Vegan Okara Sausage (with Customizable Flavours)
Servings: 6 sausages (100g each)
Calories: 195kcal
Cost: $0.67
This recipe uses okara (the leftover pulp from making soy milk) for a tasty zero-waste vegan sausage. Easy meat-free Andouille, pepperoni, chicken sausage, and more!
Print Recipe
Equipment
- Blender or food processor (*optional; you can mix together the ingredients using a bowl and fork, but the texture won't be as consistent)
Ingredients
- ½ of the okara from 1 batch of
Homemade Soy Milk (around 1/2 cup to 1 cup; see Note 1 for substitution options) - 1 cup vegetable stock or soy milk
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp maggi sauce or soy sauce
- 2 tbsp coconut oil (see Note 2)
- 1–2 tbsp seasoning of choice (see Spice Mixes section for sausage flavour options)
- 1½ cup vital wheat gluten
Instructions
- Mix together all the ingredients thoroughly. Let rest, covered, for 15 minutes before proceeding.
- Give the dough a few more mixes—you should see its texture has now changed, having formed lumpy strands. Divide the dough into six pieces.
- Place each piece on a sheet of aluminum foil and mold into a rough sausage-looking shape. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and twist the ends to seal. No worries if they're a bit misshapen and lumpy; they'll expand into a nice proper sausage shape once steamed.
- Set the sausages on a steamer rack or trivet and steam for 1½ hours on the stovetop (make sure to check on the water occasionally to see that the pot hasn't boiled dry), or 45 minutes in the Instant Pot (Steam setting on High Pressure using 1 cup of water, full natural release).
- Sausages are ready when they are cool enough to handle, but taste best after chilling in the fridge overnight. You can use them in a recipe or eat them right away as a snack.
Notes
-
- When I say “1/2 of the okara,” I mean half of the total okara you strain out from making a full batch of my Homemade Soy Milk recipe. The exact volume or weight measurement depends on how thoroughly you strain your soy milk. It could be anywhere from 60–150 g. If you don't have okara, you can also substitute with 1/2 cup of mashed cooked beans or tofu.
- Any plant-based oil works here. I love using coconut oil because of the higher saturated fat content, which mimics the fattiness of real meat. It just makes for a more satisfying taste. But like I said, any oil works: I've tried with grapeseed oil and olive oil, and both have worked fine.
- While technically this recipe can be made oil-free, I don't recommend it. The oil is there to add moisture and impart a smooth mouthfeel. If you must, I would reduce the oil by half but no more. Anyway, sausages are supposed to be fatty and this one is already quite lean, if you compare with real meat or storebought vegan sausages!
Nutrition
Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 495mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 3mg