Plant-Based ‘Steak’ Recipes (and good brands)

Celeriac steak (The Veg Space) uses a vegetable that tastes like nutty celery, made with mustard, soy sauce and maple syrup. As this does not have protein, Kate likes to serve this with butter bean mash.

Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets (don’t feed leftovers to pets, garden birds and wildfowl – due to salt, onion, garlic, spices, mushrooms etc).

Just bin onion scraps as acids could harm compost creatures (same with rhubarb, tomato and allium scraps – garlic, shallots, leeks, chives). For tinned ingredients, fully remove lid or pop ring-pull over holes before recycling (pinch tops together), to avoid wildlife getting trapped. 

Seitan (vital wheat gluten) steak recipe

Seitan is vital wheat flour (so not for gluten allergies) that makes the best vegan steaks. It’s not that easy to find in shops, but good if you’re keen to try it!

Elephantastic Vegan is a simple recipe made with vital wheat gluten flour (the flour is washed with water to remove the starch). The steaks are marinated, grilled and served with vegan herb butter, roast potatoes and BBQ sauce.

Sam Turnbull has an online course: Seitan School, to stop you throwing out rubbery seitan steak attempts!

Unfortunately in the world world, there are a lot of unappetising named foods: nutritional yeast, tempeh, quinoa and seitan. If I could rebrand I totally would. But what can you do? Sam Turnbull

Why choose vegan steak recipes?

Red meats are hard to digest and very high in saturated fat. Steak and mince are not good foods to eat for anyone with issues like heart disease or high cholesterol. And red meats are also linked to certain cancers.

The benefits of real steak and mince (protein and flavour) can easily be replicated both in recipes and artisan food products. Some say they are ‘not natural’. But neither is steak before it’s been seasoned. So you may as well do the same with plants. Far kinder, healthier and no factory farms involved.

Steak and mince are popular foods, often served as part of dishes like spaghetti bolognese or shepherd’s pie. But in a country of 60 million people, we don’t have enough land for everyone to eat free-range. So even if you eat meat, most of the time it’s going to be factory-farmed, unless stated otherwise.

In fact, cows near the end of their lives are ‘fattened up’ by cramming them into pens so they can’t exercise off any calories. It’s heart-breaking if you’ve ever accidentally come across this, while out walking near a farm.

Build ‘meaty’ flavour with steak seasoning

A good vegan steak seasoning is like a strong cup of tea. It shouldn’t be complicated, but it must be bold. Use this repeatable template:

• Salt and black pepper
• Garlic (fresh or granules)
• Smoked paprika
• Soy sauce or tamari
• A little acid (lemon juice or vinegar)
• A touch of sweetness (maple syrup or brown sugar)

From there, add one umami booster if you have it. Miso (not for pregnancy/nursing or weak immune systems as it’s unpasteurised), tomato purée, nutritional yeast, mushroom powder, or a small smear of Marmite can all work. Keep the amount modest, then taste.

Mix your marinade, coat the steak pieces, then wait 15 to 30 minutes. For tofu, even 10 minutes helps. For seitan, marinade works best after simmering and cooling, because it soaks in without going soggy. For mushrooms, brush it on right before cooking and again at the end.

Look in shops for Vivera vegan steaks

Look in stores for Vivera vegan steaks. You can recycle packaging at supermarket bag bins, if your kerbside does not recycle. 

If you want a steak-style sear or mince that catches and caramelises, you must choose products that can handle heat. Start by looking past the front-of-pack claims. Different protein bases tend to behave in predictable ways.

Chilled products often have the best texture out of the pack, but they can be wetter. Frozen options vary, yet they can brown well once you drive off moisture. Shelf-stable mince (such as dried or tinned styles) can be brilliant for cupboards, although it needs careful seasoning and a hot pan to avoid softness.