This St. Patrick’s Day consider making the Corned Seitan and Cabbage from Vegan on the Cheap. Not only is it a delicious way to celebrate the holiday, but the leftovers will reward you with the makings of the most amazing Reuben sandwiches this side of a New York deli.
If you don’t already have Vegan on the Cheap, I do hope you’ll get it soon because the recipes in that book can save you some serious $$$ (and give you great meals in the bargain!) In the meantime, though, I’ll share the recipe for Corned Seitan and Cabbage so you can celebrate this St. Patrick’s Day in style.
If you prefer some lighter fare to mark the day, try my Colcannon Quesadillas. You can find the recipe on OneGreenPlanet. Mashed potatoes + spinach (or kale) + tortillas = an easy and delicious treat that can be enjoyed as is or served with picante sauce or a spicy mint chutney (for an Irish-Mexican-Indian fusion feast).
For more St. Patrick’s Day recipes, check out Party Vegan. Here’s the menu from Party Vegan‘s St. Patrick’s Day chapter, along with the recipe for Colcannon Fritters.
Now here’s that seitan recipe….Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Corned Seitan and Cabbage
Look for pickling spices in the spice aisle in your supermarket. From Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson © 2010.
Tip: For extra flavor, try replacing 1 to 2 tablespoons of the water in the seitan mixture with 1 to 2 tablespoons of pickle juice (from a jar of dill pickles).
1 sweet yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large carrot, cut into 1/4-inch slices or 1 cup baby carrots, halved lengthwise
1 small head cabbage, sliced, reserving 2 large leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups vital wheat gluten
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 cup water, or more as needed
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon coarse brown mustard
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pickling spices
1 pound Yukon Gold or small red potatoes, halved or cut into chunks if large
1 cup vegetable broth
1. Lightly oil the insert of a large oval slow cooker or spray it with cooking spray. Arrange the onion, garlic, carrots, and sliced cabbage in the bottom of the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
2. In a large bowl, combine the vital wheat gluten, onion powder, coriander, allspice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Add the water, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the mustard, and vinegar. Mix well, adding a little more water if the mixture is too dry, then knead for 2 minutes until smooth. Shape the seitan to fit inside your cooker.
3. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons mustard and the sugar until well blended, then spread evenly on top of the seitan. Sprinkle the pickling spices on top, pressing them with your hand to imbed them in the mustard mixture.
4. Carefully place the seitan in the cooker on top of the two reserved cabbage leaves. Arrange the potatoes around the seitan. Pour the broth over the potatoes and season them with salt and pepper. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on Low until the seitan and vegetables are cooked, 7 to 8 hours.
5. To serve, remove the vegetables and seitan from the slow cooker. Cut the seitan into slices and arrange them on a serving platter. Surround with the vegetables and spoon the cooking liquid over all. Serve hot.
Note: This is best when made in a larger cooker to accommodate vegetables, but if you have a smaller 4-quart slow cooker, you can still make this recipe—just use half the amount of vegetables so you do not overfill the cooker. Alternatively, you can cook the potatoes and cabbage in the oven or on top of the stove and just use the slow cooker to cook the seitan on top of the onion and cabbage leaves (these give added flavor to the seitan and help hold its share), adding the vegetable broth and garlic.
{ 19 comments… add one }
I think I have to give this one a whirl….sounds sooooo good!!! Now that it’s Maple Sugaring season here in VT…I may have to cook this using maple sap instead of the broth….what do you think, Robin?
Wow, maple sap! What I’m thinking is that I wish I lived closer so I could try some! 🙂 I say, go for it Connie — and let me know how it turns out!
I wish you lived closer too!!!!!
Hi Robin, Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! If I were to make it today, do you think it’d reheat well for a party tomorrow?
Yes, Kristen, this recipe reheats very well.
Ohh, thank you so very much. That’ll save me a ton of stress! 🙂
Making this right now!
Hi Robin,
I made the recipe but took shortcuts. So it was a little tender, but it smelled amazing! Next time I will use the slow cooker.
I don’t have a slow cooker, how else can I cook this “corned beef”?
Thanks :-))
You can bake it in the oven at 350 degrees. Just put the seitan in a roasting pan or shallow baing dish, pour in some of the broth and cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil. Probably best to roast the veggies separately in case they get done sooner. Then you can just put them back int he oven to reheat once the seitan is done. The seitan will be firm to the touch when done — it should take around 60 to 70 minutes in the oven.
I’m cooking on high for 4 hr
I’m cooking on high for 4 hr
I hope it works
Making this now. Used Guinness bottled draft in lieu of the veggie broth. Here’s hoping!
Sounds great, Lisa. I hope you enjoy it! Mine is cooking right now — it smells so good!
I committed the sin of opening the crockpot at about hour 6.75. I noticed that the seitan was very soft. Would you switch the seitan (only) to a baking sheet and finish uncovered if you were me?
You could do that or you could continue to cook it on High in the slow cooker. It will firm up eventually!
Huge failure. This review is not to knock the author…but I was so excited about this recipe and the whole thing ended up in the trash. I was so disappointed to find after cooking all day, that the seitan was a gooey, soggy, flavorless mess. You know the consistency of a scoby in your kombucha? That’s what this seitan felt like. Also, the pickling spice a are a mistake. They ruin the flavor of the vegetables, which are the only salvageable part of this meal. I’m sorry that this didn’t work out.
I am SO SORRY to hear about your results. I make this every year and it always comes out great. It sounds like there was too much liquid in the mix or maybe the wheat gluten wasn’t potent. As for the flavors….I use the pickling spices to mimic the flavors in traditional corned beef and we all love the flavor. Again, I wish I could have you try some of my Corned Seitan someday so you could taste how good it is.
I love this recipe. I make it every year for the last 3 years for st Pat’s. It always comes out awesome and my vegan friends and I adore it. My omnivore partner also thinks it’s pretty dang good and says the spices and flavors are spot on. Thank you so much! I will be back every year forever for this one 🙂