This Vegan Ham recipe is one of the easiest plant-based meat recipes to make! Most of the work is done in a food processor and it’s made with an optional simple glaze for the perfect main centrepiece to any meal, especially for the holidays! To make a vegan version of ham, we are using simple ingredients like tofu and vital wheat gluten, plus a mixture of spices, to create a satisfying and meaty dish.
This homemade vegan ham is smoky, savoury, and glazed to perfection, made with tofu and vital wheat gluten for a hearty plant-based main.
Recipe for Vegan Ham
This is one of the easiest ways of making vegan ham. All you need is some extra firm tofu, vital wheat gluten, soy sauce and a variety of easy-to-find spices to create this plant-based meat substitute at home on a budget. Thanks to the tofu and vital wheat gluten, it’s also very high in protein, making this a deliciously filling dish.
My favourite way to enjoy this recipe is by making the glaze and serving this as a centrepiece for dinner, especially during the holiday season. While the cooking time for this recipe can be long, the actual effort to make this recipe is minimal. I highly recommend serving this with some comforting holiday sides.
You can simply make the vegan ham without the glaze and cut it into very thin slices to be used as vegan deli slices. These high protein deli slices can be used as a sandwich or wrap filling!
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Ham
- 100% plant-based & vegan friendly
- More affordable than store-bought vegan ham
- High in plant-based protein, thanks to the tofu and vital wheat gluten
- Full of delicious flavours (smokey, meaty, and umami)
Ingredients
- Extra firm tofu
- Soy sauce
- Miso paste (white or regular)
- Olive oil
- Liquid smoke
- Vegetable bouillon
- Cornstarch
- Nutritional yeast
- Beetroot powder (optional)
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Smoked paprika or regular paprika
- Vital wheat gluten
- Vegetable broth (or Better Than Bouillon)
- Dijon mustard
- Maple syrup
- Brown sugar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
This recipe is completely vegan and nut-free.
You can skip the glaze and make this vegan ham into deli slices (see instructions) or you can glaze the ham for a more fancy affair!
How To Make Ham Vegan?
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drain and rinse tofu (but do not press) and break up into smaller chunks to fit the food processor.
Add the rest of the vegan ham ingredients, except the vital wheat gluten and blend until smooth. You may have to scrape down the sides a few times until everything blends smoothly.
Add vital wheat gluten into the food processor and blend again until the dough comes together, which might take a bit of blending time. Scrape the sides down a few times, if needed, and allow the dough to blend until a firm dough forms and doesn’t stick to the sides of the food processor.
Remove the dough onto a clean surface and knead it just a few times (around 4-5 times) and form into a log or a rounded shape.
Wrap it securely in aluminum foil and place on a baking tray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour, rotating the loaf by 90° or 180° every 15 minutes to cook evenly.
While the vegan ham is cooking, you can make the optional glaze. If making the glaze, mix together the glaze ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
When the vegan ham is done cooking, remove it from the oven and allow to cool a bit until it feels cool enough to remove the foil. If you’re glazing, keep the oven on.
If making vegan ham deli slices (and not glazing), simply allow it to cool and enjoy right away or refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to allow the texture to firm up to make it easier to cut into very thin slices.
If you want to glaze the vegan ham, score the ham (make shallow cuts) in a crisscross pattern. Place in a small casserole or baking dish (just a little bigger than the ham) and pour the glaze on top of the ham. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes, basting (pouring the glaze on top of the ham) with the glaze every 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and pour more glaze on top (the glaze may have thickened and become more syrupy, and in this case, you can brush the glaze on top).
Cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy any time or as a holiday centrepiece!
Vegan Ham
Equipment
- Food Processor (larger one recommended)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm tofu, broken into smaller chunks
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp miso paste (white or regular)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/12 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 block vegetable bouillon (2 tbsp of better than bouillon vegetarian soup base)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp beetroot powder optional
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika or regular
- 1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
Glaze (optional)
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Drain and rinse tofu (but do not press) and break up into smaller chunks to fit the food processor.
- Add the rest of the vegan ham ingredients, except the vital wheat gluten and blend until smooth. You may have to scrape down the sides a few times until everything blends smoothly.
- Add vital wheat gluten into the food processor and blend again until the dough comes together, which might take a bit of blending time. Scrape the sides down a few times, if needed, and allow the dough to blend until a firm dough forms and doesn’t stick to the sides of the food processor.
- Remove the dough onto a clean surface and kneed it just a few times (around 4-5 times) until the dough comes together into a log or a rounded shape.
- Wrap it securely in aluminum foil and place on a baking tray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour, rotating the loaf by 90° or 180° every 15 minutes.
- While the vegan ham is cooking, you can make the optional glaze. If making the glaze, mix together the glaze ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- When the vegan ham is done cooking, remove it from the oven and allow to cool a bit until it feels cool enough to remove the foil. If you’re glazing, keep the oven on.
- If making vegan ham deli slices (and not glazing), simply allow it to cool and enjoy right away or refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to allow the texture to firm up to make it easier to slice into very thin slices.
- If you want to glaze the vegan ham, score the ham (make shallow cuts) in a crisscross pattern. Place in a small casserole or baking dish (just a little bigger than the ham) and pour the glaze on top of the ham. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes, basting (pouring the glaze on top of the ham) with the glaze every 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and pour more glaze on top (the glaze may have thickened and become more syrupy, and in this case, you can brush the glaze on top).
- Cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy any time or as a holiday centrepiece!
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Nutrition
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