Vegan Grilled Seitan Skewers with Chickpea Salad
Our barbecue parties usually look like this: A bunch of different salads on the table, someone shows up with baguette, and the grill ends up full of vegan sausages and vegetables only. So we asked ourselves how we could finally get some variety onto the grill again.
Some of us used to really like these skewers as kids: That combination of super savoury, juicy and crispy on the outside just hit the spot. We wanted to bring back exactly that feeling and have veganised this classic so that, alongside your usual sausage alternatives, you get a second, very hearty option for the grill.
Why seitan and what even is it?
The base of these skewers is seitan mix, which is pure wheat gluten. From it, you can quickly knead a pliable, grill‑friendly dough that stays put on the skewer and does not fall apart. We know not everyone is a seitan fan and that its rather chewy texture can take some getting used to – but it really works here, because the skewers stay nicely elastic, do not fall apart on the grill and are still juicy.
How do you make seitan really flavourful?
Rule number one with seitan: You need plenty of flavour directly in the dough. So we mix up a bold base that gets kneaded together with the seitan mix and seasons the skewers from the inside out. We made things extra easy here and, besides spices, simply blended the grilled vegetable spread from [TARTEX](https://www.instagram.com/tartex_de/) into the liquid. Thanks to grilled bell pepper, eggplant, tomato and lentils, it adds a savoury vegetable flavour that is perfect for barbecue season and also makes the seitan even juicier.
Grill, pan‑fry or oven: What is the best way to cook them?
Short answer: All of the above works. Since we did not have a grill at hand, we placed the skewers in a baking dish and roasted them in the oven using the grill function. You can also pan‑fry them from all sides in a large frying pan. They are definitely meant for your grill though. On there, you can just keep turning them so they brown evenly on all sides.
Which vegan sides go well with these skewers?
We served our skewers with a quick chickpea salad with cucumber, tomato and vegan feta, which goes really well with the savoury seitan. Add a rustic baguette that you can throw straight onto the grill, a few sauces and your barbecue plate is complete. Also great on the side: our quick pasta salad with melon, basil and grilled corn or this vegan watermelon feta salad.
Vegan Grilled Seitan Skewers with Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
For the skewers:
- 200 g (0.4 lb cups) vital wheat gluten
- 200 ml (0.8 cup) water
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp mustard
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp paprika powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 garlic clove
- 140 g (0.3 lb) grilled vegetable spread (e.g. from TARTEX)
For the salad:
- 3 tomatoes
- 0.5 cucumber
- 150 g (0.3 lb) vegan feta
- 1 red onion
- 200 g (0.4 lb) chickpeas, drained
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
- 1 garlic clove
- salt
- pepper
Also:
- 1 rustic baguette
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- For the skewers, add the water, soy sauce, olive oil, mustard, maple syrup, nutritional yeast, paprika powder, salt, one clove of garlic and the grilled vegetable spread to a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside part of the mixture (about 50 g) as a marinade. Add the rest to the seitan mix and knead until a ball forms.
Tipp: If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water beforehand. This way they burn less quickly on the grill.
Divide the dough into eight portions and roll each one into a sausage shape. Skewer one end of a sausage, push the skewer all the way through, then wrap the sausage around the skewer and fix the other end back onto the skewer. Mix the reserved marinade with 3 tbsp olive oil and brush the skewers all over. Leave to marinate for 1 hour if possible.
For the salad, cut the tomatoes, cucumber and vegan feta into bite‑sized pieces, finely dice the red onion and drain the chickpeas. Add everything to a bowl and pour over a dressing made from balsamic vinegar, olive oil, agave syrup, grated garlic, salt and pepper.
Grill the seitan skewers for about 10–15 minutes or roast them in the oven at 210 °C/410 °F (grill function) for 20–25 minutes. Serve together with the salad and slices of baguette.
