Walnut Sausage Waffle Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup shelled raw walnuts (Soak in hot water for at least 2 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator; drain before using.)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup canned black beans (Rinsed and drained.)
• 0.25 cup refined coconut oil
• 0.333 cup maple syrup (Divided as needed for sausage mixture and sandwich finishing.)
• 0.5 cup white onion (Roughly chopped.)
• 1 tbsp garlic (Minced.)
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp dried fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp liquid vegan egg (Use in the sausage mixture; additional vegan egg may be used for the sandwich.)
• 0.667 cup vital wheat gluten
• waffle mix (Prepare according to package directions; enough for two waffles per sandwich.)
• liquid vegan egg or vegan egg patty (For the sandwich filling; amount as needed.)
• kale (Sautéed; amount as needed.)
• cooking oil or spray (For searing patties and sautéing kale; use a small amount.)
• maple syrup (For drizzling over assembled sandwiches.)

Steps

1. 1

   Soak the walnuts in hot water for at least 2 hours. Alternatively, cover and refrigerate them overnight. Drain thoroughly before processing.

2. 2

   Add the drained walnuts, rolled oats, rinsed and drained black beans, refined coconut oil, maple syrup, chopped onion, minced garlic, dried parsley, Italian seasoning, black pepper, fennel seeds, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and 6 tablespoons liquid vegan egg to a food processor.

3. 3

   Pulse the mixture until it reaches a smooth, cohesive texture. Stop to scrape down the sides as needed; avoid leaving large pieces of walnut or bean.

4. 4

   Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the vital wheat gluten and mix until it is evenly incorporated and the mixture holds together.

5. 5

   Form the mixture into sausage patties. Place the formed patties on a flat surface, using parchment paper to help prevent sticking.

6. 6

   Preheat a steamer pan until it is producing steady steam. Arrange the patties in small batches in the steamer, leaving space for the steam to circulate.

7. 7

   Steam the patties for 1 hour, flipping them halfway through so they cook evenly. Remove them from the steamer when firm and set.

8. 8

   Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add a small amount of cooking oil or spray.

9. 9

   Add the steamed patties to the pan. Sear until browned on the first side, then turn and brown the other side. Work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan.

10. 10

    Prepare the waffle mix according to its package directions and cook enough waffles to use two crisp waffles for each sandwich.

11. 11

    Prepare the vegan egg as a patty or cook the liquid vegan egg according to its package directions. Sauté the kale in a lightly oiled pan until wilted and tender.

12. 12

    Build each sandwich with one crispy waffle, a walnut sausage patty, vegan egg, and sautéed kale. Top with the second waffle and drizzle with maple syrup. Serve immediately.

Notes

The sausage recipe makes approximately 6–8 patties. If not using them immediately, steam the patties, cool them, and refrigerate for 3–5 days with parchment paper between each patty. Sear them in a pan before serving.

Nutrition per serving

• breakfast
• main
• vegan
• plant-based
• sandwich
• waffles
• make-ahead
• steamed