sweet + savory sourdough stuffing
This balanced vegan sourdough stuffing is perfect for the holiday season. Use it to stuff a homemade vegan turkey roll, or as a well loved side dish for your vegan thanksgiving dinner.
Beautiful ruby red cranberries add a wonderful touch of sweetness. Homemade seasoned sausage adds savoriness and texture that stuffing otherwise lacks. It’s the perfect combo that makes this vegan stuffing so addictively good.
How to make vegan stuffing
Making stuffing is actually pretty simple. For this recipe, I start by cooking the tofu sausage and toasting the cubed sourdough in the oven.
Drying out the bread is an important step to help it absorb more of the stock and flavor.
Next, you will sauté the vegetables and herbs. Toss in the the sausage, bread, and cranberries, then add the vegetable broth until everything is softened and moist.
Lastly, transfer everything to a baking dish and cover it with aluminum foil. Bake the sourdough stuffing in the oven at 350°F for 30 minutes covered, and then 15 minutes uncovered to slightly brown and crisp up the top.
Making the vegan sausage
To make the vegan sausage, start with a high protein tofu. It’s best to press the tofu for at least 30 minutes before use. Additionally, you can squeeze the tofu in a cheese cloth to remove excess moisture. The less liquid in the tofu, the chewier and meatier the texture will be.
Add the garlic and herbs to a pan over medium heat with a touch of water or oil and saute for 3 minutes. add the remaining ingredients aside from the tofu and bring everything a simmer. Next, add in the crumbled tofu, and sauté for 8 – 12 minutes or until the tofu is firm and chewy.
Best vegan sausage brands
If you want to save on time, you are of course welcome to buy a store bought sausage brand in place of the homemade sausage.
Brands and plant-based sausages that I know will pair well with this vegan sourdough stuffing are:
- Field Roast – Smoked Apple Maple Sausage
- Beyond Sausage (add recipe seasonings)
- No Evil – Italian Sausage
Of course, other brands may work as well. These are just a few of my favorite suggestion. (especially that Field Roast one… Yum!)
GF sourdough stuffing
To make this vegan sourdough stuffing gluten free, simple use gluten free bread.
You can find gluten free sourdough at most specialty markets, or use a rye loaf instead. Choose something you love, and your sourdough stuffing will taste just as wonderful.
Stuffing tips + tricks
- Use day old bread, and be sure to toast it first! The drier the bread, the more stock and flavor it will be able to absorb.
2. Add stock to leftover stuffing when reheating to revive it.
3. Cover the stuffing when baking to prevent it from drying out.
4. Always use fresh herbs when available. They add so much flavor!
The best vegan stuffing for the holidays
Every holiday meal I have served this at it’s been a hit. People especially seem to love the cranberries.
I’ve also used this to stuff the turkey rolls I made last thanksgiving, and it served it’s purpose beautifully. It stayed nice and moist throughout the longer baking process, and even added flavor and aroma to the turkey roll itself.
Tag me in the photos of your vegan sourdough stuffing @alderspirit or using the #alderspirit. I’d love to see your beautiful holiday dinner.
Let me know any suggestions or adjustments you made to the recipe in the comments section below. You can also reach me here if you have a more in-depth question.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. From our family to yours, happy holidays!
Sourdough Stuffing with Cranberries + Vegan Sausage
Ingredients
Homemade Vegan Sausage
- 1 13oz package high protein extra firm tofu
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp sage
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1½ tsp onion powder
- 1 pinch chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
Vegan Sourdough Stuffing
- 1 loaf light sourdough bread (Grand Central Bakery's "Sourdough")
- 1 loaf dark sourdough bread (Grand Centraal Bakery's "Peasant Loaf"
- 2 medium yellow onions
- 5 cloves garlic
- 4 stalks celery
- 2 – 3 medium cremini mushrooms
- 3 tbsp sage, fresh
- 2 tbsp thyme, fresh
- 2 tbsp rosemary, fresh
- 1/4 cup chives, fresh
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3-4 cups vegetable broth (1 tbsp better than bouillon + water)
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
Homemade Vegan "Sausage"
- Press the tofu block for atleast 30 minutes.
- Crumble the tofu with your hands into a bowl. Heat a saucepan with 1/4 cup of water (or 2 tbsp neutral oil) over medium-high. Once hot, add the garlic, thyme, sage, oregano, and rosemary. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the remaining sausage inredients aside from the tofu to the pan and bring everything to a simmer.
- Add the tofu to the pan and cook for 8 – 12 minutes. The tofu will darken and develop a firm, chewy texture.
- Set the vegan sausage aside to await the next steps.
Vegan Sourdough Stuffing
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a bread knife, slice each bread loaf into small 1" cubes. Place the bread cubes on a baking tray and bake for 25 minutes.
- Wash and peel your vegetables as neccessary. Finely chop the celery, dice the onion, slice the mushrooms, and mince the garlic. If you are using fresh herbs, clean, pick, and finely chop them.
- In a large saucepan, heat 1/4 cup of water over medium-high. Once the water is simmering, add the onions, garlic, celery, mushrooms, and herbs to the pan. Saute for 3 minutes, adding more water if needed to prevent sticking, 1 tbsp at a time.
- Add the wine to the pan and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the cubed bread from earlier to the saucepan and turn off the heat. Stir in the broth gradually while mixing until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the bread. Season with salt and pepper. Add in the cranberries and vegan sausage. Stir everything to combine.
- Transfer the stuffing to a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 15 minutes, or until the top is slightly crispy and browned.
- Remove the stuffing from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Any leftover stuffing will keep in the fridge for 5 – 7 days.
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