All Hail Seitan! (Instant Pot)

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Hey babes,

I bet you didn’t know I was a seitanist, huh? Blessed be the gluten and all that. My devotion is certainly not to the level of religious zeal, but I am a fan. With the possible exception of soy curls, seitan most closely resembles the texture of meat among the popular vegan protein sources, which makes it an easier sell to picky kids and friends.

If you really want to simplify seitan, you can make it with just two ingredients: vital wheat gluten and water. Of course, I prefer to infuse mine with a base-line level of spices and flavors, and then build on top of that for individual recipes.

Vital wheat gluten is higher in protein than tempeh, tofu, soy curls, or TVP, while also being lower in carbohydrates and fat. If you’re on a very limited calorie budget but need to pack in the protein (such as someone training for a bodybuilding competition or post gastric bypass surgery), seitan is a great way to do that. It is also a powerful source of iron and selenium, but has no fiber, so make sure to pair it with lots of vegetables to help out.

Two quick caveats I have to add here: if you have celiac disease or a sensitivity to wheat or gluten, this is NOT FOR YOU. Additionally, as much as I praise seitan, do not take the shortcut of going store bought. Prepackaged seitan is crazy high in sodium. Save yourself the high blood pressure and make it from scratch.

But how do I use it?

Good question, babe. However you used meat products before your WFPB journey or now (no judgment, we all walk our own roads), seitan can do that. Grill it, bread and air-fry it, marinate it, saute it with vegetables, slice it and put it in a salad, make burgers with it, put it in stews or curry, chop it up and make tacos or sloppy joes, or bake it with a sauce and make it an appetizer! The possibilities with seitan stretch as far as the imagination. So give it a try. Don’t be scared. Seitan is a gentle lover. It’ll take good care of you.

All Hail Seitan! (Instant-Pot, Vegan, High-Protein)
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All Hail Seitan! (Instant-Pot, Vegan, High-Protein)

Recipe by MonicaDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups vital wheat gluten

  • 1/2 Cup nutritional yeast

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon sage

  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika

  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1 1/2 Cups veggie broth

  • 1 tablespoon liquid smoke

  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce

Directions

  • Combine ingredients in large bowl and mix together thoroughly.
  • Knead dough for 3-4 minutes.
  • Cut dough into pieces and flatten/shape.
  • Place pieces in Instant Pot. It’s okay if they overlap, just don’t smash them together too hard
  • Cover dough with a mixture of water and veggie broth. (I added some minced onion, bay leaf, soy sauce, salt, and pepper to the water/broth.)
  • Secure lid.
  • Cook on manual pressure for 3 minutes.
  • Let it which to “Keep warm” function and allow it to sit for 10-20mins until the pin drops and pressure has naturally escaped.
  • Remove seitan and let cool on a baking sheet or cooling rack.
  • Use fresh or store in the freezer or refrigerator.