Vegan sausage involtini
Vegan/vegetarian, gluten/grain free, nut free, SIBO bi-phasic friendly *This recipe uses Australian cups and measures. Use gram and ml for international accuracy.
Equipment
- L31cm x W25cm x H6cm baking dish
Ingredients
For the involtini:
- 3-4 large symmetrical eggplant
For the vegan sausage filling:
- 40-60ml (2-3 tablespoons)* oil I used olive
- 2 large carrots
- 60ml (3 tablespoons)* sherry or red wine vinegar use red wine vinegar for SIBO diet
- 60ml (3 tablespoons)* coconut aminos you could use 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup if you don’t need to SIBO diet compliant, see notes
- 20-40ml (1-2 tablespoons)* tamari or gluten free soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspooons tarragon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground clove
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1/2 tablespoon miso paste I used a sweet brown rice miso paste but any gluten free one will work
- 500 g tofu crumbled into small pieces
- 60ml (1/4 cup)* olive oil
To finish the involtini:
- 175-250ml passata (no flavourings)
- Vegan melting cheese to finish
- OR
- Cheddar cheese finely and freshly grated
- Herbs to finish with if you fancy them
Instructions
To prepare the eggplant:
- Slice the eggplant lengthways into thin, even pieces that are about 1/2 centimetre thick. Cook the slices in batches in your sandwich press until it is nice and pliable. If you don’t have a sandwich press, you can salt the eggplant slices thoroughly and allow them to drain for an hour. See notes above on cooking methods. Once cooked, set aside until the sausage mixture is ready.
To make the vegan sausage filling:
- Place a large skillet over a medium heat and add the oil. Once warmed, add the finely chopped carrot and cook for 10-15 minutes or until it has shrivelled and browned.
- While you’re waiting, mix together all the remaining ingredients except for the tofu and olive oil.
- Once the carrot is ready, add the flavouring mixture and cook for an additional few minutes until the liquid becomes syrup like. You might need to smush up the miso paste with your spatula to dissolve it.
- You can add the tofu to the pan, or pour them separately into your food processor. Either way, add them to the blender along with the olive oil. If you’re using a Nutribullet you will need to wait until the mixture has cooled before blending.
- Blend until the mixture is 90% smooth, adding a little extra liquid if you’re having trouble. Once it is smooth, decant the mixture and adjust for seasoning and spices. I like mine quite spiced, so I often add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of each spice.
To assemble:
- Preheat the oven to 180C/356F.
- Take a large L31cm x W25cm x H6cm baking dish and spread a little passata on the bottom. This dish doesn’t need much tomato, so you can leave the bottom dry if you prefer.
- Place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of mixture into each eggplant side. Place the mixture on one end of the eggplant, and then roll it up into your little involtini. Place each involtini into the tray, seam side down. Repeat until you have filled all the involtini – the quantity should fit nicely in the tray. See notes on what to do with any leftover eggplant.
- Top the snug involtini with a very thin layer of passata and a very generous layer of freshly and cheese. If you’re using regular cheddar, use the small side of the grate, because the fine shreds of cheddar melt a lot better and more aesthetically than thick ones.
- Place the involtini in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden. I like to place it under the grill for a few minutes just to finish it off.
- Serve warm. Involtini keeps well in the fridge for a few days.
Notes
- See the body of the post for tips on cooking the eggplant.
- See the body of the post for FODMAP notes.
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