Three healthy recipes for cooking seitan

Discover all the health benefits of this vegetable protein made from wheat gluten, with a taste and texture that make it the perfect substitute for meat.

Seitan is a high-quality vegetable protein made from wheat gluten, so it is not suitable for people with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance. Through a washing process, the gluten is separated from the starch and then cooked in a vegetable broth which, traditionally, was made with natural soy sauce, kombu seaweed and ginger. As Marina Domene, nutritionist at SHA Wellness Clinic, tells us, “it is a food rich in essential amino acids and minerals, such as sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium, and with high protein content: 100 grams of seitan provide 29 grams of protein. Its texture and taste make seitan the perfect substitute for meat, but, unlike animal protein, it does not contain cholesterol, so it helps to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. That is why it is popularly known as vegetable meat or vegan meat”.

Seitan is the ideal choice for those who are making the transition from an omnivorous to a vegan or vegetarian diet. “In these cases, people often make the mistake of replacing animal proteins with carbohydrates, which can lead to a protein deficit that can be compensated by including seitan in our diet. It is also a very healthy food for everyone because it contains no saturated fats or sugars and is very easily digested, which is why it is especially recommended for people with digestive and stomach issues. Also, thanks to its high protein content, it is excellent for athletes, since it helps to build muscle”, says Marina.

If, despite the many nutritional properties of seitan, you still have doubts, you should know that it is a versatile food that can be used in cooking and can be prepared in hundreds of different ways, from minced, to make meatballs or a tasty vegetable bolognese, to cut into slices and cooked on the grill like a steak.

Here are three very healthy and easy-to-prepare recipes so that you can see for yourself how tasty and versatile seitan is.

-Sweet and sour seitan: Click here

-Red rice with vegetables and seitan: Click here

-Seitan meatballs with mock tomato: Click here