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Last summer I conducted multiple trials to come up with a gluten-free sausage that would not only taste great but would hold up on the grill. After many attempts, I came up with a recipe that I thought passed the test.
But I knew I still wanted to play around and improve upon it. I needed a recipe that would let me say “Keep your gluten-filled Field Roast and Tofurky sausage. Mine is just as good and won’t lead to inflammation or tummy troubles.” Not to mention (though I guess I’m mentioning it) mine are not processed and way less expensive. So HA!
Improving the recipe didn’t take much. I just switched out the pinto beans for black-eyed peas and amped up the spice mix a bit. A few more mushrooms and a bit more Worcestershire sauce (vegan and gluten-free, of course). If you don’t have gluten-free Worcestershire sauce, you can substitute equal amounts of gluten-free tamari and balsamic vinegar. The result was my best work yet!
These sausages are firm enough to hold up on the grill. When you cook them, they are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside but not mushy, and filled with spicy, Italian flavor. Using black-eyed peas instead of pintos removed the “beany” taste and provided a neutral background for the spices to shine through.
The same recipe can be used with different spice mixes to make breakfast sausages, chorizo sausages or apple sage sausages. They can be sliced up to use in other recipes or eaten whole on a hero with sauteed peppers and onions. You can shape them into links or patties.
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However you decide to make them, make several batches because you are going to love them and eat them all. Say goodbye to gluten and hello to greatness! Enjoy!
Gluten-Free Spicy Italian Sausage, Part II
For the Spice Mix:
1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
1 ½ tsp. fennel, crushed
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. sweet paprika
1 ½ tsp. smoked paprika
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. oregano
1/8 tsp. allspice
Divide the mixture into 4 parts. Shape each part into a log. Wrap the logs individually in foil and steam them for 15-20 minutes. I use a metal steamer that sits atop a large stockpot of boiling water. Let them cool. Then refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, if possible. This will help them firm up even more.
When ready to use, unwrap and cook them however you desire. We cooked them on a grill pan and topped them with mustard and sautéed bell peppers and onions. Yum!
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The “V” Word: Say it. Eat it. Live it.
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I tried this recipe for the first time. I am not a vegan, but I am trying to eat healthier. The falvor of these is awesome. I should have listened to you and gotten my hands dirty. I mixed with a fork and should have kneaded by hand. The consistency looks very similar to ground meat. I imagine the feel would be to. Next time I make these I am going to try and do meatballs and then use them in some pasta dishes like you suggest. My skeptical husband even liked them, and he’s the type that could eat chicken fingers for a week and be satisfied.
Thank you Rhea.
Thank you so much Chris. That means a lot to me. If you don’t want to use your hands, you can pulse it in a food processor too. xoxxo
Cannot say how happy I am to find your recipe! The net is full of lovely sounding vegan sausage recipes…and as you no doubt know, nearly all use seitan ? And nearly all commercial sausages are either vegan or GF but not both. Any thoughts (apologies if I’ve missed this in other comments) on whether these would freeze once cooked?
Hi Laura, yes you can freeze the sausages! That way you can stock up 🙂 xoxo
thank you SO much for this recipe! I haven’t had any ‘sausage’ since going gluten free last year. made these tonight and we all loved them! great addition to our pasta dish 🙂
Glad you loved it xoxox
What other pea can i use beside black eye pea can i use chick pea?
You can use any kind of bean you want but each will have its own flavor. Pinto beans are pretty neutral. Lentils are good too. It will work with any of them.
These look amazing. I really want to make these for my family but they’re mega meat lovers. Do these have a really sausage like texture? Would adding 2 tsp of xanthan gum instead of 1 make them more sausage like? I understand the flavour will taste different – I’d like that and I’m sure it will taste heavenly – I love vegan sausages but just concerned about how sausage like the texture will be?
Also, do I need to wrap them in foil or can they just be steamed uncovered?
Hi Vivienne,
The texture is very close to sausage. You can slice it but it’s not as chewy. To get that kind of texture, you would have to use vital wheat gluten which is not gluten-free. If you’re not gluten-free, you can add 1/4 cup of vital wheat gluten to the mix. You need to wrap them in foil so they hold their shape as they expand while steaming.
These look amazing! Can’t wait to try them! Have you tried the recipe crumbled in a pasta dish or in a soup? Any adaptation needed? Thank you so much!
Yes, Leslie, I have crumbled them in other dishes. I would crumble them and cook them up first just to firm them up, transfer them to a plate and return them to the dish later. Or at least cook them and brown them first and then continue with the dish.
Cannot wait to try, if i want to use it in a spaghetti sauce as a sausage substitute, crumbled, would i have to steam them or can i just fry them crumble
Hi Nat, I would steam it first so it gets the right texture. I’d worry that if you didn’t, it would be too soft but then again, I’ve never tried it. If you do, please let me know.
Do you know if these freeze well? I’d love to make extras to freeze and have later.
Yes, they do freeze well and people have told me they have done that. They never last long enough for me to do that 🙂
hi I am Diabetic, have chf, and high cholesterol I am on a quest to get healthy how would this recipes be for me?
Hi Kathie, a plant-based diet is helpful for diabetes and vegan food has no cholesterol. That said, I don’t write recipes to be healthy so my desserts do have sugar. You would have to make that judgment recipe by recipe as to what is ok for you. But on the whole, a vegan diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods can be very good for diabetes and high cholesterol. You should check out Dr. Joel Furhman and Dr. Neal Barnard and what they write about those conditions. xoxo
Hi! I’m looking forward to making these tonight. I don’t have xanthan gum and I’ve heard it bothers some people with gluten issues even though it is gluten free itself, so I’m planning to use chia seed gel instead. Seems to be a common substitute in gf baked goods. I’ll let you know how it turns out. I was wondering, when you freeze these, do you cook them straight out of the freezer like you would a commercial product like Morningstar Farms or do you thaw them first? Thank you!
Hi Alice, I hope the chia seeds work because without xanthan gum or some type of stablilizer, the sausages don’t hold up. I use guar gum sometimes instead of xanthan gum. I think there is a combo of psyllium husks, flax seed and chia seed that some people use in baking. But since this isn’t baking, I’m not sure if it works or not.
You can cook them straight from the freezer or thawed. Either way works. xoxo
Hi Rhea: I made a roast from the sausage part two recipe and included Cuban beans and it came out awesome. Thank you for all your hard work and sharing with everyone.
That sounds delicious. Very inventive! Thanks for sharing xoxo
I am attempting to make a roast today and adding Cuban beans in addition to the black eye peas. Will keep you posted.
Sounds delicious. Hope you liked it!
Can i just pat them down as patties on some parchement paper and bake these?
Sure, why not? Let me know how they come out. That’s how I make the breakfast sausage recipe which is also on the blog except I pan-fry them.
Can’t wait to make v-turkey. My pea protein has shipped from Amazon! Just wanted you to know that I’m having trouble seeing the “Pin It!” icon near your recipes and I have not been able to share any of your delicious recipes on Pinterest. Maybe it’s my computer, but I thought I’d let you know in case you were concerned. Thanks again Rhea!!
Hi Andre, at the bottom of every post, there are Share buttons including for Pinterest. But I fixed it and got the hover button as well. Thank you for wanting to share the photos, Andre.
I hope the V-Turkey works out for you. Let me know. xoxo
I followed this recipe to the letter and the result was extraordinary. The sausages are even better the next day.
I’m so glad you liked them Andre. Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
I also made Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s vegan italian sausages. Her recipe calls for vital wheat gluten. I found them rubbery but I will try again and will keep the ingredients cold and not knead the dough so much. Just thought I’d share since all of us animal lovers need to support each other as much as possible. Thanks Rhea!
Isa uses vital wheat gluten which gives that chew and texture but then it’s not gluten-free. The whole reason I made these was so there was a gluten-free version. I’m sure Isa’s are delicious. I’m a huge fan of hers. Thanks for sharing. xoxo
YUM!!!! I made these last night and they came out amazing!! The only sub I made was oat flour for the brown rice flour, and it seemed to work out fine. I followed the recipe pretty closely other than that. Perfect for the grill!! Thank you!!! I’m excited to make them again using different spices! Well done!
Hi Jessica, I’m so glad you liked them. Making them with different spices is great for turning Italian sausages into apple-sage or breakfast or chorizo sausages. Thanks for letting me know. xoxo
Hi what is nutritional yeast…is it Marmite as in yeast extract or yeast as in for bread? I’m set to make these but just need clarification on this one ingredient! thanks.
Hi Victoria, Nutritional yeast is made from a single-celled organism, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, which is grown on molasses and then harvested, washed, and dried with heat to kill or “deactivate” it. Because it’s inactive, it doesn’t froth or grow like baking yeast does so it has no leavening ability. Nutritional yeast is not the same as brewer’s yeast, which is a product of the beer-making process and is very bitter. You will find it at natural foods stores or Whole Foods labeled “Vegetarian Support Formula.” Larger grocery stores might have Bob’s Red Mill brand in the natural food section. If you can’t find it locally, Amazon has several brands, including Red Star.
Aha! Just seen it on Amazon UK in flake form, sounds like the same thing you explained so I’m all set. Thankyou for your reply and for such yummie sounding recipes, will keep me busy this winter!
I wonder if they come out mushy for some folks because they don’t let the water from the mushrooms cook out. You say to cook them til soft- should it be until the water is gone?!? Just a thought. I am in the process of making them now, and was wondering about that. They smell delicious already- can’t wait!!!!
Hi Nan, you can certainly cook the mushrooms until they are browned and more water is out. The sausages come out firm enough to be able to slice them. They are best made the day before and kept in the fridge and then they will be firmer the next day. xoxo
Made these yesterday, yummy BBQ sauce on grill, having them in scrambled eggs for breakfast right now, very yummy. Am trying to go vegetarian, and so far haven’t had luck with veggie burger recipes, I think this will help.
Hi George, I’m glad you love them. This is the link to a blog post I wrote about veggie burgers with links to lots of my recipes. Maybe a few will work for you. http://thevword.net/2013/09/veganmofo-9-ask-dr-v-burgers.html
Thanks for sharing, Rhea! I made a similar version (without the fennel, liquid smoke, or Worcestershire sauce, and I linked your recipe to my version on my blog (Beyond Zucchini). Looking forward to trying more of your recipes 🙂
Roula-Maria
I’m glad you liked it Roula-Maria and I hope you find more recipes you love. xoxo
Hi Rhea,
I must be overlooking something… I see you list 2 tsp + 2 tsp olive oil. I also see where you use the first 2 tsps. for the veggie mixture. Where do you use the other 2? Thanks!
Hi Sherry, the remaining oil goes in with the liquid ingredients. I must have skipped that but I fixed it now. Thank you for pointing it out. xoxo
I made these last week for my meat-eating and vegetarian friends and they were a big hit! Thank you for the recipe. Do you have any suggestions for spice mixes for other kinds of sausage?
Hi Theresa, Yay! I’m so glad people liked them. You could also try my sausage recipe using V-Meat which is in the V-Meat post (just search it). Italian flavor is my favorite but you could make them like chorizo with a Spanish blend (smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, cumin), or apple sage like breakfast sausage. I would take any spice mix you like and use it in the sausage to make them different. If you try any, let me know! xoxo
How about using spices from India, mmmm! Thanks for the mentioning the ingredients for a Spanish blend…any idea what the proportions might be?
Indian sounds good too. For the Spanish blend, there is a recipe or two for vegan chorizo in this article I wrote for One Green Planet http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/how-to-cook-veggies-mexican-style/
Hi Rhea, just came across your website and I have to say your creations look amazing!
For the sausages do you think you could use sunflower lecithin in place of the xanthan gum? It is an emulsifier and thickener.
Thanks for your blog, it’s a gift!
Mason, thank you for the kind words. Honestly, I have no idea if lecithin would work. I’ve never used it except to make vegan butter but it’s an interesting idea. If you try it, please let me know if it works!!!
Question.. Can I use something instead of mushrooms? Like lentils ?
I originally tried making the sausage with lentils but it had that pasty lentil taste and texture. I suppose if you love lentils and don’t mind that pasty texture, you can. Mushrooms add a meatiness and richness. If you can’t eat them or don’t like them, I would just skip them.
Just tried a batch of these–flavor is great, but mine too came out a little mushy. Next time I’ll try patting down the beans after rinsing and draining, and maybe add a tad more xantham or brown rice flour. Love ’em despite the mushiness!
Do you think this would work with lentils?
Hi, they should not be mushy. They should be substantial enough to slice. They need the xanthan gum and flour and they also need to rest for several hours in the fridge or overnight if possible. I’ve made them in the food processor too. By the time they steam, they should be firm but get even firmer after they set overnight.
I did try lentils when I was creating them but they taste very lentil-y. I wanted a neutral flavor, that’s why I went with pinto beans but then moved to black-eyed peas.
These sound great. I’ve been a vegan for 27 years come Thanksgiving. This past February I went gluten free and couldn’t be more happier. My husband and our three girls are all Vegan as well. They, however, still eat wheat just not as much. Anyway I would like to know if these can be made ahead and then frozen so they are ready to heat up at anytime? Thank you.
Angela, Wow! 27 years?? You’re my hero!! And how wonderful to have your whole family be vegan. Thank you!
Yes, you can freeze the sausages. I do that so I have them whoever I need them. xoxo
Angela beat me by one year. Yay! 26 years for me Rhea. Oh, and I love it when people tell me they’ve been vegan for longer then me. I chatted with a lady the other day who told me she has been vegan for 50 years. How cool is that?
Oh my goodness!!! That’s incredible, Mark. I feel like such a newbie. It will be 5 years for me in February. I went vegetarian in 2008 when I didn’t even know about veganism yet and as soon as I learned, transitioned to vegan a few months later. I can’t wait until I can say decades long of veganism…except that I’ll still be 29 years old..hahaha!
Rhea, 5 years is awesome! Do celebrate that victory! Heck two years is fabulous too. We all hit two years, five years and ten years at one point. When that woman on FB casually dropped the big 50 my mouth dropped. I had never met anyone who had been a vegan for 50 years. I know when I went vegan the only soy milk we coul dget was the nasty, one gallon containers of bean water in Asian markets. Oh, and tofu! I would get that from Asian markets too because none of the grocery stores would carry them. Shoes were quite a challenge. The only place one could buy pleather shows was at that sweat shop store: Payless. Thankfully, a few years later my friends at Pangea would start importing vegan shoes from England and Australia. How far we have come, eh? I think it’s much easier to be a vegan now. I can’t imagine what it must have been like fifty years ago, can you?
Twenty-nine years. LOL
Wow, Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I’m gluten free and vegan and these came out awesome! So easy to make, and are better, in my opinion, than some of the other products out there. Also, I made your eggplant meatballs and loved them too. So did my toddler! Thanks again. This is one of my favorite vegan blogs 🙂 looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Hi Laura, I’m so glad you like the sausages. And I’m very flattered you think they taste better than some commercial products. I’m also working on V-Sausage, a gluten-free concoction of my own. I’m doing it in Italian and Maple Sage. The recipes should go up pretty soon.
YUM! Eggplant meatballs. I love those and the burgers. I love hearing about kids liking all the vegan food! Thank you so much for the kind words, Laura. xoxo
I just made a batch yesterday for dinner, turned out great! My only problem was because they were so big the consistency wasn’t perfect. I think breakfast sausage size would be perfect for these! Any advice on how to change it from italian sausage flavor to breakfast sausage flavor? Thanks!
Hi Gabby, you can certainly make them any size you want. Sometimes I make 6 instead of 4. For breakfast sausage, there is a recipe here on the blog. http://thevword.net/2012/10/veganmofo-sunny-anderson-and-gluten-free-breakfast-sausage.html Thanks xoxo
Hi Anna,
You could use any bean you like. I was trying for the one that tasted the least beany. Pintos were good but black-eyed peas taste even less beany.
You could use cannelini, northern, probably even chickpeas! Red kidney beans would be good too and give you a nice color. I think it really depends on what taste you like.
Rhea
Hi Rhea! besides Pinto beans what else could I sub for black eyed peas? Cheers Anna
Hi Lindsay, I freeze them if I’m not using them right away. They can be poked from frozen right in the pan.
Hi there, I’m super excited to make these. How long do you think they would last in the fridge?
Hi Megan,
The only one I know about is Wizard from Edwards and Son. I usually order around 6 at a time. Stores don’t like to carry it. I guess there is not enough demand. I’m going to come up with my own recipe, I think.
Here is the link: http://www.edwardandsons.com/sauces_shop_wizards.itml
I’m curious what brand of vegan and gluten-free worcestershire sauce you use. I haven’t been able to find one that is both. Thanks!
Danielle, you can certainly swap xanthan gum and guar gum.
The mushrooms lend a bit of meaty taste and texture but I’m sure you can just use the beans alone. You could also add lentils but they have such a distinctive taste, it might change the flavor. Let me know what you try!
I was super excited to find this recipe until I saw that it contained mushrooms. 🙁 any substitution suggestions?
Also I use Guar gum instead of xanthanam for all my gf. recipes. I am assuming it will work but figured I’d ask if anyone has tried it instead
Thank you Don. I’m so happy to hear that!!!
I made these tonight, and they are fantastic. Thank you for the recipe. It’s definitely the best vegan, gluten free sausage I have ever had.
Hi Liz,
You could put a metal colander over the pot and then put the lid on that.
I’m excited to try these! If I don’t have a steamer, what would you recommend?
Oh no, bean dip? Sounds like you needed more flour and/or xanthan gum. Don’t skip the xanthan gum!
Thank you Rhea and everyone,reading these posts has helped me prepare these sausages.My wife is Gluten intolerant and I am Vegan. My first batch came out more like bean dip rolled up in corn husk. They were good but not a sausage. I am making them now with more brown rice flour.I am attending a Plant Based Cooking Program, if I get any good tips I will post here. Thanks again, Love
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Kathee, the mushrooms give the sausages a beefy flavor plus that umami taste that satisfies. You really don’t taste mushroom. I used to hate mushrooms until I became vegetarian. Then I had a cheesesteak made with mushrooms and I was converted! I have a vegan version of that sandwich on the blog.
If you leave them out, you will have a more beany taste.
If you are in need of any support on your journey, please ask. I’d be glad to help in a friendly, non-judgmental way.
Read my entry “3 years Veg and 7 Lessons Learned” on the blog. It’s intended for those who might be struggling. Email if you want. I’m always glad to help.
wow they look awesome…I will be trying them for sure when I get the ingredients! I’m not a mushroom eater, if I leave them out what would you suggest to replace them with? Thanks for sharing your super recipes, I find the transition to vegan is not easy and appreciate the recipes that are more like “comfort food”. Yours all look really good 😀
I don’t know if agar would work. I have never used it. But it subs for gelatin while xanthan gum and guar gum sub for gluten. Someone tried to sub with tapioca starch and it didn’t work. If you try, let us know but I would invest in a bag of xanthan gum. It really lasts forever.
Hi! I really want to make these, do you think agar would work in place of xanthan gum? Thanks! They look delish!
Antoinette, yay!!!!
Holy cow, these are DIVINE. Used sorghum instead of brown rice (what I had) and they turned out fabulous. So glad I found your site!!!
Probably too much starch. You don’t want them to be more flour or starch than beans and veggies. You can buy xanthan gum online. It lasts forever. Guar gum is also the same.
Hi Rhea,
I tried out the recipe, I used tapioca starch instead of xanthum gum because I had it already and my store did not sell xanthum gum. I pretty much followed the recipe exactly, but i added extra tapioca starch, but they came out tasting like raw dough, they were firm on the outside though. I’m wondering where I went wrong, I’m not sure if maybe I should have cooked them for longer?
Hi jp, I’m going to be guessing here since I haven’t tried it. My guess would be that you could sub arrowroot for xanthan gum but you might not get the same texture and consistency. The xanthan gum (or guar gum) gives you that chewy texture and helps it hold together like gluten does.
I use arrowroot instead of corn starch all the time for thickening (like gravies) and for crunchy coatings. I think it would work somewhat but you might need more than the amount of xanthan gum. Like I said, I’m guessing.
Xanthan gum does come in very small bags and even though it’s expensive, you use so little it lasts forever. If you do try the arrowroot substitution, please let me know how it comes out!
Rhea, there is another option. It’s called Guar Gum. It doesn’t contain corn. There’s also locust bean gum. Both are excellent options to xantham gum and will give the same consistency. You will probably need to play with the amounts but they work perfectly.
I do use guar gum, Mark. Thanks!
Hello,
these look amazing, I usually make seitan sausages, but im tryting to get away from too much gluten. I am also allergic to soy so i am really excited to try these out. I have a couple of questions… do you think that arrowroot would be an ok substitute for xanthum gum? I have it already and have a very limited space in my kitchen. Also what are your thoughts on turning this recipe into one giant roast? I’m trying to find a way to make a soy free and gluten free roast. thanks so much
I am so excited to find this recipe and your whole blog. My husband has celiac disease, and I’ve recently resumed a vegan diet (after a 12 year, sad hiatus), so I’m delighted to find this wealth of recipes we can both enjoy.
I’ll try again because they taste amazing!! I’ll just have to keep trying.
Katherine, I’m so glad you liked them. I think they are really close to the store-brand and I love them. Thank you.
Carol, I’m not sure why they were mushy. When you make the mix, you have to use your own judgment as to whether they have enough flour or not and be sure to sprinkle enough xanthan gum – that’s what gives it the chewy texture.
Make sure the beans are drained too so they don’t add too much moisture to the mix. Remember, they will never be as firm as a gluten sausage so don’t expect that but it holds up on the grill and can be sliced which is what I wanted.
Good luck with the next batch.
Made these last night. The flavor is perfect but the texture was a little mushy. How can I correct that?
I just made these sausages and they were absolutely gorgeous. They did taste like pepperoni or salami, such a rich flavour.
Your instructions were so easy to follow and the sausages looked amazing.
These were the first vegan sausages I’ve ever met and I’m so happy to finally be able to eat a sausages again!
Also, in addition to foil and banana leaves, I’ve also tried parchment paper and that works great!
cant wait to try this recipe.
That’s a great idea. Unfortunately, I’ve developed an allergy or sensitivity to corn so I can’t do that but it sounds like a great idea. Maybe I could try it in banana leaf!
I am looking forward to trying these. consider steaming them in corn husks instead of foil. this is how I have been making my sausage, it works and I avoid the concerns about aluminum.
nice posting.. thanks for sharing.
Hi Lauren,
Any supermarket should sell brown rice flour and xanthan gum. It would most likely be in the gluten-free section which even the smallest markets are now creating or wherever they keep the flours and baking ingredients.
And if you still can’t find it, you can order them online from Arrowhead Mills or Bob’s Red Mill.
where would i purchase xanthum gum and brown rice flour? i’ve been dyng for sausage and these look pretty close to the real thing!
Thank you 🙂