What should I do with this vegan sausage?
May 18, 2019 6:51 PM Subscribe
We bought a package of Gimme Lean Veggie Sausage but ended up using a different faux meat for the dish we were planning (which was red beans and rice and came out well). What are some ideas and tips about the best thing to do with this loaf of soy protein?
We are omnivores but also interested in eating less meat overall. I can’t tell if this product has any inherent flavor, and I’d like to minimize any experience of it having a noticeably weird faux meat texture.
I am a decent cook but strapped for time, so really don’t want to invest a lot of time into a dish that sucks. Anything that I can make for the family (two adults, one small) to eat half now and freeze the rest for later would work especially well.
I’d also appreciate any tips about how this product will behave in general when I cook it.
We are omnivores but also interested in eating less meat overall. I can’t tell if this product has any inherent flavor, and I’d like to minimize any experience of it having a noticeably weird faux meat texture.
I am a decent cook but strapped for time, so really don’t want to invest a lot of time into a dish that sucks. Anything that I can make for the family (two adults, one small) to eat half now and freeze the rest for later would work especially well.
I’d also appreciate any tips about how this product will behave in general when I cook it.
I love it in biscuits. Make disks, bake them in a greased oven-proof glass dish, bake biscuits, slice the biscuits open, put a sausage disk in each one.
posted by amtho at 7:06 PM on May 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by amtho at 7:06 PM on May 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
I’d sauté it with a bunch of onions and peppers and mushrooms and serve it over a grain or in a nice big sausage roll type bun, like a cheese steak. You can add dairy cheese, vegan cheese, or nutritional yeast for extra umami.
I’d probably add the vegan sausage to the pan last, to make sure the veggies start to caramelize before the protein chunks get too dry or browned.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:42 PM on May 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
I’d probably add the vegan sausage to the pan last, to make sure the veggies start to caramelize before the protein chunks get too dry or browned.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:42 PM on May 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
Quick n easy: sautéed it, breaking it into chunks in a pan, with a tiny bit of oil. Add some fennel and red pepper flakes. Mix that into a jar of tomato pasta sauce, bought it homemade. We’ve over pasta. Also good with sautéed spinach mixed in.
posted by nuclear_soup at 7:56 PM on May 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by nuclear_soup at 7:56 PM on May 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
Yeah this stuff is pretty much 100% exactly like Jimmy Dean meat sausage that comes in a tube. It acts and tastes the same, and cooks similarly except for two differences: needs about half the cook time of meat sausage and will have much less fat come out of it during cooking so you don’t have to do any draining. I usually grease the pan with a small amount of oil/butter before cooking (I've used in in all of the ideas listed above and they are winners all) and that’s enough. I’ve been wanting to use this to make scotch eggs, if you are up for a challenge.
posted by holyrood at 8:08 PM on May 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by holyrood at 8:08 PM on May 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
For a quick use... when I've got veggie sausages that are shaped in links I just prepare them like hot dogs with tons of dressings and fancy relish and stuff, in a bun. Maybe you could take what you've got, cut it into quarters lengthwise, and do something similar.
posted by XMLicious at 10:21 PM on May 18, 2019
posted by XMLicious at 10:21 PM on May 18, 2019
It's one of my favorites too. Fried with maple syrup or on pizza.
posted by snaw at 6:36 AM on May 19, 2019
posted by snaw at 6:36 AM on May 19, 2019
Cook it just like sausage, as others have said. It does have inherent sausage-like (sage) taste. Key: Eat it only when it's hot; once it's not hot, it doesn't taste that good and the texture is off-putting (to me). I have it for breakfast a few times a week.
posted by mmw at 7:20 AM on May 19, 2019
posted by mmw at 7:20 AM on May 19, 2019
If you're worried about the texture, hide it in pasta sauce with noodles. Sauté it with onions and mushrooms, then add the rest of your vegetables and sauce. It makes a nice hearty "meat" sauce and there is a lot happening, texture-wise, which will conceal any weirdness.
Honestly though, I've eaten both and Gimme Lean is exactly the same as meat-based sausage except for being much less greasy.
posted by blnkfrnk at 9:48 AM on May 19, 2019
Honestly though, I've eaten both and Gimme Lean is exactly the same as meat-based sausage except for being much less greasy.
posted by blnkfrnk at 9:48 AM on May 19, 2019
Dutch student-food: mashed potatoes, sauteed kale (or broccoli or whatever), discs of sausage, mix, bake, comfort food.
posted by lois1950 at 10:30 AM on May 19, 2019
posted by lois1950 at 10:30 AM on May 19, 2019
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posted by 8603 at 6:59 PM on May 18, 2019 [5 favorites]