Plant-based Sausage and Peppers

A tasty pepper and onion medley featuring plant-based sausage in a light tomato and wine sauce – delicious in a hoagie roll or over rice, pasta, polenta, or potatoes.

My husband and I enjoy eating a variety of foods. He has his favorites and I have mine. The great thing is we’re not very picky and enjoy eating each other’s favorites a lot of the time. The exceptions are few. It’s that whole yin and yang concept. And it works out well for both of us.

And my husband absolutely loves all things sandwiches! Stick two pieces of bread, a roll, or a tortilla in front of him and he is in heaven. I can’t blame him as I love bread quite a bit, too. After all, my blog has Toast in the name for a really big reason.

So when I make Plant-based Andouille Sausage in order to prepare two of my treasured dishes (Instant Pot Gumbo and Instant Pot Jambalaya), we typically use the rest of the sausage to create this incredible Plant-based Sausage and Peppers. After all, it’s only fair since it’s one of his favorite dishes. If you haven’t yet tried my Instant Pot Gumbo and Instant Pot Jambalaya, this is a great time to do so. You can enjoy all three recipes when you make the Plant-based Andouille Sausage. Now that is super convenient, don’t ya think?

So let’s chat a bit about this world-altering Plant-based Andouille Sausage. For starters, it”s pretty awesome. Whether you’re flexitarian, plant-based, vegetarian, or vegan, this flavorful sausage will rock your world! I promise. And though it may look intimidating if you haven’t made your own sausage before, I promise, it’s fairly simple.

If I can make it, you can make it – and I show you precisely how to make it in my Plant-based Andouille Sausage post. Just follow the three steps, one step at a time and you’re good to go – mix, roll, and bake (or smoke/grill). Seriously. That’s all there is to it. Just like making cookies or rolls. It truly is easy and can be a little fun.

The best part is that you have complete control over how spicy or mild you make your sausage. And you can change up the spice blend, too. Plus, you get to determine how large or small your sausage is. It just depends on what you’re making. There’s another bonus, too – it contains zero oil, added sodium, or preservatives!

If you don’t want to go through the effort or are short on time (but these photos have totally put you in the mood for something delicious), no problem! Just use commercially prepared vegan sausage links; or better yet, substitute sliced portobello mushrooms and cook them along with the peppers and onions.

As for the platform, there are so many options out there!! And most are naturally gluten-free! Besides rolls, you can use mashed potatoes, a baked potato, brown rice, millet, farro, quinoa, pasta or brown rice pasta, or polenta. I’m sure there are many more great carrier alternatives that I haven’t even considered. Suffice it to say, you are only limited by your imagination.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are following a gluten-free diet, substitute the mushrooms for the sausage or omit entirely, and just use the peppers and onions. The results are still absolutely delicious and wholly satisfying. As I’m sure you’re well aware, this is extremely important since one of the key ingredients in the Plant-based Andouille Sausage is vital wheat gluten.

Several years ago, my daughter and I followed a strict gluten-free diet for a few years for different reasons. I’m not currently aware of another ingredient that can easily be substituted to make this Plant-based Sausage turn out as well as it does. I wish there was.

Luckily, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic are all naturally gluten-free. And since this recipe uses three bell peppers, I like using whatever colors are available – red, orange, yellow, green, and even purple, when I find it. As I like to say, “Eat the RAINBOW!!”

So, I’m not gonna lie, my husband prefers eating this Plant-based Sausage and Peppers on Submarine Sandwich Rolls. Admittedly, it’s a pretty satisfying meal. Like any bread recipe, these soft long rolls take some time, but they’re so worth it. The smell, the flavor, the texture. Oh, and I like the fact that they don’t contain any added salt; plus, they do contain whole grain flour. Also, you can make it without the optional tablespoon of oil, if you choose. Schär makes a great gluten-free ciabatta roll that would be perfect here.

And since I’m being honest here, Submarine Sandwich Rolls really are the perfect carrier for these Plant-based Sausage and Peppers. Yes, they are. Don’t you just want to reach into your screen and gobble these up!?!?

While we do enjoy this Plant-based Sausage and Peppers dish on soft homemade rolls, I admit that we also enjoy this dish over pasta as well. You can use any kind, such as rigatoni, penne, fusilli, or farfalle. There are so many different things you can use. And as long as you’re happy with the texture, flavor, and appearance, you’re good to go. Use whatever you like.

This is a photo of my Plant-based Sausage and Peppers recipe without the sausage AND served over pasta. It’s mouth-watering… sometimes I wish we had access to smell-o-vision like in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. How cool would that be?! I wish you could smell and taste this. right. now.

There are just a few more things to mention. First, this recipe does use white wine. I keep cooking wine in my pantry for a variety of dishes, including this one. If you prefer, substitute Umami Vegetable Broth or water. You don’t need much, but the wine really does elevate the flavor profile in this dish. Trust me.

Same thing goes for the basil. I prefer using fresh basil in this Plant-based Sausage and Peppers recipe. I have access to fresh basil half of the year since I grow some in my backyard garden during the summer and fall. It adds an incredible layer of flavor that only fresh basil possesses.

If you don’t have any fresh basil, dried basil certainly works. You’ll just need to use a lot less since it’s more concentrated. As I said, basil adds to this incredible flavor profile, but if you use too much dried basil, it can be a bit overwhelming and ruin a dish.

And finally, my husband loves cheese. Always has. He’s a cheese fiend. If he could eat cheese with every meal, every snack, and every dessert, he probably would. There just isn’t enough vegan cheese on the planet to satisfy the love he has for cheese. Seriously. If you’ve read some of my previous posts, you may recall that I do not share this infatuation with cheese.

Regardless, when we have these delicious Plant-based Sausage and Peppers, my husband sprinkles cheese on his – he is compelled to. For this reason, we typically enjoy using Follow Your Heart parmesan-style shreds or Daiya mozzarella-style cheese shreds. I also make my own Vegan Mozzarella, which is fantastic here. It is wholly plant-based with no oil or salt. And it melts great, too. You should check it out when you have a minute and aren’t drooling over these photos…

I hope you enjoy this Plant-based Sausage and Peppers as much as I do.  Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Enjoy!!

I’m just starting out and would love to see your results.  And don’t forget to subscribe for new recipes today!!

Ingredients

• 4 Plant-based Sausage links, sliced in medallions
• 3 bell peppers*, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 onions, halved and sliced
• 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
• ¼ cup wine** or vegetable broth
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp ground pepper
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped (or ½ tsp dried basil)
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• Salt to taste (optional)
• 4 hoagie rolls***

Instructions

1. Sauté the peppers and onions over low-medium heat, about 5-6 minutes.  Add a tablespoon of water or vegetable broth as needed to keep from sticking.

1. Add the garlic and sausage; continue to sauté another 2-3 minutes.
2. Deglaze the pan by adding the diced tomatoes, wine or broth, and seasonings.
3. Add the tomato paste and fresh basil. 
4. Serve in a hoagie roll or over rice, pasta, potatoes, or polenta. 

Notes

* Feel free to use any colored bell peppers, including poblanos or cubanelles.

** I use white cooking wine, but you can use any wine or vegetable broth.  Save your vegetable scraps and make Umami Vegetable Broth in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker.

*** I make my own Submarine Sandwich Rolls using a blend of white whole wheat flour and no salt.  If following a gluten-free diet, use gluten-free rolls, mashed potatoes, rice, brown rice pasta, or polenta.