As I explored alternative foods, I kept seeing this unusually named ingredient touted as a flavorful meat replacement.
Seitan (pronounced “say-tan”) is produced from vital wheat gluten (the powdered form of gluten) and is commonly sold ready-made at natural-food shops and specialty grocers.
Buying prepared seitan can get pricey. I attempted to make it myself soon after becoming vegetarian and found the process intimidating, yielding a pretty bland outcome. The pricier store-bought varieties tasted better, but I couldn’t justify the steep cost.
That said, I later discovered that homemade seitan needn’t be time-consuming. With the proper method it’s actually straightforward, and it can outperform store-bought versions in taste if you tailor the seasonings and flavors yourself.
Walmart offers a 12-ounce package of ready-made seitan for $7.41. My homemade batch cost $8.56 and produced nearly 1 ¼ pounds. Buying that quantity at the store would have set me back about $12.35. Making your own is definitely worthwhile.
How to Make Seitan from Scratch
The web is full of recipes claiming fast, simple seitan, but it can be hard to pick one that delivers on flavor.
I discovered that this straightforward recipe from Vegetarian Times produced solid results and was manageable to prepare. Once prepared, seitan can be used in various meals during the week or frozen for longer storage.
Ingredients:
2 cups vital wheat gluten: $4.35
½ cup nutritional yeast: $1.04
2 teaspoons garlic powder: $0.24
5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth: $2.49
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce: $0.13
½ small onion: $0.25
1 clove garlic: $0.06
Total: $8.56 for about 6 servings
After you’ve made seitan, it’s time to incorporate it into the recipes you love. From robust stews to quick stir-fries, seitan is flexible enough to provide protein in many dishes. Below are a few favorites of mine.
Belgian Beer and Seitan Stew
This filling stew typically uses beef, but seitan makes an excellent replacement. This recipe originates from the cookbook “Isa Does It” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, which is available on Amazon.
For this stew, I use my homemade seitan. I picked up a Belgian ale at Trader Joe’s for less than you’d pay elsewhere. Keep in mind you won’t need the whole bottle for this recipe, so either share it or enjoy the remainder yourself. (I sipped the rest while the stew simmered.) The stew ends up with a wonderful depth of flavor thanks to the apples and thyme.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil: $0.19
2 medium yellow onions: $0.99
1 pound seitan: $6.84
8 ounces cremini mushrooms: $1.59
Seasonings: $0.71
1 cup Belgian ale: $2.00
1 ½ pounds potatoes: $1.04
4 cups vegetable broth: $1.99
2 cups cubed day-old baguette: $1.00
2 Granny Smith apples: $0.98
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard: $0.06
Total: $17.39 for 6 to 8 servings
Seitan Satay
The great thing about seitan is that you can flavor it any way you like. While it’s excellent in stews, you can also boost your basic seitan with bold spices for extra taste.
This recipe from Sunnyside Hanne uses chipotle peppers, peanut butter and smoked paprika to craft a tasty seitan satay that pleases both vegan and omnivore friends.
Serve it with a zesty peanut sauce and crisp vegetables on the side.
Ingredients:
2 chipotle chiles in adobo: $0.18
4 tablespoons peanut butter: $0.68
2 tablespoons soy sauce: $0.13
1 ½ teaspoons liquid smoke: $0.05
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast: $0.26
Seasonings: $0.60
2 cups vital wheat gluten: $4.35
1 ½ cups vegetable broth: $0.75
Total: $7 for 6 servings
Vegan Mongolian Beef
Restaurant-style Mongolian beef is incredibly satisfying, and you can recreate it at home using seitan instead of beef. Served with rice noodles, Connoisseurus Veg’s version will hit the same takeout notes while saving money.
That recipe suggests store-bought seitan, but you can make your own using the earlier recipe and save about $1.57 compared with the pre-made option.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons soy sauce: $0.13
2 tablespoons granulated sugar: $0.03
¼ cup water
8 ounces homemade seitan strips: $3.42
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch: $0.53
2 tablespoons vegetable oil: $0.15
2 garlic cloves: $0.12
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger: $0.13
2 to 3 dried chili peppers: $1.08
2 scallions: $0.20
Total: $7.36 for 2 to 3 servings
Whether you’re aiming to cut back on meat or give it up entirely, seitan is an economical source of protein that can satisfy cravings across a wide range of recipes.
