onion, but you can use white if that's what you have. Shallots will work nicely, too.
    • White mushrooms - you can use any type of mushrooms, just note that the brown mushrooms will create a slightly darker roast.
    • Garlic - lots of fresh garlic will provide wonderful flavor.
    • Soy sauce - it adds umami flavor. You can also use tamari or coconut aminos.
    • Cannellini beans - any white beans will work such as great northern or navy beans.
    • Nutritional yeast - adds lots of umami flavor.
    • Better Than Bouillon - no chicken base - yields tons of savory flavor and I highly recommend it, but if you can't find the 'no chicken base', you can use their regular vegetable broth. This will darken the loaf slightly and will taste a little different, but it will still be delicious.
    • Vegan Worcestershire sauce - If you can't find it, you can use barbeque sauce or vegan steak sauce. You can also use a combination of 2 teaspoons of ketchup, 1.5 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of low-sodium soy sauce.
    • Seasoning - granulated garlic, granulated onion, rosemary, thyme, ground sage, smoked paprika, ground white pepper. Feel free to switch it up here, but don't omit too much or it won't be as flavorful.
    • Vital wheat gluten - this is essential for the recipe and cannot be substituted with anything else.
    • Water

    How to make a Vegan Holiday Roast

    Here are step-by-step photos to show you the entire process. It's easy!

    six process photos showing how to cook the onions and mushrooms, then processing everything together.
    • Sauté the onion in oil over medium heat until translucent then add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
    • Add the mushrooms and cook until they have released their water, have reduced in size, and are lightly golden. Pour in the soy sauce and stir into the mushrooms. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
    • To a food processor, add 2 cups of mushroom/onion mixture, and all the remaining ingredients (except the vital wheat gluten). Process for 2-3 minutes, scraping down sides as needed until everything is broken down and combined.
    • To a large mixing bowl, add the vital wheat gluten and the mixture from the food processor. Stir until it just starts to come together (about 30-60 seconds).
    six process photos showing how to knead and form the dough, then glaze.
    • Using your hands keep combining, sweeping up all the vital wheat gluten in the bowl (about 30-60 seconds). Now knead for 5 minutes. The dough should be thick, slightly elastic, and somewhat fibrous looking.
    • Let the dough rest for 5 minutes then knead for 30-60 seconds and shape the dough into a loaf shape about 8 inches long and 3.5" inches wide.
    • Roll the loaf in a piece of parchment paper, then roll in a piece of foil that's about 20" long, and twist the ends like a candy wrapper, securing in place. Bake for 80 minutes, flipping halfway through. Now remove from oven and allow the roast to sit undisturbed for 20 minutes. Remove from foil and parchment. You can slice and serve now OR prepare the loaf for glazing.
    • Preheat your oven broiler to the low setting. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, oil, and soy sauce until the sugar has dissolved. Now, place the loaf back in the roasting pan and brush the top and sides with the glaze. Broil for 2-3 minutes until you see the glaze start to caramelize. Now brush one more layer on the top and sides and broil for another 2-3 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.

    Success Tips

    • It's best to dry-brush the mushrooms instead of rinsing them. They absorb a lot of water and this can make it difficult to brown them.
    • It's very important to measure all of the ingredients accurately and follow the instructions precisely or this will alter the end results.
    • For an accurate measurement, you can weigh the vital wheat gluten to get exactly 280 grams. If you don't have a kitchen scale, don’t scoop the VWG with a measuring cup directly from the container. Instead, aerate it first, then scoop it out of your container with a spoon and then into a measuring cup. Don’t pack or tap the cup. After filling, lightly sweep a butter knife across the top to remove the excess.
    • Kneading is very important and should be done for 5 minutes. Any less and the loaf can turn out spongy. Also, if you over knead, the loaf can turn out tough and rubbery. If you feel you may have over kneaded, you can let the dough rest for 15 minutes before shaping it into a loaf.
    • The loaf should be wrapped snugly but not super tight or it won't expand.

    What should I serve with a Vegan Holiday Roast?

    You can serve just about anything with this delicious seitan roast, but here are some of my faves: 

    • Mashed Potatoes & Mushroom Gravy
    • Sautéed Green Beans
    • Apple Cranberry Sauce
    • A Festive Salad
    • Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
    • Roasted Brussels Sprouts
    • Vegan Cornbread

    The best way to reheat leftovers

    Preheat your oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Place the portion you'll be eating in a covered baking dish. It will get too dry if you leave it uncovered. You can top it with some gravy for extra moisture. Cook until heated throughout.

    Overhead view of sliced vegan holiday roast on a white platter.

    I'd love to hear from you

    If you make this recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.

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    5 from 21 votes

    Vegan Holiday Roast

    Make your festive dinner complete with this Vegan Holiday Roast. It's filled with savory stuffing and finished with a mouth-watering glaze. 
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time1 hr 43 mins
    Resting Time30 mins
    Total Time2 hrs 33 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Servings: 8 people
    Calories: 202kcal
    Author: Melissa Huggins

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons olive oil , divided
    • 1 cup diced onion
    • 16 ounces white mushrooms , chopped (see note #1)
    • 5 cloves garlic , minced
    • 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce , low sodium
    • ½ cup water
    • ½ cup cannellini beans , rinsed and drained (or any white beans)
    • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
    • 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon - no chicken base (see note #2)
    • 1 ½ tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce (see note #3)
    • 1 ½ teaspoons granulated garlic
    • 1 ½ teaspoons granulated onion
    • 1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary
    • 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
    • 1 teaspoon ground sage
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
    • ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper (sub black pepper)
    • 280 grams vital wheat gluten (2 ¼ cups) *see note #4 & #5

    Glaze (optional)

    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce , low sodium
    • 1 tablespoon avocado oil or any oil
    • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar (sub maple or agave)

    Recommended Equipment

    • Food Processor
    • Large Baking Dish
    • Large Skillet
    • Large Mixing Bowl
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
    • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent about 2-3 minutes.
    • Add garlic and sauté until fragrant about 30-60 seconds.
    • Now add the mushrooms and cook for 10-12 minutes until they have released their water, have reduced in size, are lightly golden and the pan is dry. Stir only occasionally so they have time to brown.
    • Pour in the soy sauce and stir into the mushrooms. Cook for 30-60 seconds, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Measure out 2 exact cups of mixture (you may have a few tablespoons left over, just save for another recipe or add to toast).
    • To a food processor, add the 2 cups of mushroom/onion mixture, the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, water, beans, nutritional yeast, bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, granulated garlic, granulated onion, rosemary, thyme, sage, smoked paprika, and pepper. Process for 2-3 minutes, scraping down sides as needed until everything is broken down and combined. It won't be completely smooth.
    • To a large mixing bowl, add the vital wheat gluten and the mixture from the food processor, scraping everything out with a spatula. Stir until it just starts to come together (about 30-60 seconds). Now, using your hands, continue to combine while sweeping up all the vital wheat gluten in the bowl (30-60 seconds). Now knead the dough for 5 minutes (no less). The dough should be thick, slightly elastic, and somewhat fibrous looking. (* if your bowl is large enough, you can knead the dough in there, otherwise, knead on a clean flat surface).
    • Let the dough rest for 5 minutes then knead for 30-60 seconds and shape the dough into a loaf shape about 8 inches long and 3.5" inches wide. Roll the loaf in a piece of parchment paper, then roll in a piece of foil that's about 20" long, and twist the ends like a candy wrapper, securing in place.
    • Bake for 80 minutes, flipping halfway through. Now remove from oven and allow the roast to sit undisturbed for 20 minutes (no less). Remove from foil and parchment. You can slice and serve now OR prepare the loaf for glazing (next step).
    • Preheat your oven broiler to the low setting. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, oil, and soy sauce until the sugar has dissolved. Now, place the loaf back in the roasting pan and brush the top and sides with the glaze. Broil for 2-3 minutes until you see the glaze start to caramelize. Now brush one more layer on the top and sides and broil for another 2-3 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning. (*if your broiler doesn't have a low setting, use the high setting and reduce the time. Watch very carefully).

    Notes

    1. It's best to dry-brush the mushrooms instead of rinsing them. They absorb a lot of water and this can make it difficult to brown them. 
    2. If you can't find Better Than Bouillon - no chicken base, you can use their no beef broth. This will darken the loaf slightly and the flavor will vary but it will still be delicious. You can also use their regular broth if that's all you can find.
    3. If you can't find vegan Worcestershire sauce, you can use barbeque sauce or vegan steak sauce. You can also use a combination of 2 teaspoons of ketchup, 1.5 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of low-sodium soy sauce. 
    4. Vital Wheat Gluten - this is essential for the recipe and cannot be substituted with anything else.
    5. Measuring Vital Wheat Gluten - For an accurate measurement, you can weigh the VWG to get exactly 280 grams. If you don't have a kitchen scale, don’t scoop the VWG with a measuring cup directly from the container. Instead, aerate it first, then scoop it out of your container with a spoon and then into a measuring cup. Don’t pack or tap the cup. After filling, lightly sweep a butter knife across the top to remove the excess. 
    6. It's very important to measure all of the ingredients accurately and follow the instructions precisely or this will alter the end results.
    7. Kneading is very important and should be done for 5 minutes. Any less and the loaf can turn out spongy. Also, if you over knead, the loaf can turn out tough and rubbery. If you feel you may have over kneaded, you can let the dough rest for 15 minutes before shaping it into a loaf
    8. The loaf should be wrapped snugly but not super tight or it won't expand.
    9. Glaze: this adds nice color with a slight sheen and crisps the surface slightly for a better table presentation, but it's completely optional. If you want a thick, sticky glaze, you can use a thick teriyaki sauce or barbeque sauce, or a blend of both and broil it the same way.
    10. Serving Ideas: serve with Vegan Gravy, Sautéed Green Beans, and Cranberry Sauce or with all the traditional holiday sides.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 621mg
    Tried this recipe?Follow me @veganhuggs and mention #veganhuggs!

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    About Melissa

    I’m Melissa Huggins – the creator of Vegan Huggs. I started this blog to share delicious vegan recipes that everyone will love. Yep, that includes carnivores, too! Read more...

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    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Val

      December 09, 2020 at 7:33 am

      This looks amazing! Would it be possible to double the recipe to make a "longer" roast? Would it change the cooking time? Thank you for posting this recipe 🙂

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        December 12, 2020 at 2:27 pm

        Hi Val, Thank you! I'm not sure how it'll work if you double the recipe. I've only made two separate loaves at once and that worked out perfectly. I wish I could be more help.

        Reply
    2. Olivia

      December 09, 2020 at 2:35 am

      Hi there! Weird question but could I use tin foil in place of cheese cloth?

      Reply
    3. Cheryl

      November 04, 2020 at 1:43 am

      5 stars
      Hello can I omit the oil or replace it, if so what do you recommend? I am on an oil free diet so just wondering your thoughts!?!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        December 12, 2020 at 4:31 pm

        Hi Cheryl, unfortunately, I haven't tried this recipe without the oil. I wish I could be more help. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Clint

      October 10, 2020 at 6:43 pm

      5 stars
      Taste similar to tofurkey. Really good and easy.

      Reply
      • Support @ Vegan Huggs

        October 13, 2020 at 8:22 am

        Hi Clint! So happy you loved it, thank you 🙂

        Reply
    5. David

      December 20, 2019 at 3:06 am

      5 stars
      Recipe steps and process on point. Nailed it on the first try. Perfect!!!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        December 24, 2019 at 10:38 am

        Hi David, I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you for giving it a try 🙂

        Reply
    6. Debbie cowley

      November 28, 2019 at 3:21 pm

      Help! I just made this and the cheese cloth on the top of the roast is burned and stuck on. When you say rotate every 20 min , Did you mean to rotate the pan in the oven or to flip over the roast every 20 minutes

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        November 28, 2019 at 3:36 pm

        Hi Debbie, I'm sorry this happened to you. Yes, you rotate the roast every 20 minutes, adding more broth if needed. If the cloth sticks, you should be able to get it off by using a few splashes of broth. Let me know how it goes.

        Reply
      • Theveganguest

        December 29, 2020 at 7:37 am

        Hi! Great recipe! Can i wrap the roast in puff Pastry?

        Reply
    7. Scott Frank

      November 27, 2019 at 9:43 pm

      5 stars
      I will be making this for my feast tomorrow! I will let you know how it comes out!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        November 28, 2019 at 3:36 pm

        Yay! Thank you for giving it a try. I'd love to hear how it turns out for you.

        Reply
    8. Lisa Campbell

      November 27, 2019 at 4:10 am

      Wanting to try this definitely. How many people does this serve. Could the prepared doe be made and frozen ahead of time and then be thawed and stuffed and finish as explained.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        November 28, 2019 at 3:52 pm

        Hi Lisa, it serves about 8 people. I havne't tried freezing the dough yet. I'd imagine it would work though. Sorry I couldn't be more help. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    9. Maria

      November 17, 2019 at 5:39 pm

      This looks delicious! Would it be possible to make it without the stuffing in the middle?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        November 24, 2019 at 8:37 pm

        Hi Maria, yes, you can make it without the stuffing. You would just knead the seitan well and not roll it out. Shape it into a log and wrap the same way. The cook time may vary slightly. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    10. Dianna

      September 19, 2019 at 8:41 pm

      Thank you for sharing! I live in Kuwait and the Field Roast and Tofurkey brands for this roll is hard to come by. I’ve only found it once in four years. Thanks to you I can have on my table this Thanksgiving! 🙏

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        November 16, 2019 at 4:35 pm

        Hi Dianne, you're most welcome! I hope you'll see more vegan products out there soon. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    11. Paige Dalton

      August 04, 2019 at 6:26 am

      I can't find miso in my local supermarkets is there anything I can use to substitute it?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        August 04, 2019 at 7:49 am

        Hi Paige, sure, you can use tamari or soy sauce to replace it. Thank you for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    12. Sabrina

      December 20, 2018 at 6:45 am

      I have a question. Is it possible to make the roast in a slow cooker? I'm making several dishes (also for the meatlovers in the family) and I might not have enough space in my kitchen.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        December 20, 2018 at 7:54 am

        Hi Sabrina, I haven't tried making seitan in a slow cooker, but I have seen recipes online that do this. If you give it a try, I would still put the roast in the oven at the glaze step so it can crisp. I wish I could be more help. Have a lovely holiday 🙂

        Reply
    13. Sara

      December 16, 2018 at 11:57 pm

      5 stars
      Do you think you can make this the day before and then reheat, or even freeze?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        December 17, 2018 at 12:18 am

        Yes, you can make this ahead. I haven't tried freezing it yet, but I have refrigerated it for a few days. You have to cover it on the reheat to keep it from drying out. I reheat at 350 F for about 40-45 minutes. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    14. Steph

      December 16, 2018 at 11:42 am

      Maybe this is a silly question, but do you use codes and completed stuffing in the middle or before you've baked the stuffing on its own?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        December 16, 2018 at 12:21 pm

        Not silly at all! The stuffing is fully cooked before I stuff the roast. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
        • Marta

          December 24, 2019 at 7:27 am

          Hi Melissa!
          Is it possible to prepare everything and keep in the fridge for one day before roasting it?
          Thank you and Merry Christmas 😊

        • Melissa Huggins

          December 24, 2019 at 10:10 am

          Hi Marta, yes, you can do that. Just make sure it's wrapped well in the fridge. Have a Merry Christmas! 🙂

    15. Kara

      December 14, 2018 at 9:40 am

      Thank you for sharing your recipes.
      Make it a Vegan New Year!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        December 16, 2018 at 12:21 pm

        You're most welcome!! Happy New Year!!

        Reply
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