Vegan Seitan Roast Beef Recipe

Get ready to wow your guests with this show-stopping Vegan Seitan Roast Beef! This isn’t your average weeknight dinner; this bad boy is a BIG roast, perfect for feeding a crowd at any family gathering— It does 10 portions on a normal day. But, I’m making it for 8 this year, as we all tend to get a bit hungry at Christmas!

With its incredibly meaty texture and rich, savory depth, this seitan roast is going to be the star of your holiday table or just as a Sunday roast. It’s seriously good—even the most dedicated meat-eaters will be impressed.

😋 Why You’ll love this recipe!

• Festive Feast: This vegan roast beef recipe is the perfect centerpiece for holiday gatherings like Christmas or Thanksgiving, bringing everyone together around a delicious and cruelty-free meal.
• Crowd-Pleaser: This roast is so good, it’ll have everyone singing your praises (and asking for seconds!).

🌱 Why call it roast beef when it’s clearly not? 

• Simply put, it’s a lot to do with helping people find these recipes. Lots of folks search for “vegan roast beef,” and I want to make sure they discover this vegan alternative.
• Also, many people go vegan or reduce their meat consumption not because they dislike the taste of meat, but because they want to lessen animal suffering. It’s completely understandable that they’d still crave the familiar flavors and textures they enjoyed before. That’s why we try our best to recreate those classic dishes with meat substitutes and plant-based ingredients.

📝 Ingredient notes

For the Roast:

• 300g Silken Tofu: This adds moisture and a load of protein! It really needs to be silken here, so I wouldn’t use any other sort of tofu.
• 400g Tin Kidney Beans: Kidney beans add some fibre, protein and a bit of colour to the roast. Make sure to add the liquid too! If you don’t, the wet-dry ratio will be all off and it wont work properly.
• 250g Raw Peeled Beetroot: Beetroot gives the roast that gorgeous reddish color and a subtle earthy sweetness. It really needs to be fresh and raw, beet powder doesn’t give you the same vibrant colour.
• 600g Vital Wheat Gluten: Sometimes called gluten flour. This is the magic ingredient that gives the roast its “meaty” texture. It’s essential for that meaty chew!
• 4 tbsp Sunflower Oil: A little oil helps to bind the ingredients and adds richness. Feel free to use any neutral oil you like such as canola oil if in the states.
• 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar: Vinegar helps to tenderize the gluten and neutralise that wheaty flavour.
• 40g English Mustard: Mustard adds a lovely tangy flavor. Use Dijon if you can’t find English mustard. 
• 2 tbsp Dried Onion: Dried onion provides a savory base note. You can skip if you want. Or use onion powder if thats what you have on hand.
• 3 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast: This helps to build a slight umami flavour.
• 3 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce: Dark soy sauce adds a deep, savory flavor and color. It does really need to be dark soy sauce. It’s thicker and sweeter than light or standard soy sauce.
• 1 tbsp Marmite: Marmite brings a unique, umami richness. If you’re not a fan, you can use another vegan yeast extract or leave it out but you will miss out on the depth and complexity it brings.
• 2 Tsp MSG: MSG enhances the savory and meaty flavors of the roast. It makes a big difference so if you don’t have it I would try and get it.
• 2 tsp Salt: Salt brings out all the other flavors.

For the Broth:

• 1.25 Litre Water: This forms the base of the flavorful broth the roast will simmer in. You can even replace a portion of this with vegan red wine if you want!
• 2 Carrots, 2 Sticks Celery, 2 Small / Medium Onions: These veggies work together to build a flavorful foundation for the broth, adding sweetness, savory notes, and depth.
• 3 Cloves Garlic: Garlic adds a subtle depth to the broth.
• 1 Tsp Mustard Seeds & 1/4 tsp Black Peppercorns: These spices add warmth, texture, and a hint of spice to the broth.
• 1 Tbsp Marmite: More Marmite for that umami boost!
• 1 Tsp Salt: Salt brings out the flavors of the broth.
• Bunch of Rosemary and Thyme: These herbs bring an aromatic complexity.
• 4 Bay Leaves: Bay leaves add a subtle earthy note.

For Roasting:

• 20g Wholegrain Mustard: Wholegrain mustard adds a bit of a texture and tangy flavor to the finished roast’s crust.

🥣 How to make Vegan Roast Beef 

1. Prep the Beetroot: Peel and chop the beetroot into rough chunks. Be careful, this stuff stains!

2. Blend the Roast Ingredients: Add all the ingredients for the roast, apart from the vital wheat gluten into a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth.

3. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F).
4. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Now, I like to transfer everything into a food processor. (When I tried this in my blender, it started to smell like burning—and that was a Vitamix!) In the food processor, pulse the wet ingredients mix and vital wheat gluten, giving it time to rest between pulses. Keep mixing until it’s super well combined and starts to wrap around the stalk holding the blade. You want it to be tacky and sticky, and you should be able to see all the fibers in it (check out the pictures!). It’s vital^😂 that it gets mixed well enough; otherwise, you’ll end up with a spongy seitan roast.

5. Rest the Dough: Take the ball of dough out of the food processor and let it rest, covered under a large bowl so it doesn’t dry out, for about 10 or 15 minutes. I’ve tried splitting it into three strips and braiding it to see if that makes the final roast any better, but to be honest, I don’t notice much of a difference, so I don’t bother anymore.

6. Start the Stock: While the seitan is resting, I like to get the stock/broth going. Roughly chop your onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. Wrap your rosemary and thyme in a little bundle and tie it up with string. Then, in a large casserole dish, add in your bay leaves, Marmite, salt, peppercorns, mustard seeds, all the chopped veggies, and the herb bundle, along with 1.25L (just under 5.5 cups) of water. Bring this up to a gentle simmer while you get the rest finished.

7. Wrap the Roast (Baking Paper): Wrap the seitan dough in baking paper (parchment paper) as tightly as you can, and twist the ends so you have a super tight seitan log. Making sure you keep this as tight as possible will determine how well your seitan comes out. Again, if you let it relax, you’ll end up with a spongy roast.

8. Wrap the Roast (Cheesecloth): Now, essentially, you want to do the same thing but inside the cheesecloth, making sure you keep it as tight as possible for best results.

9. Tie the Roast (String): Finally, I like to wrap it in string. This stops it expanding anymore and ensures you get the tightest, firmest seitan possible.

10. Cook the Roast: Place your wrapped seitan in the casserole dish, making sure it sits on the base of the dish (I just push the veg to the side). The liquid should come up about halfway. If it doesn’t come up enough, then feel free to add more. Cook it for one hour before taking it out, turning the roast the other way up, returning it to the oven, and cooking it for another hour.

11. Prep for Roasting: Once it’s done, take the roast out of the casserole dish (Dutch oven), unwrap it, sprinkle some salt and black pepper on the top, as well as the wholegrain mustard, and put it back in the oven on a baking sheet with the oven turned up to 200°C (400°F). We’re gonna finish the cooking here; it’ll take about 40 minutes, and every 10 minutes or so, you’ll need to take it out and baste it.

12. Make the Gravy: While it’s having its first 10-minute roast, take the herbs and bay leaves out of the cooking broth and transfer the mixture with all the veg into the blender and blend on high until completely smooth. This will be both your basting liquid and the gravy. Transfer your smooth liquid into a saucepan and reduce until you have your desired gravy thickness. I like it fairly thick, so it tends to take about 20 minutes for me, but your mileage may vary.

13. Baste and Roast: Every five or 10 minutes, make sure you pull the roast out of the oven and baste it with the gravy, making sure not to disrupt too much of the mustard. It should develop quite a nice crust on the outside without going too dry, as long as you keep basting it.
14. Serve and Enjoy: Once done, take it out and serve, ideally with some of my roast potatoes, maple-roasted parsnips and carrots, and garlic sprouts. You have one of the best vegan meat alternatives around!

💡 Tips for getting it right!

Time Management: This is one of those seitan recipes that needs a bit of time to cook, so plan for a few hours to make it. If you’re cooking a big meal, consider prepping the roast a day ahead. Let it cook for two hours in the oven, then take it out, let it cool, re-wrap it in aluminum foil, and pop it in the fridge overnight. The next day, finish roasting it alongside your other veggies.

Food Processor Power: Go easy on your food processor or blender. While a blender will work, it might struggle with the mixture. My powerful Vitamix even started smelling of burnt electronics! I prefer using a food processor, but I still pulse it gently and work in stages to prevent overheating.

🍽️ How to serve this seitan roast beef

• This vegan seitan roast beef is a real showstopper! It’s perfect as the centerpiece for a big family meal. I love serving it up with classic roast dinner sides like crispy roast potatoes, sweet maple-glazed carrots and parsnips, and garlicky Brussels sprouts.
• The deliciousness doesn’t stop there! Leftovers (if you have any!) are amazing as deli meat in vegan roast beef sandwiches, chunks or slices pastas, or salads. Seriously, this stuff works in just about anything! It really is the perfect vegan meat substitute!

If you like this recipe. Why not try some of my other seitan recipes: Vegan chicken, Vegan Bacon, Schnitzel or Cordon Bleu.

🤔 Frequently asked questions

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think!

Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a picture @theseveggiedelights on Instagram!