Vegan Schnitzels
If you love golden and crispy filets then you’re going to adore this easy vegan schnitzels recipe. It may look difficult at first, but actually it’s super easy. Making seitan is pretty much like baking bread. There’s not much to it and the results are amazing.
With Octoberfest just around the corner, it seems only fair that I share my favorite vegan schnitzel recipe with you. It’s a real crowdpleaser because of its golden and crispy exterior and delicious meaty texture. It’s so good, so light and I know you’re going to love it.
This vegan schnitzel recipe is pretty much the best shnitzel I have ever eaten…and I’ve eaten quite a few. Over the years, I lived in Germany and the Netherlands for extended periods of time. While living there I developed a deep adoration for these crispy filets.
Of course, I had originally given up all these temptations when I became vegetarian. That’s until I realized that I could just as easily create vegan versions of my favorites. It took a few tries until I came up with this recipe, but it was worth the wait.
What’s great about this recipe
- Super easy to make
- They are deliciously golden and crispy
- The texture is amazing
- They are a much healthier version of the original
- A kid favorite (and adult as well)
Making your Vegan schnitzels fluffy
The trick to lighter and more fluffy shcnitzels is sparkling water instead of regular water. It’s a super simple trick, but it really works. I also like to use sparkling water with lemon to give it extra freshness.
Cheat trick
If you don’t want to make your own seitan, or simply don’t feel like you have the time, you can just buy seitan filets at the supermarket and cover them with the egg replacement and breadcrumbs mix. The results will still be delicious and crispy schnitzels.
So how are the Vegan Schnitzels made?
Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the chopped onions and garlic for a few minutes until they soften. Add cumin and thyme and cook for a few more minutes.
Next, add chickpeas, cooked onion mix, tomato paste, seasoning, soy sauce and sparkling water to a blender or food processor. Pulse until everything is combined. Now, add the vital wheat gluten to the mixture and pulse again.
Once everything is combined (it should have the consistency of dough) set the seitan aside.
Fill a large pot with a couple of inches of water and bring to a boil. Place a steaming basket over the pot and divide the Seitan into 2 equal pieces. Roll the seitan into 1 inch filets and add them to the steaming basket.
Steam the seitan filets for 20 minutes, turning them over halfway through.
Next, combine all the ingredients fot the egg substite in a bowl. Whisk together and add more water if needed.
In a second bowl, mix together the bread crumb ingredients.
Once the seitan is cooked, let them cool for a few minutes.
Begin by dipping the seitan filets in the “egg” mixture followed by a dip into the breadcrumbs mix. Make sure the filets are covered with breadcrumbs.
Finally, heat olive oil in a pan and cook the filets on both sides until they are golden and crispy.
Serve with oven baked potatoes and salad or try it with my Mediterranean Risotto.
Vegan Schnitzels
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Canola Oil
- 1 Onion Chopped
- 1 Garlic Clove Minced
- ¼ tsp Ground Cumin
- ¼ tsp Dried Thyme
- ¼ cup Canned Chickpeas
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of Pepper
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Sparkling Water
- ¾ cup Vital Wheat Gluten
- Olive Oil For frying
Egg Replacement
- ½ cup Chickpea Flour
- ⅓ cup Water
- ⅛ tsp Sriracha Sauce
For the Coating
- 1 cup Breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of Pepper
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the chopped onions and garlic for a few minutes until they soften. Add cumin and thyme and cook for a few more minutes.
- Next, add chickpeas, cooked onion mix, tomato paste, seasoning, soy sauce and sparkling water to a blender or food processor. Pulse until everything is combined. Now, add the vital wheat gluten to the mixture and pulse again.
- Once everything is combined (it should have the consistency of dough) set the seitan aside.
- Fill a large pot with a couple of inches of water and bring to a boil. Place a steaming basket over the pot and divide the Seitan into 2 equal pieces. Roll the seitan into 1 inch filets and add them to the steaming basket.
- Steam the seitan filets for 20 minutes, turning them over halfway through.
- Next, combine all the ingredients for the egg substitute in a bowl. Whisk together and add more water if needed.
- In a second bowl, mix together the bread crumb ingredients.
- Once the seitan is cooked, let them cool for a few minutes.
- Begin by dipping the seitan filets in the "egg" mixture followed by a dip into the breadcrumbs mix. Make sure the filets are covered with breadcrumbs. Finally, heat olive oil in a pan and cook the filets on both sides until they are golden and crispy. Serve with oven baked potatoes and salad.
At what point do you move the stuff to the food processor? Seems like that is left out. Do you cook the chickpeas etc or just move all to the processor and pulse? Thanks!
Hi, Thank you asking. I can see why that was confusing, so I’ve just updated the recipe to make it more clear when each step is taken.
I always used canned chickpeas, so I just add everything to a blender or food processor once the onion and garlic mix is cooked.
Here’s the updated steps: Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the chopped onions and garlic for a few minutes until they soften. Add cumin and thyme and cook for a few more minutes.
Next, add chickpeas, cooked onion mix, tomato paste, seasoning, soy sauce and sparkling water to a blender or food processor. Pulse until everything is combined. Now, add the vital wheat gluten to the mixture and pulse again. Once everything is combined (it should have the consistency of dough) set the seitan aside.
Just continue with the rest of the recipe from here…
I hope that helped 🙂
Wonderful! Trying today. Happy holidays! Thanks so much.
You have Thyme listed twice in main ingredient. 🙂
Also is it canola oil or olive oil for this recipe? It says each in different places. Thanks so much!
Oh I got it. Olive oil is for final cooking! They look so good!!