Vegan Corned Beef Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan corned beef made of? ›

Ingredients for Corned Beef Seitan

Extra-firm tofu: This seitan is a blend of proteins from tofu and vital wheat gluten. Adding tofu lends a superior texture to the deli meat (in my opinion), since pure seitan can be quite dry and rubbery on its own. Tofu makes it a little more tender.

This easy vegan corned beef recipe can turn tofu, tempeh, seitan or any meat substitute into a delicious corned beef dish. Serve with cabbage and potatoes, sliced in a vegan Ruben sandwich or chopped up in a vegan corned beef hash.

The meat-free cold cut is made by Mrs. Goldfarb's Unreal Deli. “Unreal Corned Beef is making its way into 54 Whole Foods stores,” founder Jenny Goldfarb wrote on Instagram.

Always slice against the grain

When you're done cooking the corned beef, make sure you slice against the grain of the meat. This will produce a more tender result; if you slice with the grain, you'll find a more tough and stringy texture when you chew.

Both seitan and tofu are plant-based proteins. However, while seitan is an excellent plant-based protein alternative, tofu is a complete protein (seitan lacks the amino acid lysine). Unseasoned tofu is typically lower in sodium than store-bought seitan, which can be processed with salt, sugar or other flavors added.

Both silken and regular tofu can be found in soft, medium, firm, and extra-firm consistencies. They are made with the same ingredients, but they are processed slightly differently and are not interchangeable in a recipe.

"Slow-cooked beef stews or lamb stews are probably the most popular, served with colcannon, which is butter mashed potatoes with cabbage folded through, it's real Irish soul food," she says.

In North America, corned beef is brisket, taken from the lower chest of a cow or steer, that has been brined in salt and spices. (In general British usage, fresh corned beef is called “salt beef,” while the canned version retains the “corned” designation.)

As an animal product, this protein supplies all the essential amino acids the body needs to get from food. However, corned beef is not a particularly high-protein cut of beef compared to other, less fatty cuts like eye of round or top sirloin.

Unreal Deli, Home of the World's First Plant-Based, Vegan Corned Beef.

What is a vegan alternative to beef? ›

Seitan protein may be your best option. This vegan meat substitute made from wheat yields a mild flavor and chewy, meat-like texture notorious for mimicking meat. Seitan substitutes can be found in most grocery stores, but you can also make homemade seitan using vital wheat gluten and a few other ingredients.

Our new meatier, Beyond Beef IV is ready for all of your favorite recipes. A plant-based beef with avocado oil—more of what you want, less of what you don't. Find it in the meat aisle.

1. Not Rinsing the Meat Before Cooking. If you cook the meat straight from the plastic packaging or pulled the meat right away from the brine solution in the fridge without rinsing, you just might be in for a saltier meal than you bargained for.

Slow cooking with a crock pot or using an instant pot is a fantastic way to cook corned beef, resulting in melt-in-your-mouth, tender meat throughout. You can make a delicious, hearty meal with simple ingredients and a crock pot or instant pot. Your whole family will enjoy it.

Using beer to cook corned beef is a popular method because it adds flavor and complexity to the dish. The alcohol and hops in the beer add a rich, slightly bitter flavor that complements the salty and savory taste of the corned beef.

Unreal Corned Beef is made with a very clean ingredient deck using beets, chickpeas, tomatoes, a complex spice blend with no food colorings or preservatives.

Seitan is a plant-based meat substitute made from wheat gluten that mimics the flavor and texture of chicken. You can buy it in many health food supermarkets, or you can make it yourself. It's typically made out of vital wheat gluten, an ingredient that has a similar texture to flour but is mostly, well, gluten.

In North America, corned beef is brisket, taken from the lower chest of a cow or steer, that has been brined in salt and spices. (In general British usage, fresh corned beef is called “salt beef,” while the canned version retains the “corned” designation.)

We pride ourselves on using only premium ingredients including whole veggies and protein-rich grains you'll recognize like beets, shiitake mushrooms, and tomatoes. Our original recipe uses the high-protein part of the wheat grain to give our slices that meaty, juicy texture we all crave in our deli.