This easy homemade vegan bologna is made from seitan and seasoned to perfection. If you don’t eat meat but want a bologna sandwich that will take you back in time to when you were a kid, this is the recipe for you! Slice this vegan deli meat thin, and make a classic sandwich, or use it to make fried bologna. Either way, it’s meaty, delicious, and makes a great sandwich!

Vegan bologna sliced on a cutting board with basil and cherry tomaotes.

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, get more amazing vegan recipes that will satisfy your cravings!

Save Recipe

Vegan deli meat is expensive and hard to find at stores, but it’s easy to make your own using vital wheat gluten and some basic spices. My kids love homemade plant-based bologna, vegan salami, vegan sliced ham, and vegan sliced turkey in their sandwiches.

❤️ This recipe is

  • meaty and authentic tasting.
  • packed with protein.
  • perfect for sandwiches!
  • great addition to a vegan charcuterie board.

🧾 Ingredients and substitutions

  • Water– or low-sodium broth for more flavor if you choose.
  • Soy Sauce – for flavor. You can use Bragg’s Liquid Amino or Tamari instead.
  • Garlic Powder – for flavor. You can also use 1 clove of fresh garlic.
  • Onion Powder – for flavor.
  • Paprika – for color and flavor. You can also use smoked paprika for a natural smoke flavor.
  • Ketchup – for color and flavor.
  • Salt – for flavor.
  • Basil – for flavor. You will use this in the broth and then remove it before blending. Fresh basil gives the bologna its distinct flavor.
  • Canola Oil – or any neutral-flavored cooking oil. You can omit it for oil-free vegan bologna, but it helps to keep it moist and keeps the seitan soft and less chewy.
  • Tofu – to cut the chewiness of the gluten and balance the texture. You can also use 3/4 cup of beans like white beans, chickpeas, or kidney beans instead of tofu.
  • Vital Wheat Gluten – this is high-protein wheat flour. You must use this to make quick and easy seitan. You can also use plain white flour to make washed flour seitan and cook the bologna in a flavored broth, but this is a longer and more labor-intensive method.

🔪 Helpful tools

  • Food Processor or Blender – to blend the tofu and broth together.
  • Foil – for wrapping the bologna in before steaming.
  • Steam Basket – You can use any method to steam the bologna. If you don’t have a steam basket, you can use jelly jar rings at the bottom of a pot and just fill the water to the top of the rings. You just need a way to hold the bologna loaf out of the water.
A loaf of vegan bologna sliced on a cutting board with basil and cherry tomatoes behind it.

🥄 How to make vegan bologna

Step 1 – Add water, oil, ketchup, soy sauce, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and a handful of fresh basil to a saucepan and heat until it starts to boil, then turn off the heat and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes.

Step 2 – Press a block (14 oz.) of tofu and crumble it into a food processor or blender, then remove the basil leaves from the broth and pour the broth into the food processor along with the tofu. (You can leave the basil in if you would like. It will give it a nice flavor, but make green flex in your bologna.)

Step 3 – Blend until it turns into a creamy thick liquid, then pour into a glass mixing bowl.

A collage of 4 images showing the process steps of making a flavored broth and blending it with tofu to make faux bologna.

Step 4 – Add 1 cup of vital wheat gluten and mix well until a thick dough forms.

Step 5 – Add another 1/2 cup of vital wheat gluten and knead it into the dough until all of the wheat gluten has been absorbed and no longer feels wet. (You may have to add an additional tablespoon or two of wheat gluten until the dough is firm enough to hold its shape.)

Step 6 – Form the dough into the shape of a round loaf of bologna, and wrap the whole thing tightly in foil so that no seitan is showing. (It will try to expand and bulge out of any holes in the foil, so you may want to double-wrap it to make sure there are no holes.)

Step 7 – Steam the wrapped bologna loaf in a large pot with a steamer basket for 1 hour and 15 minutes. (You can also use a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Cook under pressure for 55 minutes and then allow steam to release naturally. Be sure that you put a lot of water in the bottom so it doesn’t run out of water. If you notice less steam coming out, turn off your pressure cooker, allow the pressure to come down, and refill the water.)

Step 8 – Take the bologna out of the pot with potholders and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes before opening the packet. (I always get too excited to see my creation and get burnt with the steam when I open the foil too soon.)

A collage of 4 images showing mixing in vital wheat gluten with flavored tofu to make faux bologna.

Step 9 – At this point, the bologna is ready to eat. Slice it up and make a bologna sandwich with some honey mustard, vegan mayo, garlic aioli, vegan horseradish sauce, vegan Chick-fil-A sauce, or vegan chipotle mayo.

A vegan bologna sandwich made with homemade seitan bologna and mayo.

These vegan bologna sandwiches go great with some vegan cheese slices too.

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro Tips

  • Use a large glass mixing bowl and a silicone spatula to mix your seitan.  Vital wheat gluten is very sticky once it gets wet and will stick like glue to a plastic bowl or a wooden spoon.
  • Be sure to press the tofu well to get out as much liquid as possible. 
  • Wheat gluten is a very fine powder that will get everywhere if you are not careful with it.  Pour it low down and slowly over the tofu mixture so it doesn’t splash out of your bowl.
  • Knead the seitan until all of the gluten flour is incorporated and you have a dough that’s a little firmer than you would have for bread. Only knead it for about 30- 60 seconds so your wheat meat doesn’t get too chewy.
  • If you don’t want the foil to touch your food, you can wrap the vegan bologna in parchment paper first, and then wrap the foil around that.
  • Clean your bowl and utensils in very hot water. This kind of “cooks” the gluten and makes it less sticky so it will come off everything easier.

🍞 Can I make it gluten-free?

No. This recipe needs to be made with wheat gluten and nothing else will work in its place.

🍳 Fried vegan bologna

If you want fried bologna, simply fry slices of the bologna in 1 tablespoon of neutral-flavored oil. It’s delicious and is my favorite way to eat this bologna. You can eat it by the slice or use it for a vegan fried bologna sandwich.

Slices of fried vegan bologna in a white skillet being flipped with a spatula.

🥡 Storage and reheating

Refrigerate: This seitan bologna will keep well in the fridge for 3 – 5 days in a sealed container.

Freeze: Seitan freezes well and can be stored in an airtight bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Put the bologna in the fridge overnight to defrost. You may want to slice the bologna before freezing so that it will thaw faster.

A close up of sliced vegan bologna seitan.

If you are looking for more vegan sandwich ideas for kids’ lunches, you can check out the post that I wrote about packing vegan kids’ lunches. You may also like my other vegan sandwich recipes.

🌟 More seitan recipes

I love to make vegan meats, many of my recipes are wheat gluten-based seitan recipes, but some are also gluten-free faux meats made from soy curls or TVP. Here are some of my family’s favorites.

📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!

📋 Vegan bologna recipe

Vegan bologna on a cutting board with some slices of bologna in front of it.
Diet
High Protein Icon
Nut Free Icon
Vegan Icon
5 from 6 rating

Vegan Bologna

Yield: 6
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
A homemade vegan bologna recipe made from vital wheat gluten and spices to taste like an authentic bologna with a meaty texture.
Print Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water, (or vegetable broth)
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup, (or 1 tablespoon tomato paste)
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 14 oz. firm or extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
  • 1 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Add water, oil, ketchup, soy sauce, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and a handful of fresh basil to a saucepan and heat until it starts to boil, then turn off the heat and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes.
  • Press a block (14 oz.) of tofu and crumble it into a food processor or blender, then remove the basil leaves from the broth and pour the broth into the food processor along with the tofu. (You can leave the basil in if you would like. It will give it a nice flavor, but make green flex in your bologna.)
  • Blend until it turns into a creamy thick liquid.
  • Pour into a large glass mixing bowl.
  • Add 1 cup of vital wheat gluten and mix well until a thick dough forms.
  • Add another 1/2 cup of vital wheat gluten and knead it into the dough until all of the wheat gluten has been absorbed and no longer feels wet. (You may have to add an additional tablespoon or two of wheat gluten until the dough is firm enough to hold its shape.)
  • Form the dough into the shape of a round loaf of bologna, and wrap the whole thing tightly in foil so that no seitan is showing. (It will try to expand and bulge out of any holes in the foil, so you may want to double wrap it to make sure there are no holes.)
  • Steam the wrapped bologna loaf in a large pot with a steamer basket for 1 hour and 15 minutes. (You can also use a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Cook under pressure for 55 minutes and then allow steam to release naturally. Be sure that you put a lot of water in the bottom so it doesn't run out of water. If you notice less steam coming out, turn off your pressure cooker, and allow the pressure to come down and refill the water.)
  • Take the bologna out of the pot with potholders and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes before opening the packet. (I always get too excited to see my creation and get burnt with the steam when I open the foil too soon.)
  • At this point, the bologna is ready to eat. Slice it up and make a bologna sandwich with vegan mayo or vegan chipotle mayo.

Notes

  • Knead the seitan until all of the gluten flour is incorporated and you have a dough that’s a little firmer than you would have for bread. Only knead it for about 30- 60 seconds so your wheat meat doesn’t get too chewy.
  • If you don’t want the foil to touch your food, you can wrap the loaf in parchment paper first, and then wrap the foil around that.
Serving: 14 slices, Calories: 150kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 521mg, Potassium: 130mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 195IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!