Vegan Ribs

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These vegan ribs are incredibly juicy, with a mouthwatering meaty texture that's hard to resist. They're easy to make and ready to serve in just 90 minutes. Plus, they're loaded with protein, which is always a plus! And the best part? You only need 9 ingredients for this fantastic recipe!

If you enjoy this recipe, you'll love exploring the other vegan meat alternatives featured on my blog. Check out this lentil bolognese—it's truly delicious! Want to impress your guests? Give my vegan roast beef a try. Prefer simpler recipes? Check out this vegan chicken or these amazing chickpea cutlets, both are packed with protein and bursting with flavor!

⭐ Why I love this recipe

This recipe is a summer favorite of mine! When the weather starts getting warmer and grilling season kicks in, these ribs are a must-have. I love marinating them with olive oil, herbs, and garlic, then grilling them until they develop a tasty crust.

I like to serve them alongside vegan potato gratin, baked cauliflower or a bowl of fresh salad for a delightful summer meal! So delicious!

🧾 Ingredients

You'll only need 9 easy-to-find ingredients to make these vegan ribs. Here are the most important ones:

• Vital wheat gluten powder: It's the key ingredient that allows us to make vegan ribs with a texture similar to that of traditional ribs. It's sold in powder form and is increasingly easy to find in supermarkets and online. I particularly like it because it's high in protein and low in fat.

• Canned chickpeas: The vegan ribs are mainly made of vital wheat gluten and chickpeas; we use the chickpeas to make the ribs tender. In fact, without them, they would risk being overly chewy.

• Spices: To make the ribs delicious we need to add spices. I like to add onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika and a dash of soy sauce. These spices add a touch of umami that makes them extra tasty.

Substitutions

I always recommend following the recipe to the letter to get the best possible results. If, however, you need to substitute an ingredient, here I explain which ingredients can be substituted and how to do it:

• Canned chickpeas: You can replace them with any type of canned beans of your choice.

• Smoked paprika - Replace it with 2-3 drops of liquid smoke or just leave it out.

🥄 Equipment

To make this recipe, all you need is a food processor, a pot, and a pan. We use the food processor to make a chickpea purée, to which we then add gluten powder to form the seitan. Then, we form the ribs and cook them in broth and finally we roast them in a pan.

🥣 How to make

As mentioned, these vegan ribs are incredibly straightforward to make. From start to finish, you only need about 90 minutes to make them! Here's a visual of how it's done:

Prep

Step 1: Place all the wet ingredients in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds until you achieve a smooth purée. Then, add the dry ingredients and pulse until a dough forms.

Step 2: Remove the dough from the food processor and place it on a clean working surface. Knead for 2 minutes until it's elastic and smooth. Then, divide the seitan into 6 equal-sized portions.

Step 3: Flatten each portion into a 7x20 centimeters (3x8-inch) rectangle. Form two 'sets of ribs,' overlapping three of them and pressing the edges together to seal.

Step 4: To create the fat layer, place the remaining vital wheat gluten and water in a food processor and blend until a sticky mass forms. Then, apply a layer of 'fat' on top of each set of ribs.

Cooking

Step 5: Bring a large pot of vegetable broth to a boil, then lower the heat to achieve a gentle simmer. Add the ribs and simmer for 1 hour, flipping every 20 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the broth and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the fake 'bones' and marinade.

Step 6: For the fake bones, peel the horseradish and cut it into 8 sticks that are about 5 centimeters long. Then, helping yourself with a knife, insert 4 fake bones into each set of ribs.

For the marinade, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and brush over the vegan ribs. Roast on each side for 4 minutes and serve immediately.

👨🏻‍🍳 Expert tip

For the ribs to have the perfect texture, it's important that the chickpea purée is free of lumps. So grind the chickpeas well; if any lumps are left, the ribs will have a grainy texture, and we don't want that.

💭 Top tip

These vegan ribs are wonderful to make on the grill. To cook them on the grill, marinate them, and when the grill is ready grill them for a few minutes until they get that delicious little crust that everyone likes.

Since these ribs are full of flavor I like to serve them with something light like some salad, baked vegetables, or mashed potatoes.

❄️ Storage

Marinated and grilled/roasted ribs can be stored in the refrigerator, while ribs that are still unmarinated and grilled can be stored in the freezer for 1-2 months.

• Refrigerator: Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven at 180 Celsius (360 Fahrenheit) before serving.

• Freezer: Place the ribs in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight before marinating and grilling as described in the recipe.

👪 Serving size

This recipe yields 8 vegan ribs, making it perfect for serving 4 people. If you want to, you can double the recipe and freeze any extra ribs for later use. When doubling the recipe, I recommend following it precisely and making 4 sets of ribs. Once cooked in the broth, allow them to cool before freezing, as described in the 'storage' section.

📔 FAQ

🎥 Video

📖 Recipe

Vegan Ribs

Carlo Cao

These vegan ribs are incredibly juicy, with a mouthwatering meaty texture that's hard to resist. They're easy to make and ready to serve in just 90 minutes. Plus, they're loaded with protein, which is always a plus!

5 from 23 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Equipment

• food-processor

Ingredients

 

MetricImperial (US)

 

1x2x3x

ribs

• 250 g canned chickpeas (without the liquid)
• 1½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 150 ml vegetable stock
• 200 g vital wheat gluten powder

fat layer (optional)

• 30 g vital wheat gluten
• 30 g all-purpose flour
• 60 ml water

marinade

• 2½ tablespoon olive oil
• 1½ tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

• For the ribs, place all the ingredients (except vital wheat gluten) in a food-processor and blend until perfectly smooth. Add in vital wheat gluten and pulse for a couple of seconds until a dough is formed.
• Remove the dough from the food-processor and set on a clean working surface. Knead for 2 minutes until elastic and smooth.
• Cut the seitan into 6 same sized parts. Flatten each part into a 7x20 cm (3x8'') rectangle. To form a rib set overlap 3 rectangles and press the edges to seal, repeat with the remaining seitan to form a second set.
• (Optional) To make the fat layer on top of the ribs place the vital wheat gluten and water into a food-processor and blend until a sticky mass is formed. Apply a layer of "fat" on top of each rib set.
• Bring broth to a boil and then lower the heat to reach a gentle simmering. Add the ribs a simmer for 1 hour. Flip every 20 minutes. Once cooked, remove from broth and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile make the "bones" and marinade. For the bones, peel the horseradish and cut into 5 cm long sticks. Using a knife cut 4 holes on the side of each ribs set and stick a bone into each hole. For the marinate mix all the ingredients into a bowl. Brush the ribs with marinade.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, add the ribs and roast on each side for 4 minutes. Serve right away.

Nutrition

Calories: 463kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 51gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 1529mgPotassium: 355mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 971IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 133mgIron: 6mg

Keyword vegan ribs

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