I love farro. It’s nutty and chewy, is super versatile and can be used in both sweet and savory applications. Because it’s got such a great texture, I’ve used it before in vegan crab cakes, as a filling for “pork” stuffed wontons, burgers, and even in these German chocolate cake truffles.
Here I’ve grinded uncooked farro and boiled it to create a base for vegan sausages. Vital wheat gluten and spices are then added to the mix before it’s formed and steamed to create a soft but sturdy texture. Those little chewy farro pieces are a great textural component in these seitan sausages that you can crumble or slice for pizzas, pasta dishes, scrambles, sandwiches, hashes and more!
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Farro Sausages
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 sausages
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup farro, crushed in a coffee grinder
- 3/4 cup shiitake powder (crush about 2 large dried shiitake mushrooms in a coffee grinder)
- 3 cups water
- 2 TB soy sauce
- 2 TB refined coconut oil
- 1 TB vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 TB liquid smoke
- 1 TB sesame oil
- 1 TB fennel seeds
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten, plus more if needed
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Place the crushed farro and shiitake powder into a medium-sized saucepan, then whisk in the water. Boil for about 15 minutes, uncovered. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the next 10 ingredients and allow to cool. Add in the vital wheat gluten and stir. You want the mixture to be soft, but just firm enough to be able to be formed into sausages. Add up to 1/2 – 3/4 more of the VWG, 1/4 cup at a time as needed, to achieve this result. No need to work or knead the dough.
- Divide the mixture into 4 portions, then roll into 6-inch long sausages.
- Spray 4, 8X8 inches pieces of tin foil with a little cooking spray. Place a sausage onto each piece, then roll up, twisting the edges to form a seal.
- Place a steamer basket over a large pot with water and place the wrapped sausages inside. You want to fill the pot with just enough water that it doesn’t make contact with the bottom of the steamer basket.
- Place the sausages inside and cover. Bring the water to a boil, then steam for one hour. You will need to keep an eye on the water level, replenishing the water as needed as it evaporates.
- Let the sausages cool completely in the tin foil. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 80 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Boiled, Steamed
- Cuisine: German, American
Jessica says
Omg!! I made these last night and I added some organic maple syrup, caraway seeds, red hot pepper flakes and about 4 tsp of vegan ham base. I rolled them a tad bit thicker.. and these tasted just like a breakfast sausage. The farro gives it such a good sausage texture. I promise you won’t miss the real thing. Added some tofu scramble with some black salt and you have yourself a lovely breakfast burrito.
erinwyso says
Jessica, great idea! Love your adaptations and so happy you enjoyed.
Kathy says
Super! I am leaning more and more towards making my own Vegan staples and this fits the bill. I am a fan of farro, too. Thank you. I think it is so amazing to create a “meat substitute” without any butchery in the serenity and safety of one’s kitchen. I almost feel as empowered as plants who make their own food.
A Magical Life says
I got all excited at this recipe when it came in my inbox but we’re gluten free. I’ve never found a good sub for wheat gluten. I’m guessing this would fail spectacularly without it. Any suggestions on what to use for the chew and sticking factor of wheat gluten for those of us who are GF?
erinwyso says
This recipe is super-dependent upon vital wheat gluten, and I’m not that familiar with gf subs, so I’m not sure I would have very good advice, sorry!I do know that Bob’s Red Mill makes a gluten-free flour, but I’ve never tried it. Maybe that could be subbed here for a similar texture? Good luck!
Gigi says
Aquafaba egg as a binder, have you heard of this before? I wonder if this would work for you?
https://www.ordinaryvegan.net/aquafaba-egg/
maureen says
where do you get the large dried shitake mushrooms that would give you 3/4 cup grounded up?
erinwyso says
Maureen,
Check on amazon or google “dried shiitake mushrooms” for more options. You can also find them at most Asian supermarkets. Good luck!
Katy says
@Kimberly and Erin,
I don’t have a Chinese steamer either. If I want to steam something, I place a couple of large sized water chestnut tins with both ends removed, in a large pot, and place the vessel or tin foil package on top of them. I leave the pot lid open a little, to let steam escape….
ps: I steam veggie dogs and buns by balancing them on the tins…
Here are some other ideas: http://www.instructables.com/id/Quick-Homemade-Steamer-Hack/
http://food-hacks.wonderhowto.com/how-to/steam-food-without-steamer-basket-0161815/
erinwyso says
Katy,
Great hack! Thanks for sharing!
Kimberly says
What a fantastic recipe! Are there any other options for cooking the sausages? I don’t have a steamer basket. Would this work in a stainless steel steamer insert?
erinwyso says
Kimberly, I’ve only ever made this recipe in a wood steamer basket, but I think a stainless steel insert should work too.
This is the basket I use. It’s reasonably priced and used a ton in my kitchen:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001VQIYU/ref=s9_acsd_al_bw_c_x_4_w
Good luck!
Katy says
Hi Erin,
This looks so good! Darn, I was thinking of buying farro yesterday, and passed.
Can I substitute it with a wild rice blend which includes: long grain brown rice, sweet brown rice, whole grain wehani rice and whole grain black japonica rice?
erinwyso says
Katy, thanks! I’ve never tried this with rice, so I can’t say it would work for sure, but I can tell you that this dough is really forgiving and easy, so there’s a good shot!
If you do try with good results, I’d love to know!
Cadry says
Wow! This looks crazy impressive. I am a big fan of farro too, but I’ve never thought about using them in this type of application.
erinwyso says
Thanks Cadry! 🙂