Seitan may not sound or look like something you'd want to discover hanging out in your stir fry. I assure you that it will not try to make devilish deals with you, nor is it a conglomeration of meat scraps. Seitan is a wheat–based meat replacement with few ingredients and lots of protein. It's oddly satisfying chewy texture and chicken—like appearance makes seitan a great addition to stir—fry and a sneaky way to trick omnivores into enjoying a vegan meal.

When mixed amongst broccoli, bell pepper, onion, and noodles, seitan looks as at—home as scrappy bits of chicken in take—out. While seitan makes this meal exceptionally texturally pleasing, basil and lime put a flavorful Thai spin on your average stir–fry.

What:

seitan

broccoli

red bell pepper

shallot

garlic

ginger

brown rice noodles

Thai basil (regular basil is okay too)

lime

soy sauce

sesame oil

sriracha

red pepper flake

How:

Cook noodles.

Sauté shallot in sesame oil over medium heat until soft.

Add crushed garlic, grated or diced ginger, and sprinkle in red pepper flakes. Stir and continue to sauté.

Mix in seitan.

Once seitan has browned, season with soy sauce, roughly chopped basil, freshly squeezed lime, and sriracha.

Add chopped bell pepper and broccoli and sauté until slightly soft.

Toss cooked noodles into pan and mix well.

Serve with a fresh lime wedge.

What did I use and why?

Upton's Naturals Traditional Seitan. This seitan has an excellent texture, is made from simple ingredients, and takes on the flavor of your seasonings. Larger chunks can be broken down by hand into desired sizes.