Vegan Breakfast Sausage with TVP

I first shared this recipe back in spring of 2017 in a video about breakfast sandwiches. At the time, pickings were slim when it came to vegan meat alternatives, so I was still experimenting somewhat regularly with homemade vegan meat and cheese recipes. I made a lot of seitan cold cuts and cashew mozzarella that year.

Vegan food technology has improved by leaps and bounds in the years since, and most grocery stores in the States now stock at least one or two plant-based meat options. Given the plenitude of convincing store-bought options in recent times, I rarely make my own.

Now a month into quarantine, however, I’ve found myself experimenting with homemade staples again (and quite enjoying it). And in light of the economic changes affecting a majority of us, I thought it would be worth sharing some budget-friendly faux meat and cheese recipes in the coming weeks. The base of this recipe is TVP (textured vegetable protein), which can be purchased at most health food stores or online.

I decided to revisit this breakfast sausage recipe, make a few adjustments, and re-share it. It’s high in protein, super economical, and much simpler to make than seitan sausages. You can easily whip these up in one bowl. Use chickpea flour for some extra fiber and protein, and go light on the oil when pan-frying to make these a pretty darn healthy breakfast option. Happy cooking!

What is Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)?

Textured vegetable protein (TVP) is soybean flour that has been defatted, cooked and dehydrated. TVP crumbles are often used as a ground meat substitute in recipes like chili, sloppy joes, bolognese and more. Much like tofu, they don’t have much flavor on their own, so they are very versatile. I’ve made TVP meatballs, chick’n nuggets, and more.

TVP is also very high in protein and fiber and free of fat and cholesterol. So even if you aren’t eating strictly plant-based, you can use it in place of all or part of the ground meat in a recipe to make it lower in fat and overall calories, as well as more budget-friendly.

Nowadays you can find TVP at many health food stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods. Check wherever your store usually stocks Bob’s Red Mill products. Otherwise, you can easily find it to order online.

Ingredients for Vegan Breakfast Sausage

  • Textured vegetable protein (TVP) — The key ingredient in this recipe! It’s high in protein and has a nice chewy texture reminiscent of ground meat.
  • Boiling water — This is needed to rehydrate the TVP. Alternatively, you can use vegetable broth. A beef-style veggie bouillon (like the Better Than Bouillon No Beef) will make the sausage taste extra savory. If you make this substitution, I recommend reducing the soy sauce by half to avoid it being too salty.
  • Flax meal — This will help to bind all the ingredients together. It’s also high in fiber and nutrition.
  • Liquid smoke — Optional, but I love the savory-sweet-smoky combination of flavors in the recipe when you add a bit of liquid smoke.
  • All-purpose flour — This will bind the TVP crumbles together into sausage patties. If you’d like to add some extra nutrition to the recipe, feel free to substitute in some whole wheat or spelt flour for all or part of the AP flour. To make this gluten-free, you can use chickpea flour (which has the added bonus of being high in protein and fiber). You can also use an all-purpose gluten free flour blend.
  • Nutritional yeast — This adds a savory flavor to the sausages and also boosts the vitamin content.
  • Garlic and onion powder — These augment the savory flavor of the sausage. Feel free to use 1-2 cloves fresh minced garlic if you like.
  • Paprika — This adds extra flavor. If you’re not using liquid smoke, you can use smoked paprika here instead.
  • Ground sage & fennel seeds — This combination is part of what makes this recipe taste distinctively like breakfast sausage! I like to gently smash the fennel seeds with the back of my knife before adding to the sausage mixture.
  • Black pepper — However much or little you like, to add a kick to the recipe.
  • Soy sauce or liquid aminos — This adds umami and saltiness to the recipe, since we aren’t adding additional salt.
  • Maple syrup — To add a hint of sweetness and that classic maple breakfast sausage flavor.

Vegan Breakfast Sausage

4.6 from 13 votes
Print
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 12 patties
Author: Sarah Sullivan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable protein
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed soaked in 1/4 cup water)
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1 teaspoon fennel, optional
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or liquid aminos
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

  • Pour hot water into tvp, cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes to absorb.
  • Combine flour and spices in a medium mixing bowl. Add rehydrated tvp, flax egg, soy sauce and maple syrup and stir to combine.
  • Shape into balls roughly 2″ in diameter.
  • To bake, preheat oven to 425°F. Place balls on a lined baking tray and press flat into patties. Bake for 20-25 minutes until edges and bottom of patties are slightly golden brown.
  • To pan-fry, melt a bit of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place balls in pan and flatten with the back of a spatula into patties. Fry for 3-5 minutes per side, until deep golden brown.

Notes

Note: You can also freeze the “dough” to have sausage patties ready to cook individually throughout the week. Shape into balls and press out into patties. Separate the patties with small parchment squares or circles and freeze in an airtight container. Place your frozen patties in a skillet and cook as directed above.
Did you make this recipe?We’d love for you to leave a review on the website! You can also share a photo on IG and tag @sarahsvegankitchen_ or #sarahsvegankitchen.

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