This vegan turkey roast is the perfect Thanksgiving dinner centerpiece and the only recipe you need. It gets its tender meaty texture from a combination of silken tofu and wheat gluten and finished with a golden crispy rice paper skin. A good for you plant based alternative from scratch, the flavor is light but savory with umami undertones, just like you would expect from the best holiday roast.
To the bowl of a food processor add the wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder and salt. Press the pulse button a couple of times and process until combined. Add the silken tofu. Mix the miso paste with the warm water until dissolved and add it to the bowl. Mix until the dough comes together but take care not to overwork it.
2 x 12 oz silken tofu, 2 + 2/3 cup vital wheat gluten, 2.5 Tbsp nutritional yeast, 1.5 Tbsp onion powder, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp sea salt, 1 Tbsp white miso paste
With lightly oil hands remove the dough from the processor and shape it into a loaf by folding it over on itself just like you would bread. Make a round or oblong shape that will fit your steamer basket with plenty of room around it. (The loaf is going to puff up during steaming due to the tofu so it’s important to allow space for that).
Steam the Roast
Bring a couple of inches of water to a simmer in the steamer pot (or use a pan/pot that perfectly fits your steamer basket). Place the steamer basket over the simmering water and lightly brush or spray with oil to prevent sticking.
Place the seitan roast in the steamer basket and cover with a lid. Steam on medium low heat for 25 minutes. Once done transfer the roast to a lightly oiled plate to prevent sticking.
Wrap the Roast in Rice Paper Skin
Have a large wet plate ready on the counter. Prepare a shallow bowl with warm water. I use the same water from the steamer pot since it’s already hot. Submerge a sheet of rice paper for 7 seconds. Transfer it to the wet plate. Repeat with the second sheet of rice paper and place it on the plate overlapping the first one.
3 pieces rice paper
Place the seitan roast on top of the rice paper and start folding the paper upwards much like wrapping a present. Submerge the third sheet of rice paper in the water for 7 seconds and then place it on top of the roast folding the edges downwards to create a seal.
Roast
Preheat your oven to 400”F. Lightly oil the bottom of a roasting dish or rimmed baking sheet. Place the herbs, garlic cloves and some citrus slices in the middle. Place the “vegan turkey” roast on top making sure it covers all the aromatics.
6 garlic cloves, 3 bay leaves, 2 sprigs rosemary or sage
Lightly brush the rice paper skin with olive oil all over. Sprinkle with a good pinch of sea salt, paprika and chili flakes. Use your hand and rub it all over the roast to create an even coverage, make suer to get the sides too.
1 pinch red chili flakes, 1 pinch sea salt, 1 pinch sweet paprika
Roast in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden crispy.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes then transfer to a serving dish. (Discard the garlic and herbs that might be sticking underneath). Serve with mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing or cold in sandwiches and salads.
Video
Notes
Steaming the Roast- Use your largest steamer basket for this, or just make sure to shape your roast so that it fits what you have. Lightly oil your steamer basket to prevent sticking, I do not recommend using aluminum foil but you could if you wanted to. Allow room for the loaf to puff up a bit during steaming, this is normal because of the tofu. I suspect you could also steam it in the Instant Pot as well, I'm still a dutch oven kind of girl.
Leftovers - The cold leftovers make perfect vegan turkey slices to use in a cranberry club sandwich, salads, casseroles, pot pie and even pizza.
Make Ahead - If you wanted to you could prep ahead your roast all the way to the roasting point. Once steamed allow it to cool off, then wrap it in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and refrigerate. Wait to wrap it in the rice paper until you are ready to roast it.
Storage - Any leftovers can be sliced up and frozen in lidded freezer proof containers / bags, or wrapped in some parchment paper and refrigerated for up to a week. Thaw out in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or oven.