Vegan Bangers & Mash

Once when I lived in  Olympia Washington we went 97 days without the sun. It rained every day. The local news would keep a very dramatic SUN WATCH and report the number of rainy days like we were approaching the apocalypse. People started to act a little weird. One guy stopped leaving the apartment building and even stopped changing out of his robe and slippers. I stopped sleeping at night because I was working on a  project and it was easier to get blocks of editing time in the wee hours which made everything seem even more out of whack. The whole experience made me really crave sunshine which partially lead to settling here in Austin TX where you can have 97 days of sun and 100 degree days.

People say that England is very similar to Washington and that the winter is cold and rainy all the time. I haven’t ever been there and I haven’t really had any English food, it all sounds either disgusting (blood pie) or really fun (bubble & squeak) but either way I never know what the hell they are talking about until I look it up. I decided to make bangers because I saw ideas for the spice mix on a sausage forum. I knew the bangers were sausage but what the hell was the mash? I guessed mashed potatoes but this is the country that calls fries chips and a cooter a fanny so who knows what other backward ideas they have. After looking at a lot of disgusting pictures I learned that bangers & mash is indeed sausage and mashed potatoes. It is pub grub so you are supposed to drink a pint alongside. It is so British that Radiohead has a song about it. Thom Yorke is vegan so maybe they are searching for recipes to recreate this dish right now! (Hi Thom Yorke I dig your music, please play Austin next time you are around so I don’t have to drive to Houston). I thought the recipe for the bangers was pretty awesome but I don’t know if it is authentic! I tweaked it a little and I think it turned out great. Mr. Smurf applauded after he finished! If you try it and you have had the non-vegan version let me know how they compare.Bangers (make about 8 sausages or 4 servings)

2 Cups of stock
2 Tablespoons of oil
4 Tablespoons of soy sauce
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 Cup Nutritional Yeast
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon pepper
dash of cayenne
1 tsp salt (if there isn’t any in your stock)
1 Cup of pinto beans, mashed
2 1/2 Cups Vital Wheat Gluten
First, get a big pot of water boiling and set up your steaming apparatus. I use a bamboo steamer on top of a stock pot.  Then tear off 8 pieces of foil, about 8X11 inches or (30X20 centimeters). Next mix all the ingredients, except the Vital Wheat Gluten in a bowl. Once everything seems well incorporated mix in the Vital Wheat Gluten. It shouldn’t quite be a dough but if it isn’t holding together at all add a little more vital wheat gluten. Divide it into 8 pieces and roll each piece up like a tootsie roll in a sausage shape and steam for 45 minutes, rotating the top and bottom tiers.
In the meantime make mashed potatoes however you like them. I like roasted garlic, earth balance and hemp milk added to mine.

When the sausages are done steaming, unroll them and fry them in a little olive oil with garlic on the stove and serve them with the potatoes and a nice pint. Enjoy!

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15 thoughts on “Vegan Bangers & Mash”

  1. Jes

    Yay! Bangers are on the menu for this snowed-in weekend. I might as well set up a sun watch…I’m going nuts up here. We’re expecting our 3rd apocalyptic snow of the season and all the natives say it’s never been like this before and…I am so so so sick of it. But the bangers, the bangers will definitely help!

  2. a-k

    I love British-titled food dishes…like “spotted dick” and all the ones you mentioned. Your dinner looks lovely and perfect for a wintertime meal.

  3. twoveganboys

    Yum! This looks and sounds delicious. Perfect for the rainy weather.

    We were married in Scotland in 2003. We were there 3 weeks in the month of March. Prior to our arrival we were told to expect a lot of rain. While visiting, it rained once for 15 minutes, that was it.

  4. Trinity (of haikutofu)

    Looks delicious! I ate vegan bangers and mash all the time when I went to university in England. The pub I worked in served it- but honestly yours look even better. Next up you should try Toad In The Hole. Similar to b&m, but with the sausages baked into a yorkshire pud.

    Go you for surviving the eternal rain of the northwest. It really does mess with your soul.

  5. Shannon

    That’s awesome! Mr. Burnout loooooves him some sausage, so we’ll have to give these a shot.

    BTW, the weather is one reason why we keep putting off asking his company to transfer us to the UK. (The Brits won’t let us bring our pitbull, which is a bigger reason.)

  11. The voracious Vegan

    I’m a HUGE fan of English food, but definitely not English weather. I went to university in London for a while and had to leave after a year because after growing up in Saudi Arabia I need my sunshine!

  13. Carla

    I live in England and I’m vegan and we have bangers and mash all the time. If you really want to pub it up, next time, put the bangers on top of the mash and pour some mushroom gravy on top of the whole thing. Serve it with some peas and carrots on the side. 🙂

  14. lazysmurf Post author

    mmm great tips Carla! I had my last banger last night with bubble and squeak, it was fab and is going to move to permanent rotation!

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