Vegan Sausage and Veggie Stir Fry

This recipe reminds me of a meal I had frequently when I was little. My mom has always modeled the epitome of cooking fast, delicious, and healthy meals, and this one has become even faster with the addition of an air fryer. My mom used to saute the vegetables in one pan and the sausage in another. Since each take somewhat different cooking times, it’s smart to do that when you cook stove top. We’d pile it over fresh pasta and sprinkle it with parmesan. It was a tasty, healthy comfort meal!

If you have an air fryer, you can throw everything in at once (except some of your spices - they'll fall through the cracks!), and BAM! 15 minutes later, a complete meal is ready for you!

I grew up eating real sausage from Cleveland’s West Side Market, but in the last decade my entire family transitioned to a more plant-based diet. We’ve found a few brands of plant sausage that we love. Field Roast is a brand you can find in most grocery stores, and I think they’re the most flavorful. Our favorite is the Italian sausage variety, though their Apple Sage is pretty dang good too.

For the soy intolerant, Beyond Meat has some good options – just watch the fat content, as some of their products tend to have more than other brands. I used the Beyond Brat Original in this recipe, and though it doesn’t advertise a specific flavor like Field Roast does, I found it quite flavorful when cooked with the other vegetables. I recently found out I have a soy sensitivity, so these might be my new go-to! With 16g of protein per brat, they help me achieve my daily protein goals.

Fennel seed, the middle spice, has an anise flavor that can mimic meat

In meals that are "supposed" to taste like they have sausage in them, I frequently add fennel seeds. They have a distinct anise taste that reminds me of meat. You can find this spice at most grocery or bulk food stores.

A fun variation of this meal is tossing it with pasta (as mentioned!) or whole grains. Try lentil or chickpea pasta for a higher protein meal, or sub pasta out for quinoa to make it gluten free. Chris and I ate it as is (without a grain) as a snack, and it not only filled us up until dinner time but was a welcome change of pace from our typical dinner choices.

Another win for the air fryer!

If you don’t have an air fryer, you can easily recreate this recipe stove top. Simply chop your sausage and veggies as described below, but cook in separate pans. Cook the sausage based on your package instructions – typically 8 – 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Veggies will need 15 – 20 minutes, or until desired texture.

Vegan Sausage and Veggie Stir Fry

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Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 of your favorite vegan sausages, such as Field Roast or Beyond Meat, sliced into rounds

1/2 white or yellow onion, sliced

2 squash or zucchinis, chopped into half moons

1 jalapeño, seeds and pith removed, sliced into rounds

1 tsp fennel seeds

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Set air fryer to 400°F

Add all ingredients except fennel seeds to air fryer. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes.

Once sausage has browned slightly, remove all ingredients. Toss with fennel seeds. So simple!

I love this served hot as is, but it’s also delicious served hot or cold over pasta or another grain. YUM!

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 227

Fat: 8g Carbs: 18g

Fiber: 5g

Net carbs: 13g Protein: 23g

Did you make this recipe or a variation of it? What did you think??