A Vegan Gluten Free Pastrami Sandwich is quite likely the most exotic and out there recipe I have tried to date. I saw an episode on Diners, Drive-in & Dives a while back where Guy stopped in at a vegan sandwich shop in Minneapolis. Guy was so surprised, and rather impressed with the product, that I had stored the idea in my mind to pull out one day. It is now one day.

Vegan Gluten Free Pastrami Sandwich

Vegan Gluten Free Pastrami
Before I share more about making this vegan pastrami, I have to share how wimpy my wife and oldest son were and how cool my youngest son was. My youngest son was home from college on winter break. He came downstairs on Sunday after sleeping in and said what’s for lunch. I am a short order cook in my house and I am happy to feed my family’s tummys. I told Nate what I made and that I was serving it in a sandwich. He said OK. We both thought it was “not bad”. My wife and typically food adventuresome oldest son would not even take a taste. I made the mistake of telling them it was vegan. I should have just said I made homemade pastrami.
In all candor, I do not know if I will make this again. I need some other people to want to eat it. Actually, I may make it again. We have a good friend that is vegan. Every once in a while, following a swim meet, my wife invites him back to the house to eat with us which gives me a chance to come up with a vegan recipe. I will want to try this idea on someone who would really appreciate it. I served this pastrami in a sandwich. It had the perfect texture for a sandwich. I needed a knife to cut it and it definitely was reminiscent of cutting a salami – not hard salami. What do you think? Does the look and way I have it laid out on the cutting board fool you into thinking this is real meat?
The cast of characters.

Ingredients
The dry ingredients in a bowl and combining the wet ingredients.

Dry Ingredients

Wet Ingredients
The mixing of the ingredients and the forming into a log.

Wet Ingredients Added to Dry

All Ingredients Mixed

Pastrami Log Formed
Setting in the plastic and then baked.

Log Wrapped and Setting

Pastrami Log After Baking
The Vegan Gluten Free Pastrami cut and then served in a Vegan Gluten Free Pastrami Sandwich.

Vegan Gluten Free Pastrami Sandwich plated

Vegan Gluten Free Pastrami Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups Gluten Free Flour
- 1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast
- 2 Tsp Paprika
- 1/4 Tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 Tsp Cumin
- 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
- 1/4 Tsp Ground Mustard
- 1/8 Tsp Allspice
- 1/8 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 3/4 Cup Cold Water
- 4 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 Cloves Garlic Pressed
- 1 Tsp Salt
Instructions
-
Place the gluten free flour, nutritional yeast flakes, and the seasonings in a large mixing bowl, and stir them together. Mix the liquids in a small bowl. Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients, and mix them thoroughly. You will end up with a large, firm mass in the bowl.
Knead the mass directly in the mixing bowl for about a minute to make sure it is well blended. Longer kneading will change the texture, and you may want to experiment with this later. Form the mixture into one smooth log. Wrap the log in plastic wrap twisting both ends tightly. Then, wrap the log tightly in silver foil. Place on a dry baking sheet.
Bake the "pastrami" in a 325 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. When done, unwrap the pastrami, transfer it to a cooling rack, and let it cool thoroughly. When completely cool, wrap the pastrami tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight or longer before eating. Slice into paper-thin rounds.
Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
http://www.ellenskitchen.com/recipebox/glutpast.html
I have mine cooling down in the fridge but it looks and tastes amazing already. I do not have any “chunks” in mine (I guest that you used some linseed for texture). I am kind a curious what my kids will say about it as they are quite picky. But if they do not want it, my and my husband will definitely eat it all soon 😀 Thanks for great and easy recipe.
So glad you liked it. I will be impressed if your kids like it. Let me know.
Don’t be absurd! You can’t bake plastic! Has anyone actually made this recipe?
This is a very old post but I went back to see if I could see what I did. Based on the pictures, it looks like the plastic wrap was used only to set the log. Before it went into the oven, it was wrapped with parchment paper and then tinfoil. I hope this helps!
Won’t the plastic wrap melt in the oven? Can I use lupini bean flour? All purpose gluten free flour????
I think you are right. It looks like I wrapped in foil to set. Then, transferred to a wrap of parchment paper and tinfoil before baking. You can try other flours. I am guessing that will not affect the consistency but maybe the flavor a little.
In your picture you are using VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN. That is not gluten free. No wonder mine isn’t forming firm meat.
You are right. It has been so long since I made the recipe that I cannot remember for sure what flour I used. I probably did use a gluten free flour – I reuse glass jars and did not change the name. With that said, often the gluten free flour is very wet. So yes, adding more flour will solve the problem. I am truly sorry if the recipe is worng.
Mine is not firming up after I added the dry and wet ingredients together. Should I add more flour?
Did Ivread thisvright? Do you mean to bsje the log in plastc wrap? You must have meant to wrap it in foil, bake it, then wrap it in plastic and then foil.
Susan, please let me know if you try it. It is wrapped in the plastic wrap first to form and hold the log shape. Then, the foil is wrapped around the plastic for cooking.
I am missing something, What are the seeds that are in it?
Sorry Valorie. Those are carraway seeds. It looks like I used 1 – 2 tbsp. Let me know if you make and how it turns out for you.
Hey. I’d love to try this recipe. Just wondering what temp you set your oven to.
Sorry i missed that. 325 degrees. make sure the pastrami is tied tight – plastic wrap and then foil.