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    Home » Sides

    Vegan Salami

    Published: Apr 16, 2021 Updated: Apr 16, 2021 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    Vegan Salami

    This vegan salami is made with vital wheat gluten for the most amazing taste and texture. It’s loaded with flavor and really easy to make too.

    A roll of sliced vegan salami on a wooden board.

    This vegan salami has such a great taste and texture that it could seriously fool people if you were so inclined.

    We tested it quite a few times to get the right combination of ingredients and the end result is really just perfect.

    It even has the little white parts that look like the ‘white fat’ that you would see in salami.

    It’s so tasty that we were eating this for days on end with nothing but glee. Slices of this on a fresh hamburger roll with whole grain mustard and vegan cream cheese. Oh my! So good.

    And if you love this recipe also check out our vegan ham roast! It’s fantastic.

    Ingredients You’ll Need:

    Photo of the ingredients needed to make vegan salami.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Vital wheat gluten – this is the crucial ingredient for vegan meats or ‘seitan’ as it’s also known. Unfortunately there is no good substitute for this at all.
    • Red pepper flakes – are also called chili flakes.
    • Pickled beets – you can use pickled beets in this recipe (as we did) or you can simply use cooked beets.
    • Ground black pepper – we use a little ground black pepper in the dough for the salami and then we also roll the whole salami sausage in black pepper which gives it that gorgeous look.
    Slices of vegan salami stacked up on a wooden board.

    How To Make Vegan Salami

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    The White Fat:

    • Add vital wheat gluten, cornstarch, onion powder and garlic powder to a mixing bowl and mix together.
    Collage of two photos showing dry ingredients for the white fat in a mixing bowl and then mixed together.
    • Now add vegetable stock and toasted sesame oil and form into a dough. Knead the dough for 1 minute.
    Two photo collage showing oil and vegetable stock added to dry ingredients and formed into a ball of dough.
    • Then place the dough onto a wooden board and flatten it out with your hands.
    • Cut it first into strips and then cut the strips into chunks. Set aside.
    Two photo collage showing white fat dough placed onto wooden board and cut into small pieces.

    The Vegan Salami

    • Add vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and red pepper flakes (chili flakes) and mix together.
    Two photo collage showing dry ingredients added to mixing bowl and mixed together.
    • Now add toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, tomato paste, maple syrup, liquid smoke, dijon mustard, crushed garlic, pickled beets, salt and ground black pepper to a blender jug and blend until smooth. 
    Two photo collage showing ingredients added to blender jug and blended until smooth.
    • Pour this out over the dry ingredients and mix in.
    Two photo collage showing wet ingredients added to dry in mixing bowl and mixed.
    • Get in there with your hands and form it into a dough and knead for around 1 minute.
    Two photo collage showing the dough being kneaded by hand.
    • Then flatten it out on a wooden board with your hands. Place the chunks of white fat on top.
    Two photo collage showing red meat section spread out onto a board and the chopped up white fat pieces added on top.
    • Roll it into a ball and then form it roughly into a sausage shape.
    Two photo collage showing the red and white dough rolled up into a ball and then formed into a sausage shape.
    • Cut the sausage into two and then roll each half in ground black pepper.
    Two photo collage showing the sausage cut into two and then rolled in black pepper.
    • Wrap the two sausages in parchment paper and then in foil, twisting the ends of the foil to seal it.
    Two photo collage showing the two sausages rolled in parchment paper and then foil.
    • Place them into a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and steam for 40 minutes.
    • Let them cool on the counter until they reach room temperature and then place into the fridge (still sealed) and cool until chilled.
    Two photo collage showing the foil wrapped sausages added to a steamer basket and steamed and then opened up on a wooden board.
    • When completely cooled, unwrap the salami from the foil, and cut into slices and serve.
    Two photo collage showing the steamed sausages with open foil and then one of the sausages ready to be sliced on a wooden board.

    Recipe Tips For Success

    Don’t knead too long. This recipe does require some kneading but only a little. Knead for around 1 minute for both the white fat part of the salami and the ‘meat’ part of the salami. If you knead for too long the salami will be too tough and chewy.

    Roll in black pepper. This is entirely optional but looks (and tastes) great. It’s not at all too strong a taste, it works perfectly. Just sprinkle black pepper on a plate and then roll the salami in it. It sticks easily and works great.

    Wrap in parchment paper and foil. The parchment paper helps to smooth out the edges so even if your salami looks quite bumpy when you first wrap it, by the time it has steamed in the parchment and foil it smooths out a lot.

    Slices of vegan salami stacked up on a wooden board.

    Recipe FAQ

    Can you make this vegan salami gluten-free?

    This vegan salami recipe uses vital wheat gluten as the main ingredient. There isn’t any good substitute for it, so unfortunately it doesn’t work at all as gluten-free.

    How long does it keep?

    Keep your vegan salami stored in the fridge where it will stay good for up to a week.

    Can you freeze it?

    Yes this is freezer friendly for 2-3 months.

    Slices of vegan salami stacked up on a wooden board.

    More Seitan Recipes

    1. Vegan Sausages
    2. Vegan Bacon
    3. Vegan Steak
    4. Vegan Chicken
    5. Vegan Meatballs
    6. Vegan Pepperoni
    A roll of sliced vegan salami on a wooden board.

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Slices of vegan salami stacked up on a wooden board.

    Vegan Salami

    This vegan salami is made with vital wheat gluten for the most amazing taste and texture. It’s loaded with flavor and really easy to make too.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Savory, Side
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 16
    Calories: 157kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    White Fat: 

    • ⅓ cup Vital Wheat Gluten (50g)
    • 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
    • 1 tsp Onion Powder
    • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
    • ¼ cup Vegetable Stock (60ml)
    • 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil

    Salami:

    • 2 cups Vital Wheat Gluten (300g)
    • ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast (15g)
    • 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
    • 1 tsp Onion Powder
    • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
    • ½ tsp Red Pepper Flakes Chili Flakes
    • ⅓ cup Toasted Sesame Oil (80ml)
    • ⅓ cup Soy Sauce (80ml)
    • ⅔ cup Tomato Paste (173g)
    • 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
    • 2 tsp Liquid Smoke
    • 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
    • 2 Cloves Garlic Crushed
    • ½ cup Pickled Beet Slices (85g)
    • 1 tsp Salt
    • 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper

    Rolling:

    • Ground Black Pepper
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • White fat: Add vital wheat gluten, cornstarch, onion powder and garlic powder to a mixing bowl and mix together. 
    • Now add vegetable stock and toasted sesame oil and form into a dough. Knead the dough for 1 minute. 
    • Then place the dough onto a wooden board and flatten it out with your hands. 
    • Cut it first into strips and then cut the strips into chunks. Set aside. 
    • Salami: Add vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and red pepper flakes (chili flakes) and mix together. 
    • Now add toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, tomato paste, maple syrup, liquid smoke, dijon mustard, crushed garlic, pickled beets, salt and ground black pepper to a blender jug and blend until smooth. 
    • Pour this out over the dry ingredients and mix in. 
    • Get in there with your hands and form it into a dough and knead for around 1 minute. 
    • Then flatten it out on a wooden board with your hands. Place the chunks of white fat on top. 
    • Roll it into a ball and then form it roughly into a sausage shape. 
    • Cut the sausage into two and then roll each half in ground black pepper. 
    • Wrap the two sausages in parchment paper and then in foil, twisting the ends of the foil to seal it. 
    • Place them into a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and steam for 40 minutes.
    • Let them cool on the counter until they reach room temperature and then place into the fridge (still sealed) and cool until chilled. 
    • When completely cooled, unwrap the salami from the foil, and cut into slices and serve. 

    Notes

    1. Vital wheat gluten – this is the crucial ingredient for vegan meats or ‘seitan’ as it’s also known. Unfortunately there is no good substitute for this at all, so there is no gluten-free option for this recipe. 
    2. Pickled beets – you can use pickled beets in this recipe or simply use cooked beets. 
    3. Don’t knead too long. This recipe does require some kneading but only a little. Knead for around 1 minute for both the white fat part of the salami and the ‘meat’ part of the salami. If you knead for too long the salami will be too tough and chewy.
    4. Storing and Freezing: Keep your vegan salami stored in the fridge where it will stay good for up to a week. It is freezer friendly for 2-3 months. 
    5. Serving size: This recipe makes two large salami sausages. This contains approximately 16 serves at 4 slices per serve. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4Slices | Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.1g | Protein: 18.1g | Fat: 6.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.8g | Sodium: 487mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 2.9g
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
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    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alma says

      December 21, 2022 at 1:23 pm

      Hello,
      Can I change the Toasted Sesame Oil for Sunflower oil? and What can I used instead of “Liquid Smoke”?

      Thank You,5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        December 21, 2022 at 1:32 pm

        Toasted sesame oil has a unique toasted flavor so switching for sunflower oil will have a slight impact on the taste. You can leave out the liquid smoke if you can’t get hold of it.

        Reply
    2. Anna says

      November 28, 2021 at 9:27 am

      Can I skip the nutritional yeast?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        November 29, 2021 at 1:02 pm

        Yes you can.

        Reply
    3. Anna says

      April 20, 2021 at 10:33 am

      Looks so delicious! Perfect for the lunch sandwich with lettuce and a dash of mayonnaise.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        April 20, 2021 at 1:29 pm

        Thank you! Yes indeed it makes the most amazing sandwiches.

        Reply

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