Seitan Tips with Mushrooms and Miso

Seitan Tips with Mushrooms and Miso

I just tested a new basic seitan recipe for Robin Robertson's Vegan on the Cheap, so I wanted a way to really showcase the seitan. I'm pretty particular about seitan, probably because it's my favorite protein. I'm sure you've noticed that I have more seitan recipes on this blog than anything else. I always keep some in the freezer, so when I'm looking for a no-thinking dinner, it's what I grab.

But this dish is something else. I thought about this one for at least a week before putting it into action. I knew just what I was looking for. And here it is for you.

Seitan Tips with Mushrooms and Miso

8 oz seitan, cut in bite sized chunks
1/8 tsp black pepper
pinch white pepper
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp oil, divided use
1/4 cup onion, finely minced
5 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup broth (not salty, see note)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp mirin
1 cup mushrooms, cut in 1/2 's or 1/4's depending on the size
1-2 tsp miso
salt and pepper to taste (if needed)

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Toss the seitan with the flour and peppers. When pan is hot, sear the seitan, then remove it and set aside. Turn the heat down for the next step.

Using the same pan, saute the onions. When they start to soften, add the sliced garlic and cook for 2-4 minutes, until you can smell the garlic. You don't want anything to brown, just to get cooked. Add the thyme, rosemary and red pepper. Stir for another minute, then add the red wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape everything off the bottom, so you don't lose those flavors. Add the broth, tomato paste and mirin and bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes.

While that's simmering, heat a small frying pan with the remaining oil. When it's really hot, sear the mushrooms. This way they keep their shape and texture more when you add them to the seitan mixture. When seared, remove from heat. Add them to the seitan mixture after that has simmered for 15 minutes. After the mushrooms are added, simmer for another 10 minutes.

Take about 1/2 cup of the sauce out of the pan and mix in 1 - 2 tsp miso. This will be added back into the mixture right before serving. To get any health benefit out of miso, it's best not to boil it.

Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the miso/sauce. Adjust seasonings and serve. We had it over eggless noodles with a garnish of fresh parsley.

*Note: The less salty your broth, the better. But if you broth is salty and you end up with a too salty dish (like we all have at one time or another), you might want to try adding a little vinegar or sugar to counteract the salt. I use South River's Garlic Red Pepper Miso in this. Any miso will work, but I really like the depth this one has.

And if you're wondering about the initial tester recipe for seitan, it was simmered. I've gotten really lazy and almost always use the crockpot to cook seitan, using an adapted version of Isa's recipe. It reminded me how much I prefer the simmered style and I'm going back to it. I'd love to know your favorite method to cook seitan.