What Is Seitan? Learn All About This Protein-Packed Food

Looking for a high-protein vegan food to use in recipes instead of meat? You gotta try seitan (pronounced “SAY tan”). 😎 Adding it to your diet will give you a nutritional boost and keep money away from the meat industry, which forces cows, chickens, pigs, and other animals to live in miserable confinement and slaughters them for their flesh. Learn all about this protein rich food and why vegans love it.

what is seitan?

Seitan—aka “wheat gluten”—is a popular base for vegan dishes. Even though it’s made from wheat, cooked seitan has a similar texture and look to meat, so it’s often used to create vegan deli meat, bacon, ground beef, and sausages. IMPORTANT: If you have a gluten allergy, don’t consume it—but if you have a soy allergy, dig in (if you’re allergic to gluten and soy, get your protein from beans, broccoli, nuts, and other foods on our vegan protein list.)

what does seitan taste like?

Seitan has a mild, savory flavor similar to a portobello mushroom and has a chewy, meat-like texture. This makes it a versatile king 👑—it’s really easy to pair it with other ingredients and make it fit into different cuisines. Plus, it opens up a ton of recipe options for folks who are sensitive to soy.

is it healthy?

Yep. 👌 Just a half-cup serving provides about 46 grams of protein, making it one of the most protein-packed foods you can find. It’s also high in calcium, iron, and vitamins B and C, so it can give you a huge boost of nutrients. And unlike animal-derived foods, it has no cholesterol, giving you even more reason to cross meat off your list.

how to cook it

There are legit infinite ways to cook it. You could pan-fry it with soy sauce for an East Asian dish, simmer it with curry for some Indian cuisine, or grill it up outdoors for a BBQ-inspired meal. It works well with pretty much any sauces, spices, and flavorings, so try adding it to whatever meal you’re cooking for a yummy dose of vegan protein. 😋

where to buy it

It’s available at almost every health food store—usually in the refrigerated section, sometimes alongside similar vegan foods like tofu. You can also make it from scratch with whole wheat flour, unbleached white flour, cold water, and vegetable stock. Snag Upton’s Naturals seitan at Whole Foods or Publix, Franklin Farms seitan at Sprouts, or Sweet Earth seitan at Kroger.

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If you can’t eat gluten but soy sits well with you, try tempeh! It’s a soy-based vegan food that’s full of protein and just as versatile as seitan.