This Slow Cooker Seitan Roast from Vegan Yack Attack On the Go! is so dang easy, and perfect for a small holiday dinner. Flavorful and satiating, it’ll have you wondering why you haven’t made it at home before!

Given the circumstances this year, I thought having a smaller main as an option for us all would be a good idea. Thinking back, I knew I had an easy and delicious from my second cookbook, so here we are! What I love about this recipe is that you can easily work with whatever you have on hand, in terms of the veggies.

Plus, as far as finishing the roast goes, it’s a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure thing. You can eat it as soon as it’s done slow-cooking, or put it under a broiler for a few minutes to get a lil’ crisp on it. OR as a spin on the recipe, I broiled it, then brushed it with a maple syrup mixture for a subtle sweetness that is divine!

Now, I have other options for mains like my Stuffed Seitan Roast, or Pressure Cooker Seitan with Red Wine Mushrooms. Or for an even easier dish, go half pre-made/half home-cooked with my Celebration Roast Centerpiece.

I feel like this Slow Cooker Seitan is right in the middle of all of them, and gives you a lil’ downtime between start and finish. So it’s great that you can use that time to focus on roasted veggie sides or pumpkin treats.

Substitutions and Tips:

• Vital wheat gluten – this can be found in pretty much any grocery store, and is the protein from wheat. It becomes stretchy, but firm, when cooked and is the base for any seitan recipe! (do not replace this ingredient)
• Tapioca starch/flour – this is used in the recipe to break up the texture and soften it just a bit. If you don’t have this on hand, chickpea/garbanzo flour will also work, though the texture will be slightly different.
• Nutritional yeast – great for cheesiness, but here it’s used for it’s savory, umami-filled flavor.
• Vegetable broth – vegan chicken or beef broth works delightfully here, as well! And you can use the leftover broth mixture as a gravy or soup base.
• Tamari – soy sauce or liquid aminos also work, and if you’re avoiding soy, use coconut aminos but add a little salt as it’s on the sweeter side.
• Assorted vegetables – I used yellow onions, carrots, potatoes, and shiitake mushrooms, but you can definitely use what you have on hand! I don’t recommend completely omitting the onion, but you can use white or brown onions. Other great veggies for this would be Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and/or celery.

Finishing and Serving:

As I mentioned before, there’s a few ways this can end. (lol!) If you’re satisfied with eating the steamed seitan once you remove the cheesecloth, great! In that case, spoon or strain the broth/tamari mixture from the slow cooker and either freeze it for later use as a soup base, or discard it.

If you want a little added texture, transfer the roast and vegetables to a baking sheet and score diagonal lines into the top of the seitan. Broil for 7 to 10 minutes and serve as-is, or brush with a maple syrup mixture for added sweetness. I did this on a whim when I made the cooking video and LOVED it.

You could also brown the outsides of the roast in a cast iron pan with a little oil, salt and pepper, for a bit of a crust. On top of that, you can use the leftovers as deli slices! That’s actually what this base recipe is for, in the book. Basically, there are SO many ways to go with this seitan – all of them delicious.

Lastly, given the week, I thought I’d share this article from PureWow on great Native American and Indigenous charities to donate to. If you can, please help by donating or sharing! <3

Need some ideas on what to serve alongside your roast? Just click on the photos for the recipe!