These Vegan Italian Sausage Crumbles are a quick and flavorful addition to any meal. Made with Textured Vegetable Protein and tons of spices, you can add these veggie crumbles to soups, pasta, sauces, pizza, and more.
Add all of the liquid and spice ingredients (except the nutritional yeast) to a bowl. Stir to combine.
Add the TVP. Stir to combine again. Let rest about 5 minutes so that the TVP absorbs the liquid (It won't absorb all of the liquid yet).
Heat a skillet over medium. Add all of the TVP mixture and the nutritional yeast to the warm skillet. (There will be extra liquid in the skillet, but it will cook off.)
Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until all of the liquid is absorbed. Taste the crumbles. If the center of the TVP is still hard or crunchy, add another half cup of water to the skillet and cook until the liquid is absorbed. (Until the center is chewy but not hard).
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve and enjoy right away or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.
The exact amount of water and time to cook is dependant on the size of the TVP. which can vary slightly by brand.
If you don't have all of the spices listed here, you can make substitutions. For instance, 4 teaspoon of an Italian Spice Mix would make a fine substitute for the dried herbs.
Fennel seeds really give this mixture that distinct Italian sausage flavor. I have made this without the fennel seeds and it tastes fine, but I definitely prefer it with the fennel.
If you're unsure about how much red pepper to add, start with ½ tsp, and add more at the end if you want the mixture to be spicier.
If you aren't following an oil-free diet, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, added near the end, will give these crumbles a crispy and more unctuous texture. But adding oil is not necessary to enjoy these crumbles.