these vegan sausage & peppers are just like the ones i grew up eating but without the real sausage! a homemade seitan sausage works perfectly for this classic italian-american dish.
the inspiration
Growing up sausage and peppers was a classic dish my mom always made. She makes it all year round but for some reason I have a strong connotation with it during summer. This could also be because of all the festivals and fairs growing up, there was always the smell of sausage and peppers wafting through the air.
There are a lot of ways people will make sausage and peppers. Some people make it so it sits in more of a liquid, but my mom always made it like this recipe. The other amazing thing is there are so many ways to eat this recipe. Put it in a sandwich, wrap, over pasta, or just all on its own.
There are a lot of vegan sausages available for purchase now. So, if you want to make this a bit easier you can totally use one from a store. However, it is really easy and fun to make vegan sausage homemade. In this recipe I will teach you how to make homemade seitan sausage and then finish off the sausage & peppers dish.
the ingredients
- Bell Pepper: of course for vegan sausage & peppers we need peppers. My mom always makes her sausage & peppers with bell pepper. You may see other recipes online use different peppers but I prefer red and orange bell peppers. They are the sweetest and become so delicious when they are baked.
- Onion: I like to throw a little onion into the mix. Again, this is how my mom does it. I use Vidalia onion but if you want to swap it for a red onion you can.
- Vital Wheat Gluten: to make our homemade vegan sausage we will need vital wheat gluten. You can buy it online or in most health food stores like Whole Foods, Sprouts, etc.
- Super Firm Tofu: this helps to add structure to our vegan sausages. It also amps up the protein factor.
- Olive Oil: we will need some olive oil for the vegan sausages and for cooking the peppers and onion. It helps to add a bit of fat since compared to sausage and peppers made from pork this dish has a lot less fat.
- Red Wine Vinegar: we will use the red wine vinegar in the vegan sausages it helps to add a bit of acidity and a background note flavor.
- Liquid Smoke: the liquid smoke is very minimal here but again it adds a touch of flavor and rounds out the flavor.
- Fresh Sage: we will use some fresh sage to add nice flavor to the vegan sausage.
- Fresh Parsley: the parsley will also add a bit of brightness to the vegan sausage as well as beautiful color.
- Seasonings: for this vegan sausage we will need salt, garlic powder, dried oregano, fennel seed, and garlic powder to give great flavor to these seitan sausages.
how to make homemade vegan sausage & peppers
- In a food processor pulse the fresh herbs and seasonings. This will just help to start breaking it down.
- Then, add in the tofu, vital wheat gluten, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Continue to pulse until it forms a dough.
- Pour the dough onto a clean counter. Then, knead into a big ball. You can knead it for around 2 to 3 minutes just to help it come together more. Then, divide into 4 pieces.
- Take one of the pieces of seitan dough and use your hands to form it into a sausage shape. It may be a bit crumbly so do not worry as it cooks it will take on the proper shape.
- Wrap the seitan sausage first in parchment paper, roll it up and then twist the sides like a candy wrapper. Repeat the process with foil.
- Steam the seitan sausage. All you need to do is pop the sausage in either a steamer basket or with a sieve over a top of a pot or pan. Then, set the heat on the stove to medium/medium-high. Set a timer for 30 minutes and just let it steam.
- Meanwhile, cut the bell peppers and onion. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the oven at 400°F for 20 minutes.
- Once the seitan sausage has steamed for 30 minutes, carefully remove it from the pan. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then unwrap the vegan sausage.
- Cut the vegan sausage on a bias and add to the peppers and onion. Place back in the oven and drop the temperature to 375°F. Continue to bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- The seitan sausage should have a slight crisp on the outside. The bell peppers and onions will be very soft.
sausage & peppers history
I grew up eating sausage & peppers. It is a pretty big deal in Italian-American culture. To be honest sausage in general is a big deal as well, and even more so in Italy. The second I smelled the peppers and onions cooking it takes me right back to being a kid.
Sausage & peppers became especially popular in the early 1900s as Italian immigrants brought their favorite sausage recipes to the United States. They paired them with sweet bell peppers, which were easy to find locally.
The hearty, flavorful combination quickly became a staple at street fairs, family dinners, and neighborhood festivals. Today, sausage and peppers remains a comforting, crowd-pleasing meal that’s delicious served in a hoagie roll, over pasta, or with roasted potatoes.
why you’ll love this recipe
The really amazing thing about this recipe is it has all the flavors and textures with a fraction of the calories and fat. This dish has no cholesterol or trans fats since we aren’t using animal based sausage.
I also think if you are someone who has always wanted to make seitan but has been intimidated by it, this is a good recipe to start with. You let the food processor do all of the work and as it steams it puffs up into the perfect shape.
The other thing is really great about this recipe is if you want to use store-bought vegan sausage you definitely can. It will come out delicious. If you are Italian-American you may have a different way of making this dish and that is okay! These classic dishes like this usually have a few variations.
more italian-american classics
vegan sausage & peppers faq
Is this recipe allergy friendly?
It does use gluten and soy. I currently do not have substitutes for these ingredients in the vegan sausage. You can try using a fava bean based tofu in the vegan sausage, but i haven’t tried that. It is nut free.
How do I store leftovers?
In an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing.
How do I heat this dish up?
You can heat it up in the oven or air fryer.
Do I need to press the tofu?
No. We are using super firm tofu which does not need to be pressed.
How do I enjoy this dish?
You can eat it on its own. You can pair it with roasted potatoes, serve it on bread, or with pasta.
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Homemade Vegan Sausage & Peppers
Equipment
Ingredients
Vegan Sausage
- 3 to 4 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 ounces super firm tofu
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil
Peppers & Onions
- 2 bell peppers sliced into about ½ inch pieces
- ½ Vidalia or sweet onion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the vegan sausage: In a food processor pulse the herbs and seasonings to start breaking them down. Then, add in the vital wheat gluten, tofu, 1 tablespoon olive oil, red wine vinegar, and liquid smoke. Pulse for 30 to 45 seconds until a crumbly texture is forming and the ingredients are being mixed together. Continue to pulse until a crumbly mixture forms.3 to 4 sprigs fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 4 ounces super firm tofu, 1 cup vital wheat gluten, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon light olive oil
- Make the vegan sausage: Use clean hands to knead together for 1 to 3 minutes. Just until it comes together and forms into a ball. Divide into 4 pieces. Roll out into a 5 to 7 inch log shape.
- Wrap the vegan sausage: Use a piece of parchment paper to roll up the vegan seitan sausage tightly and then wrap it tightly in foil. Twist the ends of the foil to make it like a party popper or piece of candy.
- Steam the vegan sausage: Steam in a steamer basket for 30 minutes. Then let them cool for 10 minutes before unwrapping.
- Peppers & onion prep: meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Then, slice the pepper and onion into thin pieces. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Toss around and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.2 bell peppers, 1 tablespoon light olive oil, ½ Vidalia or sweet onion
- Slicing the vegan sausage: once the vegan sausage is cooled and unwrapped you can slice it on a bias. Then, you will add it to the peppers and onions.
- Finishing cooking: lower the heat to 375°F (190°C). Then, place everything back in the oven and cook for another 30 to 35 minutes. If the baking dish is looking very dry you can add in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan and mix around.
- Serving sausage & peppers: when everything is all done you can enjoy on its own, in a sandwich, over pasta. Anyway you like.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are based on my gram measurements put into Cronometer. Yours may vary, they are to help you get an idea.
- Please do not repost recipes without my permission. Sharing a direct link is always highly encouraged and appreciated.
- For any questions you may have please refer to the FAQ above the recipe card.
Nutrition
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hey there!
Hey, I’m Francesca!
Thank you for checking out my recipe! I am happy to have you here and hope you explore more delicious vegan recipes.
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