Black pepper seitan with Brussels sprouts and rice
Black pepper seitan is a Chinese-inspired stir-fry where quick homemade seitan is simmered, seared until browned, then tossed with charred Brussels sprouts in a peppery soy glaze and served over rice.
Published .
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Serves
- 3
- Protein
- ~37 g
- The vegan swap
- Homemade seitan made from vital wheat gluten stands in for the beef in a classic black pepper stir-fry, with a chewy, meaty bite that soaks up the sauce.
- Make ahead
- Simmer the seitan up to 4 days ahead and keep it in a little of its broth in the fridge. Sear and sauce it right before dinner. Leftovers keep 3 days and reheat well in a skillet.
Ingredients
Quick seitan
Black pepper sauce
Stir-fry
How to make it
Start the rice
Rinse the rice and cook it with 1 1/2 cups water, covered, on low for 15 minutes. Let it sit off the heat, lid on, until dinner is ready.
Make the seitan dough
Bring the 4 cups simmering broth to a bare simmer in a medium pot. In a bowl, mix vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, garlic powder and onion powder. Add 2/3 cup broth and 1 tbsp soy sauce, stir into a shaggy dough, then knead 1 minute and rest 3 minutes.
Simmer the seitan
Tear the dough into thin bite-size pieces and drop them into the broth. Keep it at a gentle simmer, not a boil, for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, halve the sprouts and whisk all the sauce ingredients together.
Sear the seitan
Drain the seitan and press out extra liquid with a spoon. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high and sear the pieces 5 minutes, turning, until browned at the edges. Move them to a plate.
Char the sprouts
Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and lay the sprouts cut side down. Cook without stirring 4 to 5 minutes until deeply browned. Add the onion and cook 2 minutes, then the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds.
Sauce and serve
Return the seitan, give the sauce a stir and pour it in. Toss 1 to 2 minutes until glossy and thick. Serve over rice with scallions and sesame seeds.
Why this works
Vital wheat gluten is almost pure wheat protein, so a short knead builds a chewy, meaty structure fast. Simmering in seasoned broth cooks it through and flavors it from the inside, and tearing the pieces thin keeps the cook time short and gives lots of ragged edges.
Searing after simmering is the trick. The dry skillet drives off surface moisture so the seitan browns and crisps, which helps the black pepper glaze cling. Charring the sprouts cut side down in the same pan adds sweetness that balances the salty, peppery sauce.
Tips
- Keep the simmer gentle. A rolling boil puffs seitan up and makes it spongy.
- Grind the pepper coarse. Fine pepper turns dusty and harsh, while cracked pepper gives that classic bite.
- If your sprouts are big, quarter them so they cook through while the outsides char.
- Want heat? Add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic.
Questions about this recipe
Can I use store-bought seitan instead?
Yes. Use about 8 oz, tear or slice it into bite-size pieces and skip straight to searing in step 4. Dinner will be ready in about 25 minutes.
Why did my seitan turn out spongy or rubbery?
Spongy usually means the broth boiled too hard, so keep it at a lazy simmer. Rubbery means it was kneaded too long. One minute is plenty for this quick version.