Best Vegan Steak Recipe (Seitan) (2024)

FAQs

Is it okay to eat seitan every day? ›

How Often to Eat Seitan. As Churchill pointed out, it's about finding the perfect balance when incorporating seitan into your diet. “Eat it sparingly,” he says. “It's not necessarily a once a day thing, and if you think you need a plant-based option I'd actually suggest tofu over seitan.”

Quinoa – You can cook it in a flavored broth to add a textural element to your wet mix, or serve it on the side of your seitan for a complete protein meal. Lentils – Great in beefy dishes, lentils can add a savory, and sometimes peppery note to make any seitan dish a high- and complete-protein meal.

Because of its meaty texture, seitan can be used in a variety of dishes, from sandwiches and stir-fries to stews and soups. The best part is that making seitan at home is easy, and it's much cheaper than buying pre-made or store-bought seitan.

What is it made of? I made this vegan steak out of seitan, which is a chewy, tender, and flavorful homemade meat substitute. It comes together using vital wheat gluten, a handful of spices, and vegetable broth, which gives it a scary similar taste, look, and texture to real meat.

Digestive Discomfort: Seitan is high in protein and can cause digestive discomfort in some people, especially if consumed in large quantities or if the digestive system is not used to high-protein foods.

Seitan. With as much protein per calorie as chicken breast, it's a top source of muscle fuel. It's also low in fat and high in calcium – great for bone health – and contains all nine essential amino acids.

Sources of protein containing all nine essential amino acids are called complete protein. Seitan is therefore slightly incomplete but fear not – it's an excellent source of protein and usually seasoned with soya sauce, which conveniently adds the missing amino acid (lysine)!

Is seitan good for your health? Like any food, seitan can be a part of a balanced meal pattern. On its own, without any flavoring agents, seitan is a low-carb, low-fat, high-protein food. Store-bought seasoned seitan could have added fat, salt and sugar, which can change its nutritional profile.

Nutrition and Protein

Seitan is highest in calories and protein, as its main ingredient is vital wheat gluten, which has a similar nutritional profile to protein powder. Tempeh is high in protein, vitamins and minerals, but also low in sodium and carbs.

Why is my seitan so rubbery? ›

Cooking Method: Overcooking can cause the steak to lose its moisture, making it dry and chewy. Conversely, undercooking can make certain cuts feel tough. Aging Process: Steaks that are not properly aged can be less tender. At Heartstone Farm, our grass-fed beef is aged 14 days for optimal tenderness.

For a better flavor and a cheaper price, try washing the flour and make your seitan from bread flour! The brand of bread flour doesn't matter. Choose a high protein flour for a larger yield. You can make this with all-purpose flour, however you will have a smaller yield.

2. An Ultra-Processed Food High in Sodium. Most people aren't making seitan at home, but instead are getting it pre-made from restaurants and grocery stores. These ultra-processed foods tend to be higher in sodium, which can contribute to high blood pressure and a host of other health problems.

Part of the process of making seitan involves seasoning it to taste like meat. This may be done with sauces like soy sauce, liquid smoke, or vegan Worcestershire sauce, as well as salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, or other spices and herbs.

Seitan can be high in sodium, so read the packaging carefully. While not all seitan options will be high in sodium, those made with flavoring agents like soy sauce and salt can boast higher amounts of this mineral.

The answer is, yes! —as long it's part of a well-rounded diet. A 100g serving of seitan has about 141 calories and 25 grams of protein, making it comparable to the amount of protein in chicken or beef. Because the starches are removed from the wheat when seitan is made, it has very little fat and carbs.

Both seitan and tofu are plant-based proteins. However, while seitan is an excellent plant-based protein alternative, tofu is a complete protein (seitan lacks the amino acid lysine). Unseasoned tofu is typically lower in sodium than store-bought seitan, which can be processed with salt, sugar or other flavors added.

But they could potentially be lower in calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and vitamin B12 and higher in sodium and fat after being prepared. This means these foods are not always a healthier alternative in the long run. If habitually consumed, relying on these foods could create nutrition shortfalls for consumers.