The Best Vegan Brisket Recipe | The Nosher (2024)

Dinner

Savory pulled mushrooms and tofu make the perfect plant-based holiday dish.

ByMicah Siva|

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Brisket is synonymous with Jewish cuisine. It seems as though every bubbe has their own recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. A fall-apart brisket was the centerpiece of our Hanukkah meal, with umami-rich gravy pooling onto our plates loaded with crispy potato latkes. Recreating the texture and taste of beef for a plant-based dish is challenging, but king trumpet mushrooms and grated tofu help mimic the look and feel of brisket. Serve it with roasted potatoes or latkes, or try it in a challah bun and slaw for a play on a “pulled beef” sandwich.

For a less traditional, yet very tasty, flavor more similar to a pulled barbecue “beef,” in lieu of ketchup, try adding your favorite barbecue sauce. To make this kosher for Passover, be sure to use a Passover-friendly soy sauce alternative.

A note on mushrooms and protein: Many vegetarian options in restaurants or on the store shelves are mushroom based, from portobello burgers to mushroom jerky. While they are delicious and full of umami-rich flavor, mushrooms are not a replacement for protein and are best served with other protein-rich foods, such as the tofu in this recipe.

Note: Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw and transfer to a baking dish. Bake at 350°F until heated through.

Recipe reprinted with permission from “Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine” by Micah Siva, published by The Collective Book Studio, 2024.

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The Best Vegan Brisket Recipe | The Nosher (1)
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Savory pulled mushrooms and tofu make the perfect plant-based holiday dish.

  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6

For the “brisket:”

  • 1 ½ lb king trumpet mushrooms
  • 1 (14-oz) block extra-firm tofu
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari, if preferred
  • 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp black pepper

For the sauce:

  • 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 cups dry red wine
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, to serve

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400℉.
  2. To make the “brisket,” use two forks to shred the mushrooms into strips. Put them in a large bowl.
  3. Drain the tofu. Using the largest holes of a box grater, grate the tofu into the bowl with the mushrooms. Add the olive oil, soy sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder and black pepper, and toss with the mushrooms and tofu until well combined.
  4. Transfer the mushroom and tofu mixture to a large rimmed sheet pan and spread it into an even layer. Roast for 30 minutes, or until golden. Set aside.
  5. To make the sauce, while the mushrooms are roasting, in a blender or food processor, puree the onion, garlic, red wine, ketchup, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, thyme and mustard powder until smooth.
  6. Pour the sauce over the roasted mushroom and tofu mixture, stirring until evenly distributed. The liquid will evaporate while it roasts, making a thick sauce.
  7. Return the sheet pan to the oven and roast for 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the mushrooms and tofu are deep brown.
  8. Serve topped with the chopped parsley.

Notes

Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw and transfer to a baking dish. Bake at 350°F until heated through.

  • Author: Micah Siva
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Entree
  • Method: Roasting
  • Cuisine: Vegan

16 comments

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  • AliceMarch 7, 2024

    Reply

  • DawnMarch 9, 2024

    How many servings?

    Reply

    • The NosherMarch 10, 2024

      Hi Dawn, the recipe states it serves 6.

  • MelindaMarch 13, 2024

    Can’t find trumpet mushrooms. Any suggestions on a more easily obtainable type?

    Reply

    • The NosherMarch 14, 2024

      Hi Melinda, you can substitute them for 1½ lb of cremini (aka baby Bella) mushrooms.

  • KBMarch 13, 2024

    Is there a way to do this without oil – or as a last resort, with a lot less oil?

    Reply

  • Judy B.March 13, 2024

    I can’t wait to try this for my vegetarian grandchildren. Please suggest how I could use this for passover as I doubt tofu is allowed.

    Reply

  • MikiMarch 13, 2024

    Can you use a different type of mushroom? King trumpet mushrooms are rarely sold in south GA where I live. ☹️

    Reply

    • The NosherMarch 14, 2024

      Hi Miki, you can substitute them for 1½ lb of cremini (aka baby Bella) mushrooms. Enjoy!

  • Gary MoellerMarch 13, 2024

    I’m skeptical, but I’ll try it sometime….

    Reply

  • JanetMarch 14, 2024

    Can the red wine be substituted?

    Reply

    • The NosherMarch 17, 2024

      Hi Janet, this article has some great ideas for red wine substitutes. Please let us know how it turns out!

  • M HMarch 15, 2024

    This sounds amazing! My husband doesn’t like alcohol in food. Do you have any thoughts on how to approach replacing the 2 cups of dry red wine? Thank you!

    Reply

    • The NosherMarch 17, 2024

      Hi Michelle, this article has some great ideas for red wine substitutes. Please let us know how it turns out!

  • FayeMarch 17, 2024

    The photo looks like the yummy “brisket” is served with perhaps roasted potatoes and carrots? As they are not included in the recipe, are they roasted separately?

    Reply

    • The NosherMarch 18, 2024

      Yep, roast them on the side or serve with anything you like.

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The Best Vegan Brisket Recipe | The Nosher (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan brisket made of? ›

The Ingredients and Substitutes

Vital wheat gluten: This makes up the base of the vegan meat substitute. You can't replace it. Water: For more flavor, use vegan beef broth or vegetable broth. Seasonings: You'll need onion powder, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast for a savory, umami flavor.

Is jackfruit kosher for Passover? ›

Instead of traditional brisket, she will be serving jackfruit, which is bought in tins. “I marinate it in liquid smoke, which you can buy kosher for Passover from some kosher supermarkets and which gives a lovely smoky flavour. I then sauté it with mushrooms and it has the consistency of slow-cooked meat.

Can you smoke plant-based meat? ›

Yes, vegan cookouts are exciting and like smoking meat, it imparts a delicious aroma to vegan food. Smoking food for vegans requires almost the same type of food smoker used for smoking meat. Our Bradley Smokers are tailor-made for smoking any kind of food.

What animal does a brisket come from? ›

Beef brisket is a large cut of meat from the breast or the lower chest of a cow. It is one of the nine beef primal cuts and one of the four main barbecue meats. It is a relatively tough piece of meat because the animal works it while moving.

What are the 5 forbidden foods on Passover? ›

The tradition goes back to the 13th century, when custom dictated a prohibition against wheat, barley, oats, rice, rye and spelt, Rabbi Amy Levin said on NPR in 2016.

What nuts are forbidden on Passover? ›

Raw whole, slivered, or chopped nuts are acceptable without Passover certification whether in or out of the shell and even if they are steam pasteurized, except if they are [a] blanched or roasted (all varieties), [b] finely ground into a powder, such as almond flour, [c] contain BHT or BHA, [d] shelled pecan pieces, ...

Can you eat tofu on Passover? ›

Even though there is much discussion as to what exactly is included in this custom to not eat legumes, the practice today is to include soy products in the list of those things we do not eat. So, tofu, which is made from the soy bean, is forbidden for Ashkenazi Jews on Passover (… sorry!).

What does brisket contain? ›

Brisket is a cut of beef that comes from the lower breast or pectoral muscles of a cow. Because this area is so well-exercised, it makes for quite a tough piece of meat that's full of connective tissue. This is why it's best suited towards a low and slow cooking process.

What material is brisket? ›

Brisket is not a cut of pork; it's a cut of beef. It comes from the lower chest of the cow. It's popular for its rich flavor and tenderness when cooked properly. While it's commonly smoked on a charcoal grill or wood pellet grill, it's distinct from pork cuts like prime rib.

Does brisket have gelatin? ›

Additionally, the abundance of connective tissue in brisket plays a vital role in its potential for unparalleled tenderness and flavor. Connective tissue consists of collagen, a protein that breaks down during cooking and transforms into gelatin.

What are brisket burgers made of? ›

What is a Brisket Burger? A brisket burger is a burger made of ground brisket meat. You'll still get that traditional beef burger flavor, but these patties are made exclusively from the brisket cut (rather than chuck, round, or sirloin cuts). Brisket meat is ground up and formed into patties.

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