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Plant-Based Sausage Patties

Plant-Based Sausage Patties

Active time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Serves: 8 patties
Whether you eat meat or not, these all plant-based patties are downright delicious! Made with textured vegetable protein, whole wheat flour and oat bran, and spiced with fennel seeds, sage, smoked paprika, garlic and soy sauce.

Chef's notes

Feel free to experiment with this recipe—adding more or less spices or using different spices all together. Fried onions and sun-dried tomatoes also work really well in these patties.

Steps

1

Preparing Your Mise en Place

Preparing Your Mise en Place

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup textured vegetable protein
  • 1/2 cup water (very hot)
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup oat bran
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2 tbsp ground flax seeds (flax meal)
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, whole
  • 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried sage
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos
  • 1 tsp maple syrup or agave
  • 1/2 tsp blackstrap molasses
  • 1/4 cup water (or more as needed)
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the textured vegetable protein and hot water. Set aside to soak for 7 to 10 minutes. Next add all of the dry ingredients to the bowl and stir thoroughly to combine. Add soy sauce, maple syrup and molasses and mix together. Let mixture sit for approximately 15 minutes. This allows the flavors and ingredients to absorb and meld together.
2

Forming and Cooking the Patties

Forming and Cooking the Patties

Ingredients

  • 1 to 2 tbsp oil (coconut, grapeseed or sunflower)*
Using your hands, form into patties 1/2 inch thick and 2 inches wide. Alternatively, you can form them into whatever shape you are looking for. For instance, if you wanted to add chunks of "sausage" to a soup, you could shape the mixture into smaller, irregular pieces. Note: This recipe makes enough for eight 1 1/2-ounce patties. To cook the patties, heat a large stainless steel or cast iron pan over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and then the patties. Fry the patties on the first side until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes and then flip. Turn the heat down to low and finish cooking the second side. The patties are done when they are heated through and crisp and golden on the outside. Note: If desired, omit the oil and place the patties onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 350°F (177°C).

31 Comments

  • Bonnie D
    Bonnie D •
    Ken, I made these tonight for dinner. I loved the overall taste of them but want to improve the textural experience. What would you suggest to lighten them? The next time I make them I plan to mix in some duxelles to the recipe and see how that works. The spices are excellent and remind me of sausage. I crumbled up the leftovers to use on pizza this week.
    Reply
  • Ken R
    Ken R • Rouxbe Staff •
    Hi Bonnie- You may need to add a bit more liquid to the mix or reduce the flour by 1-2 Tbsps - as it will continue to swell and absorb as it sits and cooks. Adding in mushroom duxelles is a great idea, so please let us know how it turns out. Cheers!
    Reply
  • Bonnie D
    Bonnie D •
    Thanks for the tips Ken! I made them again yesterday and cut the recipe in half to play with it. I inadvertantly added more water not thinking that I had cut recipe size. The mix was more wet than the first time but when cooked in the pan, cooked up nicely over medium heat. Great as a pizza or flatbread topping! I took some into work to pass around for the curious...you know we have to plant the seeds of plant-based eating whenever we can! lol This recipe is great! I encourage others to give it a try. I am thinking you could assemble the dry mix sans TVP (since it has to be soaked). and add the wet ingredients when you mix it up..as a time saver.
    Reply
  • Ken R
    Ken R • Rouxbe Staff •
    Great work Bonnie! It's pretty amazing how much water those ingredients can absorb - and there is even variation among brands. I added 1/2 cup finely ground carrots to my last batch and it made them a bit sweet. ~Ken
    Reply
  • Stephanie H
    Stephanie H •
    I loved the white bean soup, but not this sausage. It all came together pretty well and I formed it into "rustic" chunks as suggested, but it's missing something for me. I used Italian seasoning and thought, with the fennel, that it would resemble Italian sausage. Don't mean to complain, but I've only really enjoyed falafel and an oat burger recipe from some neighbors. They had given me a recipe for veggie Italian sausage that uses wheat gluten instead of TVP--they even gave me a bag of the gluten which they buy in bulk. I'm a levain bread baker and hesitate to use the gluten at all. That's what was behind my question today at the live Q&A. I'm really trying to enjoy the veggie burgers but won't even bother with the wheat gluten recipe if it's too processed. Just don't know exactly what it is. Sorry for rambling on....
    Reply
  • Ken R
    Ken R • Rouxbe Staff •
    Was there something about it that was not Italian enough? Was it the gluten or the seasoning? These patties use TVP.... Gluten flour is simply the gluten removed from the whole flour - you can extract it yourself if you are worried about the flour being processed. You can also try another base for the patty if you'd prefer. Thanks for clarifying - Ken
    Reply
  • Stephanie H
    Stephanie H •
    I don't know, Ken. I had all the ingredients in the recipe except for dried sage--I subbed with so-called Italian seasoning, all dried herbs. I guess the one ingredient that real Italian sausage has is fat. I'm sure that's why they seemed sort of dry and bland. I haven't tried anything with the wheat gluten. I made these with the TVP. I'll let you know if I try my neighbor's recipe and how it turns out. I will take your advice and experiment with other bases and spices. I jumped ahead of following the sequential order of tasks to find something interesting to cook. I'll keep plugging away. Thanks for your support.
    Reply
  • Sophia D
    Sophia D •
    I've never worked with TVP before, and would prefer to use a different ingredient. Would oatmeal work in this recipe?
    Reply
  • Ken R
    Ken R • Rouxbe Staff •
    Hi Sophia- It may work, but you will have to likely try a few versions to get the texture right. Oatmeal can become soggy if too moist or gritty if not cooked through enough. And then there's the question of what type of oatmeal to use. Steel cut or thick rolled? As an alternative, the brown lentils may be a good option to try! ~Ken
    Reply
  • Arianna A
    Arianna A •
    Can I use an air fryer instead?
    Reply
  • Lauren L
    Lauren L •
    Hi Arianna. Although I have never cooked these in an air fryer, I believe you can. I spent some time researching cooking similar dishes in an air fryer and the consensus seems to be "yes." Let us know how it goes! Lauren
    Reply
  • Mavis F
    Mavis F •
    Can i use panko or something else instead of oat bran? What does molasses do for the recipe? I've never used it before.
    Reply
  • Lauren L
    Lauren L •
    Hi Mavis, The oat bran acts as a binder here. I think panko would work fine. Give it a shot and let me know. Molasses is a sweetener but it also is extremely earthy and mineral forward. It adds a layer of smokiness. You can skip it if it is not on hand. Lauren
    Reply
  • Rodrigo F
    Rodrigo F •
    Hi! Is it possible that the recipe is missing a bit of salt? I've just made this recipe and I'm not completely satisfied with it's flavor, it was a bit bitter and the flavors of the TVP and the fennel seeds were totally predominant over the other ingredients. However, I didn't have any syrup nor molasses so I used a tsp of "mascabo" sugar, this could have had an impact on the final flavor. I didn't respect the 15 minute rest step neither, could this have such an impact on the final flavor? Rodrigo.
    Reply
  • Char N
    Char N • Rouxbe Staff •
    Hi Rodrigo: Thanks for writing. The soy sauce is the source of sodium, and the three tablespoons in the recipe are equal to 1800 mg of sodium, which is almost a teaspoon of salt, by comparison. I think your sugar substitute was fine. You may have wanted to dilute the sugar with water, so that the liquid amount stayed the same. I have made this recipe, and I like it. Others who enjoyed their food salted, thought as you did. Perhaps it is a matter of taste? The 15 minute rest period is key, as it allows the flavors to meld and come together. Good questions, I hope you will try the recipe again. Thanks for writing, Char
    Reply
  • Mavis F
    Mavis F •
    I made half pan fried and half baked - both pretty good. i used liquid smoke and added a few more dry herbs like fennel and rosemary. both I and my partner found the baked version to be saltier. Is there any science to that? does baking concentrate salt vs. pan fry diffuse that somehow?
    Reply
  • Eric W
    Eric W • Rouxbe Staff •
    Mavis, I'm not aware of any science that would explain this scenario.
    Reply
  • Maria H
    Maria H •
    I took the forks over knives course and looked at your option for no oil In your recipe for plant based sausage patties. You said to bake at 350 degrees. You did not mention how long to bake them. How long should you bake them and do you them half way through?
    Reply
  • Char N
    Char N • Rouxbe Staff •
    Hi Maria: Good catch. My suggestion would be to place the patties on a parchment lined pan into a 350F oven. Cook for 10 minutes, on one side, and then to the other side for another 10 minutes. If needed, for more brownness, cook in increments of 3-5 minutes for added color. This is what I do to make patties. Thanks for writing, hope this helps. Thanks, Char
    Reply
  • Sara B
    Sara B •
    This recipe is my go-to sausage recipe. The sage is really important to that quintessential sausage flavor though, it can't be skipped.
    Reply
  • Char N
    Char N • Rouxbe Staff •
    Hi Sara: It is a delicious recipe--omnivores like it, too. Thanks for sharing. Keep cooking. Char
    Reply
  • Marilyn P
    Marilyn P •
    I'm gluten free. Could I use brown rice, millet, Sorghum or soy flour?
    Reply
  • Char N
    Char N • Rouxbe Staff •
    Hi Marilyn: yes—you could, and they will turn out great. Oat flour (using a GF oat) also works very well. Let us know how they turn out for you! Cheers, Char
    Reply
  • Earlene G
    Earlene G •
    So, the TVP and the flour both can be replaced for gluten free? Can you suggest which ones to use?
    Reply
  • Char N
    Char N • Rouxbe Staff •
    Hi Earlene: I would recommend a gluten-free, oat flour. Also, use Tamari, which is gluten-free. The recipe works well. I think you will enjoy it. Cheers, Char
    Reply
  • Rachel S
    Rachel S •
    If I was to make a batch of these ahead, would you suggest cooking then freezing or freezing and cooking as needed?
    Reply
  • Char N
    Char N • Rouxbe Staff •
    Hi Rachel-- I would cook them in advance and prepare for freezing. Line each piece with a piece of parchment--and store in an air-tight container. This way--they will be ready to heat and serve. Enjoy. Char
    Reply
  • Carleen R
    Carleen R •
    Can TVP and the whole wheat flour be replaced by tiger nut flour?
    Reply
  • Char N
    Char N • Rouxbe Staff •
    Hello, Carlee -- The tiger nut flour might be a tad sweet for the burger, but I think the flavors can be re-adjusted. Also, you may have to consider using more flax seed meal. It is, however, a good binding agent for veggie burgers. The one thing you might be missing is protein--you could add some mashed white beans into the mixture. But, it will work. Good luck--let us know how you make out. Char
    Reply
  • Joan I
    Joan I •
    Could seitan mixed with beans be substituted for TVP?Joan
    Reply
  • Char N
    Char N • Rouxbe Staff •
    HI Joan-- I think that with this recipe the dry vital wheat gluten will work, but I do not think you need the beans. A 1/2 cup measurement of the seitan mix contains about 40-45 grams of protein. I think this will work in your recipe. Good luck. Cheers, Char
    Reply

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