vegan bologna

Learn how to make Vietnamese vegan bologna from scratch! This meaty &quot;pork&quot; roll is prepared with tofu, wheat gluten, and a variety of seasonings. Use it in fresh spring rolls and banh mi, or add it to noodle soups or rice bowls!

Vegan Bologna (Chả Lụa)

firm tofu

water

tbsp oil

shallot

fish sauce

sugar

tsp mushroom seasoning

onion powder

tsp salt

tsp baking powder

g vital wheat gluten

tsp black peppercorns

Blend the tofu with the aromatics. Add all of the ingredients except the vital wheat gluten and peppercorns to a high-speed blender. Blend for 30-50 seconds or until smooth. The mixture should have the consistency of a thick cream.

Combine with the gluten. Transfer the blended tofu mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the vital wheat gluten and peppercorns (if using). Mix using a spoon until fully combined, about 2 minutes. At this point, the mixture will be very thick and sticky.

Wrap in parchment paper. Transfer the mixture to a sheet of parchment paper and wrap it tightly into a log of about 2.5 inches wide.

Wrap in aluminum foil. Next, wrap the log tightly in a layer of aluminum foil. Wrap the log another two times in aluminum foil. This is essential to prevent it from exploding or cracking during the steaming step.

Prepare the steamer. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and place a regular or bamboo steamer basket on top.

Steam. Place the wrapped bologna into the steamer and cover with the lid. Steam the vegan bologna for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Check the water level after 30 minutes and add more water if needed.

Let cool completely. Remove the vegan bologna from the steamer basket and let it cool for at least 30 minutes, or until cool to the touch, before unwrapping it.

This vegan bologna will keep for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.

Hey, this is a brilliant recipe for cha lua chay. I’m not a fan of cha lua made from bean curd sheets, which are terribly easy to fall apart. And the worst part? They smell horrible during cooking. Well, maybe not all the brands are bad but now I’m happy with this one. So good and addictive. My sister even ate it as a snack. Lol. 

A must-try! 👍 

Usually love all the recipes on here, but this one is more of a seitan and doesn’t taste like real cha lua.  I was so excited the.mn so disappointed.

Oh my goodness, this vegan Bologna was a hit with my vegand AND non vegan friends, I made it with seaweed, peppercorn and mushrooms and just peppercorn. All 3 were a hit! Thanks Soo much for this recipe. Next I am going to try vegan ham and salami. Lots of people who want to go vegan miss these ( really bad for you) deli meats. 🙏🤭

I just tried it. It's a total new taste bologna. Thank you for sharing.

Thank you for this recipe! What can I replace the Wheat Gluten with?

Can't wait to make this! Do you think I can steam it in the instant pot?

Easy to make and tastes better than store-bought! Make this bologna ahead of time and then have it ready to slice for a snack or sandwiches. It&#x27;s even great fried! Great for your kids lunch box.

Vegan Baloney (Bologna)

block (350 grams) extra-firm tofu (drained)

ketchup

yeast

soy sauce

garlic powder

smoked paprika

mustard powder

nutmeg

vital wheat gluten

Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil.

In a food processor add the tofu, ketchup, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, mustard powder, and nutmeg. Mix until smooth as possible, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.

Add the vital wheat gluten and pulse several times to incorporate, scraping the sides as needed. It will form a crumbly dough.

Turn the mixture out onto a clean work surface and knead together to form a dough. Shape into a large log that will fit in your steamer basket.

Roll the log up in foil twisting the ends closed so it looks like a large candy. Place in the steamer basket and cover.

Steam for 1 hour, or until the seitan&#39;s internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C) when tested with an instant-read thermometer. If the temperature goes higher, that&#39;s perfectly fine—you can&#39;t really oversteam seitan The vegan baloney will have expanded in the foil making a tight log.

Remove from the steamer basket and allow it to cool (the foil will loosen a bit as it cools). Move to the fridge and chill completely before serving. When ready to serve just slice an enjoy! Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week

This is great my husband loves it, but it makes more than we eat in a week if we don't eat it everyday. what is the maximum time it will stay good in the fridge? Google says 5-7 days. but ours has been done for 8 days now, and we still have half of it left. Next time I will have to freeze half of it for sure.

Hi Sam,

Nice recipe, thanks for all you share! I am curious why there is not much gluten development done in this recipe. I am trying to figure out the secrets to achieving texture match if possible (can only get so close!) and I sense that kneading versus not kneading will have an impact. Kneading seems to make the loaf harder, is that correct in your mind?

Have you found a recipe you feel does mimic bologna more closely? Please share the difference! I think Sam does a great job coming close in flavor on all her recipes, but we all have different tastes. I read that nutmeg is one seasoning that makes real bologna unique. Perhaps try that?

Absolutely delicious! I couldn't even wait for it to cool. Game changer and I swear I will only 1 more slice...... This will save me so much $$$ to not have to buy tiny packages of vegan bologna any more. AND... it's so much better!

Hi Sam,
I made this today and it reminded me of when I made playdough with my children, except it tasted way better! I can't wait to make toasted bologna and cheese sandwiches with tomato soup for dinner!! My vegan daughter is loving it!
thanks again

Soooo excited about this recipe! I am wondering about if it's a typo on the way of the block of tofu. One package is $396 g. So I had to cut off a little bit of it. I'm making your Deli lunch meat at the same time. And the weight on that recipe shows the full block amount of 396. Just wondering if I was supposed to cut a little piece of this black off to weigh 350?

This definitely tastes like fake vegan bologna. I really like the other seitan recipes but this one lacks the similarity to actual bologna.

Make homemade vegan bologna sausage with simple, wholesome ingredients and no seitan, gluten, or oil. It’s a tasty vegan deli meat for sandwiches, charcuterie boards, and more!

Vegan Bologna From Red Lentils

red lentils

cashews

water ((divided))

1- inch piece beetroot

tomato paste

paprika

tsp smoked paprika

tsp white pepper

tsp coriander

tsp ground ginger

Tbsp balsamic vinegar ((or lemon juice))

Tbsp soy sauce ((or tamari/coconut aminos))

Tbsp olive brine

tsp agar agar powder

You can watch the video for visual instructions.Thoroughly rinse (and remove debris), then soak the lentils and cashews for at least 2 hours. Drain well. If you forget to soak the cashews, simply boil them for a few minutes to soften them.

Blend the lentils, cashews, beetroot, and 1 cup (240 ml) water until silky smooth. Pause to scrape down the sides as needed.

Transfer to a saucepan, add another 1 cup (240 ml) water and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.

Meanwhile, stir in the spices, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, tomato paste, and olive brine, whisking well.

Add 2 tsp agar-agar powder and 1/3 cup (80 ml) water to the blender (no need to rinse it first) and blend for a few seconds.

Transfer it to the saucepan, increase the heat, and cook for 5 minutes until thickened.

Transfer to a wide-rimmed glass jar or measuring cup (empty cans, yogurt containers, or empty milk carton -for a square shape- work, too).To help it release easily, optionally oil the mold first (it&#39;s not necessary though).

Refrigerate the vegan bologna sausage for 2 hours to fully set. Then remove from the mold, slice with a sharp knife or mandoline, and enjoy!

Ela, this is absolutely delicious! I'm on the second day in a row that I eat some of your wonderful BOLOGNA! I have missed eating beef bologna for a long time, but just can't anymore bcuz of what it is and how it's made.  I am so happy that this is so close to it in both flavor and texture ~ but actually healthy. Tastes so good! THANK YOU!!!

dear Sabina,that's a,good point , how many WG do you add?

I am blown away !!!  I cannot wait to try this recipe and I KNOW it will be awesome !  A guilty pleasure that is completely non-guilty !  I would like to add olives into the bologna as well.  I also want to use beetroot powder instead of the beet, as it is easier to keep.  I am certain that it will blow carnivore's minds !!!  Thank you sooo much for this recipe and for all you do for our community !

I don't often comment on a recipe but when I saw this I knew I had to give it a try.  I was absolutely blown away how well this came out.  It looks like, smells like and has the same texture as the bologna I remember as a kid.  It was easy to make with ingredients I always have on hand (used corn starch in place of agar agar).  will definitely make again and experiment with different add ins.  Thanks for the recipe.

I tried it and the aroma is really like the original Extra Wurst or very similar to Mortadella. 
I also added 2 1/2 tablespoons of gluten flour, because I like a more elastic texture. However, I do not know if it really changed so much. 
With bread it is really good. I do not think that someone would think it is vegan.

We surely will. Yesterday, we ate it with your gluten-free seed bread, which is our all-time favorite. Tonight, I will bake it in some ghee and see how this tastes :) I will definitely serve this as a little snack when guests come, and I am wondering what they will say. I always have beetroot in my freezer.

I made this today, and oh my goodness, this is a "delicatesse".! It's so easy to make and I had all the ingredients available and wanted to go for it. I used fresh garlic as I never use garlic powder and that was not a problem at all. Again, in a keeper. Thank you for all this delicious alternatives.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/tppfHZW9.mp4

Oooh, hadn’t thought of olives; loved olive loaf back in the 70’s! Over time, I’ve been making this with all kinds of variations because it’s such a terrific recipe diving board that allows one to plunge into endless possibilities!

This was good!  Couldn't wait for the final cool down, but it had a nice bologna flavor.  I could see this being a base for customization as well (maybe a little cayenne, extra vinegar, or olives).  It's really easy as well.  Put everything in the food processor.  With the pressure cooker, I didn't even have to hang out while it steamed.

Great consistency-looks so much like bologna. Just doesn't really taste like bologna-don't like the tomato taste. Why no salt?

this recipe is wonderful. made this as vegan bologna is hard to find and my daughter loves it. This smelled awesome just mixing it,. next time I will make two smaller loaves that will fit my mandolin! Thanks for sharing!

Excellent! Thanks! Can’t wait to try this:)

Hi! Just wondering what the cooking time would be in an Instapot? Thanks!

Thank you for sharing your recipe! It was surprisingly quick and easy, which is rare in my household. I did not bother weighing the tofu and instead used the whole block which was a bit more and I used homemade sugarless ketchup, but otherwise followed your recipe. I think my family would like all the spices doubled, so I’ll go for that the next time. I steamed for an hour, which gave me an internal temperature of 189º, but it was still perfect after a night resting in the refrigerator. An absolute winner!

Taste is good, just like bologna, but perhaps I made a mistake. Mine came out a little doughy. Any idea what could have affected the texture?

We can't believe how great this is! We've been having regular bologna sandwiches and Katie Lee's fried bologna sandwiches for a week now. Can't get enough of them. It makes a lot and I came back online to find out if I can freeze the rest. Lo and behold I can! Looking forward to you other recipes! Thanks a bunch!

Top 4 vegan bologna recipes from across the web

The most viewed vegan bologna recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Vegan Bologna (Chả Lụa)

Vegan Baloney (Bologna)

Vegan Bologna From Red Lentils

Vegan Baloney (Bologna)

Top 4 vegan bologna recipes from across the web

The most viewed vegan bologna recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Vegan Bologna (Chả Lụa)

Vegan Baloney (Bologna)

Vegan Bologna From Red Lentils

Vegan Baloney (Bologna)

The most viewed vegan bologna recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine