This vegan mortadella is made from vital wheat gluten with chickpea flour or soy flour. It can be sliced or minced and used for steaks and sandwiches.
Ingredients
For the mortadella
- 1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
- 1/4 cup chickpea flour or soy flour
- 1 cup concentrated vegetable broth, or 1 cup water with 1 vegan vegetable stock cube
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp rosemary and thyme
- 1 tbsp seven-spice blend
- 1 tsp grape molasses or sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 garlic cloves, finely crushed
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tbsp ketchup
For the coating
- 1 garlic clove, finely crushed
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp seven-spice blend
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
Method
- Mix all the mortadella ingredients except the flours until well combined.
- Add the vital wheat gluten and chickpea or soy flour, then knead thoroughly.
- Shape the mixture into a cylinder. Lightly oil a sheet of baking parchment so it does not stick, wrap the cylinder tightly, and twist or close both ends.
- Wrap it again in aluminum foil and close both ends well, then wrap it in plastic so water cannot get in. Alternatively, use a tall stainless-steel cup greased with oil and put the mixture inside; this avoids using foil and plastic.
- Stand the cup upright in a pot of boiling water for 40 minutes and cover the pot, or put the wrapped cylinder in boiling water for the same amount of time.
- If you have a steamer, you can steam it after wrapping it in parchment and foil for 1 hour.
- When the cooking time is finished, remove it from the water. Let it rest for about 15 minutes, unwrap it, and place it on a non-stick baking tray.
- Mix the crushed garlic with 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon seven-spice blend and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper.
- Brush the mortadella with the mixture and bake for 15 minutes. Turn it, brush the second side, and bake for another 3 minutes.
- Turn it once more, add the remaining coating, and bake for about 2 more minutes, watching carefully so it does not burn. Turn off the oven.
- Once cooled, use it immediately or refrigerate it. Slice or mince it depending on how you want to serve it.
You can fry or grill the slices briefly before putting them in a sandwich, or use them as they are. Enjoy 🙂
Why this vegan mortadella is useful
The main nutritional strength is its concentrated plant protein from wheat gluten, with chickpea or soy flour adding more plant protein and minerals. Exact calcium and iron amounts depend on the flours and broth used, so they should not be treated as fixed values without nutrition analysis.
This recipe contains gluten and is not suitable for people with celiac disease or a wheat allergy. For a gluten-free version, use our black-bean mortadella instead.
The bigger comparison is what it replaces: this gives you a sliceable sandwich filling without processed meat. That matters because processed meat is classified by IARC as carcinogenic to humans based on sufficient evidence for colorectal cancer risk. The classification reflects strength of evidence, not that the absolute risk is the same as smoking.
For a gluten-free version, try our black-bean mortadella. For more sandwich ideas, see our vegan burger and vegan sausage.
