Vegan Italian Sausage Crumbles with TVP are the perfect addition to favorite savory plant-based recipes like chili, pasta sauce, pizza, and more. Super easy to make, a good source of protein, fat-free, and a great meat replacement for plant-based recipes.
If you’ve been craving the taste of Italian sausage in your favorite savory meals then you are going to love these crumbles.
These vegan Italian sausage crumbles are the perfect addition to plant-based recipes like chili, pasta sauce, pizza, gravy, and more. They’re fat-free, high in protein, and gluten-free. And, you won’t believe how simple this recipe is to make.
Textured Vegetable Protein is combined with a mix of herbs and spices like ground fennel seeds, sage, and thyme. Then simply rehydrated and briefly fried in a nonstick skillet.
It’s hard enough going vegan. But, making the decision to adopt a whole-foods plant-based diet can feel a bit daunting. That’s why I think it’s important to have what I like to call “sane foods” to help the transition.
And, these vegan Italian sausage crumbles are one of the sanest foods you can incorporate into your life. But, be prepared for controversy because you have some who say TVP is healthy and some who like it’s the antichrist.
Me, personally? I love them but I ain’t going to war. Because on more than one occasion in my 10 years of being vegan, they’ve brought me great comfort and kept me from falling off the proverbial veggie wagon.
Whether it was making veggie sausage crumbles to use as a killer vegan pizza topping, delicious vegan bacon bits, or a ground meat substitute for a hearty bolognese sauce, I believe it’s one of the healthier and best vegan meat alternatives you could use.
If you’re still on the fence about TVP check out this Q & A video from one of my plant-based heroes, Dr. Michael Klaper.
What Is Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
Despite the name, TVP is usually made from soybeans rather than vegetables. It's produced during the process of making soybean oil.
Once the oil is removed from the soybeans a paste that is high in protein and fat-free is left behind. This paste is pushed through a hot nozzle, forms tiny little pieces, and is then dehydrated.
I know, I know. Dehydrated soy paste doesn’t sound all that appetizing. But, trust me, rehydrated TVP is super versatile and you can do some pretty amazing things with it.
If you are looking for a plant-based alternative to meat without all the fat and cholesterol textured vegetable protein is a great substitute.
TVP is a great source of protein, dietary fiber, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus.
It’s also loaded with TVP is loaded with copper, which is a mineral that plays a vital role in iron metabolism and brain health. It’s also super cheap so there’s that.
Ingredients You’ll Need
TVP is very inexpensive and you can usually find it in your local grocery store. If not, there are several links throughout this post that will allow you to purchase it.
- TVP: Textured vegetable protein.
- Dry Seasonings: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, ground sage, ground fennel, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Nutritional Yeast: I like the nutty depth this adds to the recipe not to mention the B vitamins.
- Soy Sauce: Be sure and use a low-sodium soy sauce. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos is also a great option.
- Maple Syrup: I like just a hint of sweetness to offset the spice. But, if you prefer things more savory you can leave it out.
- Liquid Smoke: Obvious. It dds a rich smoky depth of flavor.
- Blackstrap Molasses: This is primarily for color but I feel it also adds an earthy essence as well.
How To Make Vegan Italian Sausage Crumbles
Vegan sausage crumbles are such a quick and easy recipe. It’s low-fat, a healthy plant protein, and perfect for adding to spaghetti sauce, vegan breakfast burritos, or making a delicious vegan sausage pizza. It’s easy as adding a handful of spices to some hot water…almost.
Ready? Let’s do it!
- Start by heating a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- In a small saucepan add all of the wet ingredients and bring to a boil.
- While waiting for the water to boil, add the TVP with all of the other dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix together until well combined.
- Pour the boiling water into the dry TVP mixture, and stir until everything is completely mixed. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes so all of the water can be absorbed. There may be a little moisture in the bottom of the pan but it will cook off once you add the mixture to the frying pan.
- Pour the TVP crumbles into the frying pan, stirring occasionally, and cook until most of the moisture is gone. Usually about 2-3 minutes. The mixture will be more “chewy” like sausage and not crisp.
- Taste and adjust any seasonings as needed.
- Serve right away or store in an airtight container for later use.
That’s it! Delicious meatless Italian sausage crumbles even your non-vegan friends and family will love.
Tips and Suggestions
- If you prefer a crunchier texture you can bake the crumbles after cooking on the stovetop. Preheat your oven to 425˚F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spread the crumbles out evenly, and bake for 15-20 minutes until crunchy.
- Use low-sodium tamari sauce to make this recipe gluten free.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.
Why You Will Love TVP Sausage Crumbles
- Fat-free and low in calories
- A good source of protein
- Full of Italian herbs and fragrant flavors
- Super easy to make
- The perfect addition to your favorite vegan Italian dishes
- ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!
More Vegan Recipes You Will Enjoy
I hope you enjoy these vegan Italian sausage crumbles. Please leave a comment below with a star rating. And, be sure and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #shaneandsimple. I want to see your work. Enjoy!
Vegan Italian Sausage Crumbles with TVP
Vegan Italian Sausage Crumbles are so easy to make and a great meat replacement for certain plant-based recipes. Made with Textured Vegetable Protein along with a mix of herbs and spices like ground fennel seeds, sage, thyme, and more, these veggie crumbles are the perfect addition to favorite savory plant-based recipes like chili, pasta sauce, pizza, and more. Low-fat, high in protein, and gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 10 mins.
- Cook Time: 5 mins.
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Vegan Side Dish Recipes
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup of water
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce or 2 ½ tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- ½ teaspoon blackstrap molasses (may be omitted, used primarily for color)
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- salt to taste if needed
Instructions
- Start by heating a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- In a small saucepan add all of the wet ingredients and bring to a boil.
- While waiting for the water to boil, add the TVP with all of the other dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix together until well combined.
- Pour the boiling water into the dry TVP mixture, and stir until everything is completely mixed. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes so all of the water can be absorbed. There may be a little moisture in the bottom of the pan but it will cook off once you add the mixture to the frying pan.
- Pour the TVP crumbles into the frying pan, stirring occasionally, and cook until most of the moisture is gone. Usually about 2-3 minutes. The mixture will be more “chewy” like sausage and not crisp.
- Taste and adjust any seasonings as needed.
- Serve right away or store in an airtight container for later use.
Notes
If you prefer a crunchier texture you can bake the crumbles after cooking on the stovetop. Preheat your oven to 425˚F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spread the crumbles out evenly, and bake for 15-20 minutes until crunchy.
To make these completely gluten-free use low-sodium tamari sauce.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Calories: 62
- Sugar: 2.5 g
- Sodium: 220.8 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.1 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This is amazing! I used 1/2 cup to top protein pasta.
This was delicious and so easy to make! I put it on pizza. I have had a bag of TVP in my pantry forever. This recipe was quite simple to make, so now I am excited about checking out some more TVP recipes!
Just made the sausage crumbles for the first time. I didn’t have any molasses so I did skip that ingredient. This is such a great recipe! If I hadn’t made it myself I would have been sure it was real sausage. You are so talented. Thank you.
I finally tried this recipe! It was a success in my old unstuffed cabbage recipe! I didn’t have molasses, so used Kitchen Bouquet for the color. I will be making this again, thanks.
This is so good! I made some to put on my half of the pizza since my husband is a meat eater. But after I made it and asked him to taste it, he wanted it on his half too. The next day I added some to my stuffed acorn squash and it was excellent. To my surprise, I found my husband scarfing down the rest with some spaghetti and marinara sauce. Will make again and again.
Amazing! I made this for a pizza topping. Nobody would know it’s vegan.
I love the spices and it makes the taste right on. It was a bit too salty for me, but I’m going to adjust the liquid aminos a bit and hope that works better for me. Used it on pizza, added to pasta dishes, used with breakfast and now I’d like to use it in mushroom white lasagna.
Awesome! Yes, make it work for you.
I made this for pizza and it was delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
I wound up skipping the maple and molasses because I knew I’d be using it with tomato sauce and didn’t want the pizza to be too sweet.
… I also didn’t want to clean another pan, so I just measured the water from an electric kettle and put the other liquids in at the same time. Worked well enough!
Super yum! I wanted to make a quick “sausage” style topping for vegan pizza and this knocked it out of the park. It smells and tastes so similar to actual pepperoni or Italian sausage. Highly recommend for others to give this a shot! It’s quick and the result you get will be worth it!
This sausage is so good. I’ve used it for biscuits/gravy, in my spaghetti sauce and on pizza. Thank you.
We make this recipe all the time for homemade lasagna and pizza. I often double it and freeze half because I love to have the crumbles on hand ready to go. It’s easy to make and makes the house smell fantastic!
Excellent recipe. Simple and oh so tasty! Thank you.
One of the things my granddaughter misses is Italian sausage. We have tried numerous recipes and they were off the mark. I tried this one (used Just Like Chicken TVP which is in larger “slices”) and WOW! Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.
Thank you!
This is only the second time I’ve tried a vegan sausage crumbles recipe and it will be my last because it’s a keeper!! I put it on pizza and is it perfect! I used half the amount of liquid smoke and no molasses. I can’t wait to use it again in lasagna! Thanks, Shane!!
Super tasty!! I made it exactly as written, and put it on biscuits and gravy (both vegan) for dinner. Yum!
Having high hopes for this recipe. I have failed with tvp before, I have not used your recipes yet. I see from the comments there’s a breakfast sausage recipe. Looking that up next. I love “sausage” gravy and biscuits. Almond flour and almond milk work great, I’d like some crumbled sausage texture.
Thanks Shane!
This is a fabulous recipe! My carnivore husband even said it was “very tasty.” Thanks Shane!
This is very good. Next time I do spaghetti or lasagna I will add this.
Absolutely spectacular!!! What are your thoughts on putting this into a lasagna and baking it? Do you think it would change the texture at all?
I think that would be a splendid idea:)
Very tasty. Served it with wfpb marinara and pasta for dinner. Hubby said “make this again!”
First time ever using TVP, which I previously found intimidating (don’t know why — LOL). Even though I left out the salt, it was a bit salty for my taste, so I will use less tamari next time. And there WILL be a next time. Now, I need to try the breakfast sausage crumbles.
I haven’t made this yet but I will. I made your spicy breakfast sausage and it is amazing so I’m sure this will be too. Love your recipe’s. Thank you for sharing.
Sublime, Shane. Thank you!
After having made your vegan bacon bits I knew I had to give this a try. I made it tonight and you’ve done it again. So easy and delicious! It made a huge difference to our wfpb spaghetti with marinara sauce tonight. Thanks for sharing your great recipes with everyone!
Thank you!!!
Can this be frozen to use later. Haven’t tried this one yet. But love every recipe I have tried of yours.
Hi, Vivian! I supposed you could although I make it in such a small quantity and eat it over several days. It usually doesn’t last long.
Vegan Italian Sausage Crumbles with TVP are the perfect addition to favorite savory plant-based recipes like chili, pasta sauce, pizza, and more. Super easy to make, a good source of protein, fat-free, and a great meat replacement for plant-based recipes.