vegan/veg snacks that satisfy the same cravings as hard sausage
September 12, 2023 2:56 PM   Subscribe

What are some vegan or vegetarian foods that satisfy similar cravings to hard sausages and summer sausages? (For purposes of this question, I'm not referring to breakfast sausages or the hotdog / kielbasa expanded universe.) They don't have to claim to be sausages themselves as long as they satisfy most of these criteria: savory, chewy, lots of fat and protein, salt and umami, and lactic acid tang (or equivalent). Commercial products widely available in the US, or recipes.

Some things that get close but don't quite make it:

* vegan / veg sausages: i've only ever seen them in breakfast sausage or hotdog style, they don't have the texture or the tangyness
* strong cheeses - not chewy, not so much protein or tang
* flavored pressed tofu - not fatty enough, usually not the right texture
* jackfruit jerky - I think they just haven't figured out how to make this actually taste good yet
posted by moonmilk to Food & Drink (21 answers total) 14 users marked this as a favorite
 
There are all types of tofu or gluten derived products of various textures. You may need to visit some Asian markets to see what sort of veggie snack they have available. Like buy one of each pack and see what ticks with you. I'm just going to link the Weee groceries "vegetarian snack" search. Dried tofu, dried bean curd, that sort of thing. There are bajillion varieties of different flavors. It's not going to taste exactly like sausage, but it won't have tofu's texture either. Pick something interesting, like "kimchi tofu", or "vegetarian jerky, spicy chicken flavor",
posted by kschang at 3:18 PM on September 12, 2023 [1 favorite]


What kinds of strong cheese have you tried?

When I need a large hit of fat/salt/umami I'll shave off a few big pieces of Locatelli Pecorino. It's not completely chewy, not it's also not soft. Works great on a cracker.
posted by JoeZydeco at 3:21 PM on September 12, 2023 [5 favorites]


There's a variety of seitan-based jerkies out there -- Primal Strips is one of the ones I see the most but there are others. I find them to be very chewy, salty with a lot of umami (and some tang, too). Not particularly fatty, though, which I think is going to be the problem with most of the alternatives.

I second the recommendation of poking around Asian markets, but you will have to read labels carefully if you do care about it actually being vegetarian if you go in person (and even shopping online). I have picked up so many products that seemed to be vegetarian until I saw there was pork fat or such on the ingredient list.
posted by edencosmic at 3:22 PM on September 12, 2023 [6 favorites]


I've had this style of vegan snack sausage in the UK and Europe and didn't know if it existed in the US too, but this site is priced in dollars, so hopefully?

As a formerly long-term vegetarian and recent vegan, I've yet to find any fake charcuterie that really captures the dryest, densest texture profile of dry real charcuterie, but this stuff is pretty good, and I continue to live in hope.
posted by terretu at 3:23 PM on September 12, 2023 [1 favorite]


FWIW, in Asian markets, you need to look for the character 齋 or 素. These mean they are suitable for Buddhist on a vegetarian diet.
posted by kschang at 3:29 PM on September 12, 2023 [16 favorites]


Roasted mushrooms are delicious and I suppose if you roast them long enough they can become jerky. That recipe goes for long and slow but 375F for less time might also work.
posted by yarrow at 3:46 PM on September 12, 2023


I have a recipe for “bacon” made using king oyster mushrooms that is definitely chewy/fatty/umami. It doesn’t make me think of summer sausage, but it definitely scratches a bacon/tender jerky itch. Recipe is here.
posted by little mouth at 3:47 PM on September 12, 2023


Head to your local Asian market! They have all kinds of spicy/tangy/umami snacks full of protein and fat and salt, with different textures and seasoning profiles.

I like gluten based 'jerky' snacks like this, as well as various products based on soy and/or mushrooms. You can also mail order this stuff from the bigger places like 99 Ranch etc.
posted by SaltySalticid at 3:48 PM on September 12, 2023 [1 favorite]


I got some really lovely wasabi mushroom chips from my local Korean market. They scratched the umami/salty/tangy/savory criterea but were crunchy instead of chewy. I think I've seen some "wet" mushroom snacks that might be closer in texture to a hard sausage.

I also like to bake mushrooms (enoki or chopped up king oyster mushrooms, usually) in foil with soy sauce and butter. It would be reasonable to either squeeze some lemon on them or use ponzu sauce instead of soy sauce to get more of a tang or add some miso to get more umami. Cooking them takes about 15 min at 400 degrees in a foil packet, they're a recipe that is really hard to mess up.
posted by A Blue Moon at 4:08 PM on September 12, 2023 [1 favorite]


I really like the Beyond Meat vegan jerky. Similar spice blend to meat jerky but on a plant protein base. I eat meat, but sometimes I buy the vegan jerky anyway just because I like the taste.

Worth noting that it’s VERY tough, somehow even tougher than meat. So, not ideal if you’re recovering from dental surgery or something, but great if you want something to gnaw on for a while.
posted by mekily at 4:43 PM on September 12, 2023 [4 favorites]


I've actually tried a couple bags of Beyond Jerky. They are cheaper than regular jerky and they taste okay... but the texture is quite different. They feel very "dry", so much so you may need to add some BBQ sauce or such to get the dryness out of your mouth. Otherwise, it's not bad.
posted by kschang at 4:59 PM on September 12, 2023


Have you tried the Yves salami slices? From what I remember from having them years ago (before figuring out my soy allergy) they were pretty good.
posted by CleverClover at 6:12 PM on September 12, 2023 [1 favorite]


Dried cherries and apricots give me a little of that texture and tartness.
posted by credulous at 6:13 PM on September 12, 2023 [1 favorite]


Techang Foods Tofu Cake Black Pepper Flavor - it's protein-y, it's chewy, it's excessive and addictive. The other flavors are good too.
posted by Frowner at 6:48 PM on September 12, 2023 [2 favorites]


Dried mango is what jumps to mind for the chewy texture. I wonder if anyone makes salted dried mango?
posted by foodmapper at 6:55 PM on September 12, 2023


Parmesan rind fits the bill for veg though not vegan, and has the bonus of providing all the grateable / shaveable bits first. You can also use them in soups to give a certain je ne sais quoi umaminess.
posted by Athanassiel at 6:57 PM on September 12, 2023 [1 favorite]


Admittedly it's a real bank shot from summer sausage, but I wonder if sour-salty umeboshi / li hing mui / Hawaiian crack seed might be of interest.
posted by away for regrooving at 12:26 AM on September 13, 2023


Not as dry and snappy as truly dry cured meat, but these from Renegade Foods are the best vegan hard sausages I've had.
posted by redfoxtail at 4:08 AM on September 13, 2023 [1 favorite]


Fresh dates stuffed with blue cheese hits everything except protein. I guess you could wrap them in vege bacon and grill them.
posted by some little punk in a rocket at 4:48 AM on September 13, 2023


Pickled Wild Cucumbers are not like meat at all, but for some reason, they fill that craving for me. They are a bit sweet as well as funky, like charcuterie is, and obviously also salty.
They are not fatty, but somehow they feel a bit fatty. Their consistency is not at all like regular pickled cukes, much more chewy, but not sausage chewy. I still think you should try, they are delicious. If you have a Middle Eastern market near you, you can find them there. They are a bit hard to find online, and I've never seen them in a regular supermarket. (I'm really selling this idea, aren't I?)
posted by mumimor at 6:05 AM on September 13, 2023


Rock 'em Sock 'em is onto something. Dulse ticks all your boxes except fat. And it's much tastier than veg jerkies and totally unprocessed.

For the hit of fat, you could wrap a piece of dulse around a bit of goat cheese. Yum!
posted by Text TK at 6:11 AM on September 13, 2023


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