Lion's Mane Mushroom Pepperoni

Ingredients

• 1 cup Lion's Mane mushroom (Finely chopped; clean and remove any substrate or dirt first)
• 1 cup Vital wheat gluten
• 0.25 cup Nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp Smoked paprika
• 2 tsp Granulated garlic
• 2 tsp Minced onion (Dried minced onion)
• 1 tsp Dried oregano
• 0.5 tsp Dried basil
• 0.5 tsp Red pepper flakes
• 0.25 tsp Fennel seeds
• 0.5 tsp Salt
• 0.5 tsp Ground black pepper
• 2.5 drops Liquid smoke (Use 2–3 drops)
• 2 tbsp Coconut aminos
• 0.25 cup Water
• 0.25 cup Tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Avocado oil

Steps

1. 1

   Inspect the lion's mane mushroom and clean it if necessary, removing any growing substrate or dirt. Use a brush to remove dirt rather than soaking the mushroom.

2. 2

   Finely chop the cleaned lion's mane mushroom and set it aside.

3. 3

   In a large mixing bowl, combine the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, granulated garlic, minced onion, dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, salt, and ground black pepper.

4. 4

   Add the finely chopped lion's mane mushroom to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix to distribute it evenly.

5. 5

   In a separate bowl, combine the liquid smoke, coconut aminos, water, tomato paste, and avocado oil. Stir until the tomato paste is incorporated into the liquid.

6. 6

   Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Mix thoroughly, then knead for about 2–3 minutes, until a cohesive dough forms.

7. 7

   Prepare and preheat a steamer pan, making sure it contains enough water to steam for the full cooking time.

8. 8

   Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Roll each piece into a compact pepperoni-shaped log.

9. 9

   Wrap each log in parchment paper 2–3 times. Twist both ends of the parchment as tightly as possible to help hold the log's shape.

10. 10

    Place the wrapped pepperoni rolls in the steamer. Steam for 30 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Flip the rolls every 10 minutes, and check periodically that the steamer pan has not run out of water.

11. 11

    Remove the rolls from the steamer and let them cool for a few minutes before unwrapping and slicing.

12. 12

    Serve the sliced pepperoni on pizza or use it however you prefer.

Notes

If not serving immediately, keep the pepperoni wrapped in parchment paper in a sealed container in the refrigerator to prevent it from drying out.

Nutrition per serving

• vegan
• plant-based
• pizza topping
• steamed
• make-ahead
• savory
• dairy-free
• meat substitute