Vegan Italian Sausage Crumbles with TVP

Servings: 8 (1/4 cup)  ·  Prep: 10 min  ·  Cook: 5 min

Ingredients

• Wet Ingredients
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce or 2 1/2 tablespoons Bragg's liquid aminos
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• ½ teaspoon blackstrap molasses (optional)
• Dry Ingredients
• 1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• salt to taste if needed (optional)

Method

1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
2. In a small saucepan, add all wet ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. While waiting for the liquid to boil, combine the TVP and all other dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
4. Pour the boiling liquid into the dry TVP mixture and stir until completely mixed. Let sit about 5 minutes to absorb the water. Any remaining moisture will cook off in the frying pan.
5. Transfer the TVP crumbles to the frying pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most moisture is gone, usually about 2–3 minutes. The mixture should be chewy like sausage, not crisp.
6. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
7. Serve right away or store in an airtight container for later use.