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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.
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...
Ingredients Needed
Here are the ingredients you'll need and some additional notes:
- 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!
- 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).
- 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.
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.
Recipe
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.
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 202kcal
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil , divided
- 1 medium onion (about 1 cup)
- 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
- Large Baking Dish
- Large Mixing Bowl
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Vital Wheat Gluten - this is essential for the recipe and cannot be substituted with anything else.
- 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.
- It's very important to measure all of the ingredients accurately and follow the instructions precisely or this will alter the end results.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
Eagle Lucy
Can you freeze this at any point before cooking?
Melissa Huggins
Hi there, I've only frozen it after cooking and it worked out perfectly. I still need to test it before cooking. I believe it'll work, but not 100% sure. It's on my to-do list. 🙂
janet
I forgot to add (to my last question) whether, if I make this in advance, I have to make the filling separately and then "put it all together" before baking, or whether I can prepare the entire roast, refrigerate, and the bake the next day. Also, I saw you were going to try freezing it, then baking. Did that work for you? I will be traveling with this and I'd pprefer freezing it although I'm sure it would be fine in a container packed in ice. Thank you!
janet
Can this be made in advance, or even frozen and then baked?
Deb Z
Hi Melissa! Love your blog. I am intrigued as to how you got that "stringy" texture on pics 7 and 8. I've never seen that before. What made that happen? Look forward to trying this recipe.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Deb, I'm so happy you love the blog. Thank you!
The texture is created through the kneading process, giving the cooked roast a wonderful meaty texture. The dough should be kneaded for 5 minutes, just be sure not to over knead or the roast can turn out tough. I'd love to hear how it turns out for you if you give it a try. 🙂
Chiedza Hanna
I can’t find Vital wheat gluten but I did pick up gluten flour. Is this the same? Will it work?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Chiedza, Unfortunately, it's not the same as vital wheat gluten and it won't yield the same results. You can find it on Amazon or it's usually at natural food stores. I hope you can find it soon 🙂
Chiedza Hanna
Thank you for your quick response! I was able to find it at a natural food store and made it for dinner tonight. It turned out amazing!!! Thank you for this recipe and the wellington recipe. Both fantastic! And both approved by kids and meat eaters 😊
Melissa Huggins
You are welcome Chiedza. 🙂
Kathy
Do you put the 2 TBSP of Better that Boullion directly into water....per instructions on the jar...or do you add just the Better than Boullion to the food processor. I find this part a little confusing.
Thanks!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Kathy, you just add it to the food processor. Feel free to reach out with any other questions. Have a Happy Holiday! 🙂
Peter
Looks delicious - can't see any instructions for the stuffing. I presume you put a cylinder of in the centre before rolling into the sausage shape?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Peter, I recently updated the recipe and removed the stuffing. Some readers were having trouble with the old recipe, so I wanted to troubleshoot. I'm going to create another roast with stuffing and post it under a new URL. However, if want to the old recipe, you can email me at mel@veganhuggs.com and I'll send it over to you. 🙂
DONNA s Helm
WHAT CAN YOU USE INSTEAD OF MUSHROOM, MY FAMILY ARE NOT CRAZY ABOUT THEM. THANKS
Melissa Huggins
Hi Donna, I haven't tried this recipe with anything else yet. However, it doesn't have a strong flavor of mushrooms at all. 🙂
Isabelle
Hi Melissa,
I am vegan and Gluten Free. Could I use grounded Flaxseed as a binding agent instead of the wheat?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Isabelle, this recipe requires the vital wheat gluten and cannot be replaced. You can try my Meatless Loaf which is gluten-free or you can make my Vegan Wellington and use gluten-free puff pastry. The two brands that make gluten-free puff paastry are Schar and GeeFree (there may be other brands too). Let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂
Barbara Younger
Hi! Do you think I could prepare this in advance up to the stage where you wrap it and roll it, and then freeze it, and potentially roast it from frozen? You know, similar to the commercially prepared vegan holiday roasts? Thank you!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Barbara, I haven't tried freezing yet, but it should work well. I've been meaning to experiment soon, so I will share my results when I do. 🙂
Allergy Mom
I have severe allergies to nuts and mushrooms; is there a substitute that I could use for either this recipe or the vegan Wellington recipe?
Thanks
Rachael
Made this last year and will make it again this year. A definite winner!
Melissa Huggins
Thanks Rachel! 🙂
Saff
Hey there!
If I can’t find pinto beans where I’m at can I use another type? Thank you! 🙂
Melissa Huggins
Hi there, yes, you can use any type of beans such as cannellini, kidney, garbanzo, etc. 🙂
Susan Kochvar
Can you make the roast and cook it the next day?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Susan, yes, you can definitely make it ahead. 🙂
Di
Hi Melissa,
do you have a gluten free option for this recipe. My son's new girlfriend has multiple allergies and this looks amazing and I would like to make it for Christmas Dinner.
thanks Di
Melissa Huggins
I haven't tried this recipe gluten-free yet, but I have a Wellington recipe that is gluten-free on the inside. You can use GF puff pastry if you can find it. I believe Schar makes one. I hope this helps. Please feel free to reach out with any other questions. 🙂
Sharon
Hi, do you use tinned pinto beans or dried bag of pinto beans? Or does it matter which? Thanks. Am looking forward to making this.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Sharon, you can use canned or cooked dried beans. 🙂