Ultimate Vegan Pot Roast Recipe

This 100% plant-based pot roast recipe has reached a new level of savory delight with the addition of Beyond Sausage® Brat. Fall in love with this easy and wholesome one-pot vegan recipe with 21 grams of protein per serving and explosive flavor.

About this Recipe

Utilized in preparing traditional pot roast, braising is a combination cooking technique using both dry and wet heat to cook food in liquid, producing a magical plant-based dish with little effort.

The term braising comes from the French word “braiser”, roughly translated to slowly cooking (or stewing) in a closed dish; it also refers to cookware designed for optimal braising. 

The process of braising can be applied to anything and can be broken down into 3 easy steps; sear, deglaze, and braise! 

I developed this recipe while managing a kitchen at a recovery center in Texas, and fell in love with using a slow cooker or instant pot.

Forget the tiny pearl onions, huge chunks of boring over-cooked carrots and potatoes; this recipe utilizes hearty root vegetables such as celeriac, floral herbs, and pomegranate juice instead of red wine!

How to Prepare Plant-Based Pot Roast 

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 30 minutes 

Servings: 5

Ingredients 

• 1 tsp avocado oil 
• 2 each portobello mushrooms or 1 package Trifecta A La Carte Portobello Mushrooms  
• 1 package Beyond Beef® Brat Sausage* (4 links) 
• 1 yellow onion, sliced 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2 carrots, 1/2 inch sliced 
• 1 small celeriac,  sliced into 1/2-inch cubes 
• ½ cup pomegranate juice 
• 2 ¼ cup vegetable stock or broth, low-sodium 
• 1 tablespoon Whole-Grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon coriander, ground 
• 1 tablespoon rosemary 
•  1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot starch 
• Optional: thyme 

Tools 

• Large Pot or cast-Iron pot 
• Tongs and spatula 
• Knife and Cutting Board 

Technique 

Step 1: Sear

If you are using fresh portobello mushrooms, de-stem the mushrooms and cut them into 1” chunks. Heat your pot over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon of avocado oil, then saute the mushrooms for 5 minutes until they begin to darken in color and shrink in size.

Now remove them from the pan and prepare to do the same with the Beyond Sausage® Brats.  

Still cooking over medium-high heat, add the sliced sausage to the pot and saute for 3-4 minutes until the sausage begins to brown and the pan begins to bubble.

If everything smells delicious and the pan looks shiny, you are on the right track! Lower the heat if you find the bottom of the pan getting too dark. 

Continue to cook the sausage and use a wooden spoon or spatula to release any bits or “fond” that may be stuck. 

Fond is a French culinary term for base or bottom; in the United States we use the term to refer to the browned pieces and caramelized bits that develop on the bottom of the pan. 

Step 2: Saute your mirepoix 

Mirepoix refers to the mixture of carrots, celery, and onions, often used as a seasoning base for sauces; we switched it up and used celeriac for its slightly sweet flavor. 

Once the sausage has started to brown, and released some of its fat into the pan, add the onions, garlic, carrots, and celeriac. Continue to cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes 

Celeriac is in the same plant family as celery, parsley, and parsnips! It is not the root of the bright green celery we see in the grocery stores, but instead a pale tuberous vegetable often found in the same area as fresh celery. 

Celeriac is a pale tuberous root vegetable with the flavor of parsley and celery; it contains vitamin K, vitamin C, B-6, potassium, and fiber (1).  

Step 3: Deglaze the pot

Traditionally red wine or white wine is the go-to liquid for deglazing but honestly, any liquid will do (wine, broth, vinegar, tomato juice, etc.). For this recipe we substituted pomegranate juice for wine, we love the tart flavor it adds. 

Deglazing is the process of releasing all of the fond or browned bits from the bottom of the pan by adding liquid. 

Over medium-high heat, with your face away from the pot, carefully pour the pomegranate juice closely into the pan and then vigorously stir to scrape off all of the fond. Let the juice simmer for 1-2 minutes. 

Step 4: Braise on 

Once you have deglazed, add the stock, spices, and mustard, along with the sautéed mushrooms. Make sure there is enough stock to just cover the vegetables and sausage. 

Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30-35 minutes until mushrooms are tender and the liquid has reduced more than a quarter of its original volume. 

To finish this braise we will thicken the braising liquid with a starch; cornstarch or arrowroot starch works quickly and is easy to mix in.

If using cornstarch, remove some of the hot braising liquid into a small bowl and whisk in the cornstarch, then whisk the starch liquid back into the braise. This is called making a starch ‘slurry’ and helps prevent the cornstarch from clumping.

Allow the braise to simmer for 2-3 more minutes until the liquid thickens. 

Arrowroot starch is a great corn-starch alternative that you can add directly into the braising liquid; it takes more arrowroot starch to thicken the sauce so add a little extra. 

Once you have thickened your braising liquid, season and dig in! 

Consuming a nutritionally balanced, plant-based, vegan diet requires a bit of effort. Be sure to prioritize an intentionally stocked pantry and fridge with variety and value.

Get everything you need to master your high-protein vegan meal prep with this free Vegan Meal Prep Guide created by our registered dietitian!