Vegan Pot Roast & Gravy

I really wanted to make yorkshire puddings and I remembered seeing this vegan pot roast recipe in Vegan Vittles. A perfect pair with my beloved yorkshires! Both E and I loved the gravy, though it was more pureed vegetables with some flavourings than a traditional gravy. As for the pot roast, it was okay but very spongey. I like seitan but prefer it to be more solid and chewy, like this baked seitan. Though the sponginess could be my mistake - I may have over-kneaded it. Regardless, it was still an exciting food experience as I've never had vegan pot roast! And I've only made gravy once. I'll try and make the gravy again without the pot roast.

So far I've tried two other recipes from Vegan Vittles - chickpeas a la king and barbecued buffalo zings. The buffalo zings were okay, but I wasn't a fan of the chickpeas a la king. I've yet to try a vegan cream sauce I've liked, except one that used coconut milk (from How It All Vegan!). I think it's because the nondairy milk I use is always soymilk which has a pronounced flavour. Anyway if you're familiar with Vegan Vittles, please let me know your favourite recipes!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Seitan
Baked Seitan
Puttanesca Tofu
Chickpea Cutlets

Vegan Pot Roast & Gravy
Adapted from Vegan Vittles

Dry Ingredients
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

Liquid Ingredients
1 cup water
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce

Oil for Cooking
3 tbsp olive oil

Vegetables
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

Cooking Broth
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp rd wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf

For the dry ingredients: Place all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and stir with a whisk until well combined.

For the liquid ingredients: Place all of the liquid ingredients in a small bowl, and stir until well combined. Pour into the dry ingredients, and mix well with a wooden spoon. If there is still flour around the edges, add a small amount of additional water (1-2 tablespoons only). You should now have a large, firm, spongy mass of gluten in the bowl.

Knead the gluten directly in the bowl for about 30 seconds only, just to blend. (Do not add any more flour. Kneading any longer than this will make the gluten fluffy, spongy, and breadlike, rather than dense, chewy, and meat-like.) Form into a loaf, and return it to the bowl.

Place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, heavy pot, and place over medium-high heat. When hot, add the gluten loaf and brown it evenly on all sides, taking care that it does not stick to the sides of the pot. Transfer the roast back to the large bowl and set aside.

For the vegetables: Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil into the pot and place over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions and cook and stir for 15-20 minutes, or until they are lightly browned and starting to caramelize. Watch closely and adjust the heat as necessary so they do not burn. Add the carrots, and cook and stir until they are softened, about 5 minutes longer.

Add the broth, tomato paste, vinegar, soy sauce, thyme, garlic and bay leaf, bring to a boil. Return the roast to the pot and turn the heat down to medium-low. Partially cover the pot (tilt the lid so there is room for steam to escape) and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Maintain the heat so that the liquid barely simmers, and turn the roast over about every 30 minutes.

When the roast is finished cooking, transfer it to a cutting board. Cover it loosely with foil and let rest for 15 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf from the pot and discard it. Transfer the cooking liquid and vegetables to a blender or food processor, and process into a smooth, thick gravy. Pour into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until warmed through.

To serve: Carve the roast on a slight diagonal into thin slices. Arrange the slices on a serving platter, overlapping them slightly, and spoon some of the gravy over the top.