Here’s a delectable vegan seitan salad that can also be made with high-protein plant-based “steak” (which is often made with similar ingredients as seitan). It’s a hearty salad that you can enjoy on its own; or stuff it into fresh pita bread for a satisfying sandwich meal.
A typical tossed salad of lettuce, tomatoes, bell pepper, avocado and olives gets a chance to shine by adding sizzling plant-based protein and a tasty dressing.
A bit about seitan
A traditional Asian food that has become a staple in the Western natural foods market, seitan means Japanese means “cooked wheat gluten” in Japanese — and that’s exactly what it is. It’s a commonly used meat alternative in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean cuisines.
Seitan is pure wheat gluten, the protein portion of wheat. It offers an appealing protein alternative for those who have no wheat/gluten intolerance or allergies.
Look for seitan in natural foods stores — it’s not yet commonly found on supermarket shelves.
Learn more about seitan and find more recipes for using it in this site’s roundup of Hearty Seitan Recipes — Plus a Guide to This High-Protein Plant Food.
This site’s wildly popular EasyHomemade Seitan Recipe is for those of you who’d like to make your own.
Vegan steak-style protein: You can also swap this type of prepared meat alternative into the recipe in place of seitan (as mentioned above, it’s a product that’s often wheat gluten-based, like seitan).
Look for steak-style plant protein in your natural foods store or online. This Complete Guide to Vegan Steak gives you some great options.
What to serve with seitan salad
- Whether stuffed into pita or not, this is delicious with Golden & Sweet Potato Salad.
- Another idea — serve with a bountiful array of roasted vegetables. For a specific recipe, try Balsamic and Maple Roasted Vegetables.
- Or, keep things super simple and serve the salad (or salad-stuffed pita) with corn on the cob.
Recipe is from Vegetarian Family Cookbook by Nava Atlas. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky, BittersweetBlog.com.
Explore more …
- Hearty vegan main dish salads.
- Barbecue-Flavored Seitan Wraps with Avocado & Tomato
- Vegan Rice Noodle Salad with Plant-Based “Steak”
Hearty Seitan Salad (with a Plant-Based “Steak” Option)
Here's a hearty seitan salad that you can enjoy on its own or stuff into fresh pita bread.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces seitan or steak-style plant protein
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or neutral vegetable oil
- 1 small head thinly shredded dark green lettuce, or as desired
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into narrow strips
- 2 medium firm, ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1 medium avocado, pitted and sliced
- 1/3 cup chopped black olives (preferably cured, like Kalamata)
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Bottled French dressing, as desired
Instructions
- Cut the seitan or steak-style plant protein into strips, about 1/2 by 2 inches.
- Heat the oil in a wide skillet or stir-fry pan. Add the seitan or plant protein and sauté until golden brown here and there, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Combine the lettuce, bell peppers, tomatoes, avocado, olives, and scallions in a mixing bowl.Add the seitan or plant protein strips and toss together.
- Season to taste with pepper, then add dressing as desired. Toss together again. Serve at once. If you'd like, stuff into pita bread (or simply accompany the salad with pita bread).
Notes
Variation: Instead of pita, roll this salad up into wraps.
If you like this seitan salad, you might also enjoy …
Here are lots more plant-based salads & sides.
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