Vegan Corned Beef Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan corned beef made of? ›

Ingredients for Corned Beef Seitan

Extra-firm tofu: This seitan is a blend of proteins from tofu and vital wheat gluten. Adding tofu lends a superior texture to the deli meat (in my opinion), since pure seitan can be quite dry and rubbery on its own. Tofu makes it a little more tender.

The meat-free cold cut is made by Mrs. Goldfarb's Unreal Deli. “Unreal Corned Beef is making its way into 54 Whole Foods stores,” founder Jenny Goldfarb wrote on Instagram.

Seitan is a plant-based meat substitute made out of wheat gluten. It's made by rinsing prepared wheat dough to remove the starch, leaving a sticky mass of protein that can be flavored, cooked, and used in a number of dishes.

Soaking helps draw out some of the salt from the curing process. Choose your cut of corned beef wisely. A point cut has more fat marbling and produces juicier slices, while a flat cut is leaner and easier to cut into nice slices.

Both seitan and tofu are plant-based proteins. However, while seitan is an excellent plant-based protein alternative, tofu is a complete protein (seitan lacks the amino acid lysine). Unseasoned tofu is typically lower in sodium than store-bought seitan, which can be processed with salt, sugar or other flavors added.

You could also opt for pastrami in place of the corned beef, which isn't the traditional meat in a Reuben, but it still tastes damned good. Typically at delis, the meat will be steamed whole, then carved by hand while it's still hot.

Since her time on "Shark Tank," Goldfarb also launched another product, Unreal Turk'y. As of 2022, Unreal Deli made its way into Costco, offering an exclusive combo pack of corned beef, roasted turkey, and steak deli slices after launching in Quiznos and the vegan fast food chain Next Level Burger.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THESE ICONIC DELI MEATS

Both pastrami and corned beef are sliced and served at delis and sandwich shops. But there is one key difference to these similar Jewish deli meats: pastrami is smoked and corned beef is not smoked.

If you do eat seitan, it's best to make it at home to avoid excess sodium and added ingredients. If you are sensitive to gluten, have celiac disease or are following a gluten-free diet, steer clear of seitan. Those with a wheat allergy should also avoid it.

What are the disadvantages of seitan? ›

Nutrition and Protein

Seitan is highest in calories and protein, as its main ingredient is vital wheat gluten, which has a similar nutritional profile to protein powder. Tempeh is high in protein, vitamins and minerals, but also low in sodium and carbs.

1. Not Rinsing the Meat Before Cooking. If you cook the meat straight from the plastic packaging or pulled the meat right away from the brine solution in the fridge without rinsing, you just might be in for a saltier meal than you bargained for.

Because corned beef comes from brisket, a tough cut of meat. You need its connective tissue to break down so you can have tender results. Some like to braise their corned beef in an all-water liquid, with various spices and salt; others add beer to the mix to further tenderize the meat.

Many recipes don't include a step for rinsing the meat, but it's worth doing it anyway. Depending on the pickling solution used for the meat, you may be in for a saltier meal than you bargained for if you cook the meat without rinsing it. And don't worry: Rinsing won't make the beef taste bland!

Unreal Corned Beef is made with a very clean ingredient deck using beets, chickpeas, tomatoes, a complex spice blend with no food colorings or preservatives.

Corned beef is most often made from beef brisket (a relatively inexpensive, tough cut of beef) that's been cured in a salt brine with a mix of spices, like bay leaf, peppercorns, mustard seed, juniper berries, coriander seed, and whole cloves.

Corned beef is meat that has been cured in a salt solution. Before refrigeration, meat was salted and cured to be preserved. Historically, any type of meat could be put through the curing process that makes what we know as corned beef today. In the U.S., corned beef is made from beef brisket.

Beyond Beef is a plant-based ground meat made without GMOs, soy, or gluten to deliver on the versatility, meaty texture and juiciness of ground beef. It's ready to use in your favorite recipes.