Vegan Stuffed Seitan Roast

Vegan stuffed seitan roast is an elegant main dish recipe that combines flavorful bread stuffing with mushrooms, walnuts, and cranberries rolled inside savory homemade seitan dough.

This is the ultimate vegan roast, and I'll provide the steps and tips you need to make this recipe like a pro. 

Are you looking for something special for a vegan Thanksgiving, Christmas, or holiday table?

Surround stuffed seitan with vegan scalloped potatoes, maple-glazed sweet potatoes, sweet potato casserole with pecans, Brussels sprouts with grapes, or my other vegan Thanksgiving recipes for a feast guaranteed to elicit rave reviews!

⭐ About This Recipe

• This is a three-part recipe, but many of the spices and ingredients, like veggie broth (vegetable stock), overlap. I've separated the ingredient list in the recipe card by stuffing, seitan roast, and basting liquid for your convenience. 
• The dressing can be made a day ahead, cutting much of the prep time. 
• Allow 1 ½ hours of baking time. The good news? The dressing is easy to make, and the seitan dough needs no rising time. Just 2 minutes of kneading, and you're good to roll. 

📋 Recipe Ingredients

Vital wheat gluten - The essential ingredient in seitan dough or wheat meat that creates the meaty texture. It's the magic used for vegan tempeh burgers and vegan breakfast sausage patties. 

Bread cubes - I used a small loaf of crusty sourdough bread for the stuffing. Any French bread or baguette is a great option. Let softer bread dry out before using. 

Chickpeas - Reserve half a cup of the liquid when you drain the can of chickpeas. White beans, like cannellini, plus the liquid, are a good substitute. 

Mushroom powder - If you can't find mushroom powder, grind dried mushrooms in a spice or clean coffee grinder. 

Tahini - I updated this recipe to include tahini, which improves the seitan's texture. Tahini, a sesame seed paste, is a natural oil. Buy or make homemade tahini. It's the best!

Walnuts - Omit nuts if desired. Substitutes include pecans or hazelnuts. 

Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.

📖 Recipe Variations

• Adjust any of the spices as desired. Another option is using poultry seasoning rather than thyme, marjoram, and sage individually. 
• Dried cranberries are optional. Dried apricots or leaving fruit out is your call. 
• If you aren't fond of bread dressing, double the bulgur cranberry dressing I use for stuffed butternut squash. 

🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Cook the vegetables and spices.

Step 2: Remove from heat. Stir in cranberries, walnuts, bread cubes. Moisten with vegetable broth.

Step 3: Combine the oats, chickpeas, and wet ingredients in a food processor.

Step 4: Combine the dry ingredients, then the chickpea mixture to form a dough. Knead for 2 minutes.

Step 5: Lay the dough on a large piece of parchment paper.

Step 6: Lay cling film over the top and roll a seitan rectangle.

Step 7: Spread the dressing. Leave an edge of dough.

Step 8: Roll the roast lengthwise, jelly roll style.

Step 9: Fold the ends toward the long seam and press to seal.

Step 10: Add basting liquid and place the roast in the baking dish. Brust basting liquid over the top.

Step 11: Cover tightly in foil. Bake for 25 minutes and baste again. Bake another 25 minutes.

Step 12: Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes until firm and brown. Baste a few times.

⏲️ Pro Tips

• Use a large glass baking dish or roasting pan. A baking sheet doesn't have the depth to hold the brazing liquid. 
• Consider the size of the baking dish when making the seitan roast. It can touch the sides a little. If you force it to fit, it can test the seams, and we don't want the dressing to escape. 
• Lay the dough on a large piece of parchment paper or plastic and cover it with another large piece of plastic wrap (cling film). The top piece keeps the rolling pin clean, and the bottom makes it easy to form the roast and transfer it to another pan. 
• Tightly cover the baking dish with tin foil. I used 2 pieces to cover the length and then the width. This encourages steaming of the seitan roast for the first part of baking. 

🍴 Serving Suggestions

After baking, cover the roast loosely with foil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Cut the roast into thick slices and serve with flourless mushroom gravy Shake it up and try it with raspberry chipotle sauce or cauliflower Béchamel white sauce. 

💭 Frequently Asked Questions