🥪 How to Make Amazing Vegan Corned Beef (A Step-by-Step Recipe)
🥪 How to Make Amazing Vegan Corned Beef (Perfect for Reubens!) 🥪
Corned beef is a deli classic. It is known for its savory, salty, and uniquely spiced flavor. It is the star of the famous Reuben sandwich. Traditionally, it is made by curing a beef brisket. This, of course, makes it a no-go for a vegan diet.
But what if you could capture that amazing flavor in a completely plant-based way? The great news is, you can! Making your own delicious, meaty, and tender vegan corned beef at home is a rewarding cooking project. It is perfect for amazing sandwiches.
This guide will give you a foolproof recipe. We will use seitan to create a wonderfully chewy texture. We will also use a classic spice blend to get that authentic taste. Let's make the best vegan Reuben you have ever had! ✅
🤔 What is the Secret to Vegan Corned Beef Flavor?
The secret to that iconic "corned" flavor is not the beef itself. It is the specific blend of pickling spices used in the brine. By using these same spices, we can make our plant-based version taste incredibly authentic. Flavor is the key to a great vegan corned beef.
The classic spice blend includes mustard seeds, coriander, and black peppercorns. Allspice berries and bay leaves also add depth. To get the traditional pinkish-red color, we will use a secret ingredient. A small amount of chopped beet in the cooking liquid works perfectly.
For the "meaty" texture, we will use seitan. Seitan is made from vital wheat gluten. It creates a wonderfully firm and sliceable loaf. It is the perfect canvas for our savory, spiced brine.
🥣 How Do You Make Seitan-Based Vegan Corned Beef?
This recipe involves a few steps, but they are all very simple. The most important part is allowing the seitan to cool completely in its flavorful broth. This lets it absorb all the delicious spices. This is a key step for this vegan corned beef recipe.
What Ingredients Do You Need?
For the Seitan Loaf:
- 1 ½ cups vital wheat gluten
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
For the Cooking Liquid (Brine):
- 8 cups of water
- 1 small beet, peeled and chopped (for color)
- 1/4 cup of salt
- 2 tablespoons of pickling spice (or make your own blend)
What Are the Instructions?
1. Make the Seitan Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, and powders. In a separate bowl, mix the vegetable broth and soy sauce. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix to form a firm dough. Knead it for just a minute or two.
2. Form the Loaf: Shape the seitan dough into a rustic, oval-shaped loaf.
3. Prepare the Brine: In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine the water, chopped beet, salt, and pickling spices. Bring it to a simmer.
4. Cook the Seitan: Gently place the seitan loaf into the simmering brine. The liquid should cover it. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently for 90 minutes. Flip the loaf halfway through.
5. Cool Completely: This is the most important step! Turn off the heat. Let the seitan loaf cool down completely in the pot with the liquid. For the best flavor, refrigerate it in the liquid overnight.
6. Slice and Serve: The next day, remove the loaf from the liquid. You now have a flavorful vegan corned beef. Slice it as thinly as possible for sandwiches. Enjoy!
🥪 How Can You Serve Your Vegan Corned Beef?
The possibilities are endless. The most popular way to use it is in a classic vegan Reuben. Layer the thin slices on rye bread. Add sauerkraut, vegan Swiss cheese, and vegan Thousand Island dressing. Then grill it until golden and melty.
You can also use it for a simple deli sandwich with mustard. Or, dice it up and pan-fry it with potatoes and onions. This makes a delicious vegan corned beef hash. It is a versatile and satisfying plant-based meat. 🌱