If you’ve recently started a vegan lifestyle, you’ve been here for a while, or you just want to try a non-meat option, you may have realized just how hard it can be to find the best vegan alternatives for meat.
This is especially true when it comes to sausages—and even more so when it comes to vegan Italian sausage.
Even if you’ve been a vegan for life, you know it’s super challenging finding a decent plant-based sausage.
The question is… Is there a plant-based Italian sausage?
The short answer is, yes!
Compared to “real” Italian sausages, vegan alternatives can actually stack up pretty decently, depending on what brand you buy (or recipe you use to create them yourself).
In most cases, vegan Italian sausages are even healthier than traditional meat-based Italian sausages.
Thankfully, you don’t have to look any further to find a great plant-based Italian sausage.
What to Look for in a Vegan Italian Sausage
When you’re looking for a good Italian sausage to add into your next meal, there’s a few things you want to keep in mind including taste, texture, cooking versatility, allergens, and nutritional values.
Picking vegan sausages crafted from whole foods is the best option for the healthiest sausages. However, this isn’t always the easiest thing to come across. With a plant-based meat alternative like sausage, it’s often very challenging to find a similar alternative without it being somewhat processed.
But, that’s why it’s important to have balance!
Whether you’re wanting to make a tasty vegan pizza at home or you’re ready to craft a hearty Italian pasta, you’ll want to check out my master list below of the best vegan Italian sausage alternatives (including some you can buy and some you can make yourself right at home)!
Let’s dive in.
Keep in mind – many of these sausages can be bought online at retailers like Amazon. If they’re not available, you can typically find one or two of these brands at your local major grocery store.
1. Beyond Sausage Hot Italian
Are you wondering… “What’s a good plant-based sausage?”
Well, my favorite overall vegan Italian sausages are actually a “hot” version made by Beyond.
These Beyond Hot Italian Sausages are the closest vegan italian sausage alternatives I’ve come across. Overall, these Italian sausages are nice, fatty, juicy, and “meaty”, which is a rare combo to come across with a vegan meat replacement!
Before you check out the next option, don’t worry too much about the “hot” part. The spice level isn’t actually that high. I’d consider it mild to mild-medium hot. If you’d prefer a non-spicy option, check out the partial-DIY option at #5.
The best part is the trace flannel flavors throughout the sausage which is the premier flavor that brings out the Italian-ness of these sausages.
Overall, these italian sausages can hold up pretty well when frying them up in your pan. While they can stick a bit to the pan, they create a pretty nice char for being plant-based.
They’re highly recommended to be cooked with marinara and served within a pasta like spaghetti, penne, or tortellini.
2. Field Roast Italian Garlic & Fennel Sausages
Coming in at number two is Field’s Roast Italian Garlic & Fennel Sausages. Similar to the Beyond Hot Italian Vegan Sausages at the #1 spot, these sausages are also a little on the spicy side.
However, they’re not too intense heat-wise, so unless you’re extremely sensitive to spice, you’ll want to consider using these ones for your next pasta or pizza night.
A nice thing about Field Roast’s sausages is that they’re non-GMO, making them a nice, healthy substitute for sausage (and one of the tastiest vegan sausage brands). Just keep in mind that they aren’t gluten-free though.
This vegan Italian sausage alternative has a rich, bold flavor. While they’re best suited for pasta or pizza, you can certainly get creative with these and throw them on the grill and place them in a hot dog bun, or fry them up into a delicious Italian stir-fry.
One downside to these sausages is that they’re a bit of a pain to prep in your meal. The plastic casings have to be individually unwrapped one by one (since they’re not edible). However, once the casings are off and they’re placed on your pan or grill, they crisp up quite nicely with a decent char.
Just keep in mind with these ones – even though they look super juicy, they’re a little on the low-fat side and can lean on the dry side if you overcook them. They’re one of the healthier options though, so depending on what you’re looking for, it might be your best option!
3. Lightlife Plant-Based Italian Sausages
At number three, we have Lightlife’s Plant-Based Italian Sausages.
If you’re looking for a lighter, healthier option, then these Lightlife vegan Italian sausages are a decent choice. These Lightlife sausages have a lower calorie count than option #4 (Tofurky’s Vegan Italian Sausages) at 210 calories per serving.
Since they’re lower in calories, you’re definitely in the clear to have one or two of these with your next meal, whether you’re cutting them up and placing them on a pizza or eating them like a hot dog.
Pro tip: If you’re wanting a naughty snack tip for these ones – grill them up on the bbq, place them in a hot dog bun, put some marinara and vegan cheese on top. Yum!
4. Tofurky Italian Plant-Based Original Sausage
At number four, we have the infamous “Tofurky” Italian Plant-Based Original Sausage. Tofurky has long been a leader in the plant-based meat industry. It’s no surprise that they have one of the best vegan Italian sausage alternatives on the market.
While it still cracks our top 6 list, these Tofurky sausages had a somewhat bouncy texture and the seasoning was a little bit off from traditional Italian sausages. Chances are that it might not pass as a real Italian sausage by someone from Italy as it has some notes of cinnamon and ginger. Nevertheless, it’s still super tasty overall and one of the best options available.
5. Beyond Meat’s Beyond Sausage Plant-Based Dinner Sausage
Up next, we have none other than Beyond Meat’s plant-based sausages. FYI, This one’s a partial DIY.
Beyond Meat has taken over the plant-based meat industry by storm over the past few years. They’re probably the best overall vegan sausage brands. And, while their standard “Hot Italian” vegan sausage is delicious (and our number one pick), this “regular” dinner sausage is a great place to start if you’d prefer a non-spicy option.
For this one, here’s what you’re going to do. Get the Beyond Meat Plant-Based Dinner sausage, and cut them up into slices (or smaller crumbly pieces if you’d like).
Next, place them into your frying pan, add a bit of olive oil, and add a bit of garlic, black pepper, and fennel for the majority of the “Italian sausage flavor”. If you’d like to take it to the next level, you could also add italian seasoning, dried parsley, onion, paprika, and red pepper flakes.
6. Vegan Italian Seitan Sausages (Recipe)
At number six, we have something a little different. If you’d prefer to simply make your own vegan italian sausage alternative, then you’ll want to check out “It Doesn’t Take Like Chicken’s” recipe.
Honestly, this is one of the best recipes available for vegan Italian sausages.
While these Italian sausages take a bit of work, they have a seitan base that’s packed full of flavor, and they grill wonderfully.
Sources
https://www.oipa.org/international/seitan-the-meatless-vegan-meat/
https://content.mpl.org/digital/collection/histrecipe/id/5023/