Not like you need an excuse, but St Patrick’s Day is always a good reason to make the Corned Seitan and Cabbage from Vegan on the Cheap. Another good reason to make it is for the great Reuben sandwiches that happen with the leftovers. This year I was so in the mood for the corned seitan that I made it a few days ahead of schedule. I always make it in a slow cooker because the long slow cooking time makes all the veggies taste great and the seitan cooked in the slow cooker has a wonderful texture.
I previously posted the recipe for Corned Seitan and Cabbage (from my cookbook, Vegan on the Cheap) but this year I made a few minor tweaks to the recipe, so I’m sharing the latest version. And here’s a pic one of the bonus Reuben sandwiches:
Corned Seitan and Cabbage
You will need a large oval slow cooker to make this recipe as written. Adapted from Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson © 2010.
1 large sweet yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 large carrots, cut diagonally into thin slices
1 small head cabbage, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices, reserving 2 large outer 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
2 1/2 cup vegetable broth, divided
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon coarse brown mustard
3 tablespoons pickled beet juice (optional but recommended)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons pickling spices
1 pound small red potatoes, halved
- Lightly oil the insert of a large oval slow cooker or spray it with cooking spray. Arrange the onion, carrots, and sliced cabbage in the bottom of the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the two reserved cabbage leaves on top of the vegetables.
- In a large bowl, combine the vital wheat gluten, onion powder, coriander, allspice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Add 1 cup of the broth, the soy sauce, the 1 teaspoon of mustard, beet juice, and vinegar. Mix well, adding more of the broth, a little at a time if the mixture is too dry, then knead for 2 minutes until it is a smooth doughy mass. Shape the seitan to fit inside your cooker. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons mustard and the sugar and stir until well blended, then spread evenly on top of the seitan. Sprinkle the pickling spices on top, pressing them into the mustard mixture to make them adhere.
- Carefully place the seitan in the cooker on top of the cabbage leaves. Arrange the potatoes around the seitan. Pour the remaining 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 is firm and the vegetables are tender, 7 to 8 hours. To serve, allow the seitan to sit for about 10 minutes, then thinly slice with a serrated knife. Serve with the veggies.
Note: If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can bake it in the oven. If you have a roasting pan large enough to hold everything, arrange everything in there and cover tightly with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until the seitan is firm to the touch and the vegetables are tender. Otherwise, you can use two separate baking pans and bake the seitan separately from the vegetables. Be sure to cover the baking pan with the seitan tightly with foil and pour about 1 inch of the liquid in the bottom of the pan with the seitan to help steam-bake it.
