A delicious, easy and healthy vegan roast beef recipe made with chickpeas, vital wheat gluten, and beet powder. You won’t believe it’s plant-based!

If I had a penny for every time someone asks me why vegans try to replicate meat, I would never have to work again! I’m not sure why it’s so hard for some people to understand the desire for familiar flavors and textures without the loss of animal life, or the negative impact on their health or environment. Thankfully, I don’t create recipes for people who are trying to start an argument. I make veganized versions of classic dishes for fellow plant-based people who appreciate them.

In the past, I have created other vegan meat alternatives, such as tofu ground beef, rice paper bacon, and vegan KFC chicken tenders. The time has come for me to tackle a holiday favorite. This vegan roast beef recipe is made with chickpeas and seitan flour (also known as vital wheat gluten). In case you’re wondering, it gets its beautiful color from beet powder.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Many people are hesitant to make seitan, thinking that it’s very complicated. I assure you, this seitan roast beef takes minimal prep!
  • Vegan roast beef can be used in so many ways! Serve it at a family gathering, add slices into a sandwich, or wrap it in pastry to create a vegan beef wellington. The possibilities are endless!
  • This recipe is made using whole-food ingredients, and I dare say that it tastes even better than the real roast beef!
  • It’s a perfect dish to serve during the holidays, and you don’t even have to be plant-based to enjoy it!
  • Meat alternatives made with seitan often have a tough, chewy texture. However, adding chickpeas solves this problem. Instead, you get beautiful and tender seitan.

How to Make This Recipe

First, you’ll need to get your ingredients ready and free some space on your kitchen counter.

Add all the ingredients except vital wheat gluten and steak spice into a blender. Blend on the highest setting until you get a smooth mixture. Transfer it into a mixing bowl.

Next, add half of the vital wheat gluten. Carefully mix it in. Add the remaining half and keep mixing until you have a thick dough. At some point, it’s easier to switch from using utensils to using your hands for this task.

Lightly flour a clean kitchen surface. You can use more vital wheat gluten or regular all-purpose flour. Add your “dough” and knead it for a few minutes. This process helps for the gluten to bond, so as you pull your mixture apart, you should start seeing strands connecting the mixture.

Form a rectangular loaf to mimic a cut of beef. This loaf will need to be steamed for 50 minutes. For best results, you want to wrap it in foil and let it set overnight in the fridge.

Before serving, toss your loaf in steak spice and sear in a well-oiled frying pan. Make sure the entire vegan roast beef heats up, and serve!

Vegan Roast Beef

Hack It!

  • Where possible, I try to provide a gluten-free alternative for my recipes. Unfortunately, gluten is a vital ingredient in this dish. However, if you are gluten-free, you may enjoy the recipe for beef crumble made from tofu.
  • As an alternative for red wine, you can use balsamic vinegar instead.
  • If you don’t have access to beet powder, that’s okay! It is mainly used to give the vegan roast beef its signature color. Alternatively, you can add some unsweetened beet juice instead of vegetable broth and add extra salt.
  • It’s super easy to take this recipe one step further and make a “beef” wellington. Just wrap the loaf in puff pastry and bake until it’s golden.
  • If you’re not a fan of steak spice, feel free to replace it with your favorite spice mix.

Store This Recipe

Theoretically, this vegan roast beef will keep very well for up to a week. The reason I say “theoretically” is because in our household it was eaten almost immediately!

Other Recipes You’ll Love

For more vegan staple recipes, preorder the PlantYou Cookbook now! It has over 140 recipes for soups, stews, salads, snacks, desserts, and more! Every recipe comes with a helpful infographic and substitutes for gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free diets.

You might also benefit from the PlantYou Planner. It’s a digital meal planner web app that allows you to fully customize your weekly menu! You can choose from over 500 recipes, with new dishes being uploaded every single week. Plant-based living has never been easier!

vegan roast beef

The Recipe: Vegan Roast Beef

A delicious and easy vegan roast beef recipe made from chickpeas, vital wheat gluten and beet powder.
5 from 19 ratings
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Servings: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chickpeas, canned, drained and rinsed
  • ÂĽ cup red wine, sub balsamic vinegar
  • Âľ cup vegetable broth
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • ½ tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp beet powder, can omit
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 ½ cups vital wheat gluten
  • 2 tbsp steak spice

Equipment

Instructions 

  • In a blender, combine all ingredients except for the vital wheat gluten and steak spice until a liquid is formed.
  • Pour into a bowl, and then add half the vital wheat gluten and mix. Pour the remaining half in and combine until you have a thick dough.
  • Transfer to a floured surface and knead for a few minutes, forming into a rectangle roast beef "loaf".
  • Place in a steamer basket and steam for 50 minutes.
  • Wrap in foil and store overnight for best results. Then season with steak spice on the outside, and char in an oiled pan. Serve and enjoy.
Calories: 135.3kcal, Carbohydrates: 10.3g, Protein: 19.5g, Fat: 1.5g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Sodium: 422mg, Potassium: 122.7mg, Fiber: 2.2g, Sugar: 1.4g, Vitamin A: 283.4IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 50.4mg, Iron: 2.2mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Main Course
Author: carleigh

Vegan Roast Beef Recipe