Vegan Pinto Bean Breakfast Sausage

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Yield: 6 servings of 2 sausage links
  • Total: 3 hr 25 min (includes chilling time)
  • Active: 30 min
These meatless bean-packed sausages taste just like the real thing-and they're full of fiber (5 grams per link).
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Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for cooking

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

8 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

Two 15-ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup chickpea flour

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Pinch red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

Serving suggestions: whole-grain avocado toast, sliced tomato and fried polenta rounds with maple syrup

Directions

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onions, mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the onions and mushrooms are soft and thick almost like a paste, about 6 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and remove from the heat. Let cool.
  2. Put the drained beans, chickpea flour, onion-mushroom mixture and 1 tablespoon oil in a food processor and pulse until the beans are finely chopped and hold together when squeezed, but not a smooth paste. Add the sage, thyme, maple syrup, rosemary, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and pulse until combined.
  3. Divide the bean mixture into 12 even portions. Roll each out into a cylinder about 4 inches long, then roll up tightly in plastic wrap and twist the ends to secure.
  4. Set up a steamer and arrange the rolled up sausages in it (you may have to do this in batches). Heat the steamer over medium heat and once steaming, cover and steam until the sausages have plumped up, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover and refrigerate the steamed sausages until firm, about 2 hours or up to overnight.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Unwrap the sausages and heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning them as needed, until browned and crisp all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until heated all the way through, about 5 minutes.

Cook’s Note

Sausages can also be frozen for up to 1 month after they are steamed and cooled. To thaw and cook: Place wrapped sausages in the fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours to thaw slightly. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. After the sausages have thawed, unwrap and place them on a baking sheet sprayed lightly with nonstick spray. Bake until just hot through, 8 to 10 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning them as needed, until browned and crisp all over, about 5 minutes. Sausages that have been frozen will be slightly softer than those that are cooked fresh.

Let's Get Cooking!

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Jaimie S.

The flavor in these is great! My only complaint is the consistency is pretty soft. I might try baking them for a bit, then frying to see if this helps firm up. 

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