Sheet pan veggie sausage and peppers
This sheet pan version of (veggie) sausage and peppers is a hands-off approach which yields beautifully jammy bell peppers (capsicums), sweet slippery onions, enveloped in a tangy tomato sauce. I’ve used fresh cherry tomatoes which burst and collapse in the oven. A swig of balsamic vinegar adds depth of flavour and a welcome tartness. Stuff the sausage, peppers and onions into a hotdog style bread roll, or eat atop a grain like rice or pasta.
Vegetarian sausages have come a long way. My consumption of fake meat products has remained consistent during my years as a vegetarian – it’s a ‘sometimes food’, something I’d buy every now and then, but never a staple. Personally, the way I view mock meats is that they are just fine, neither overly delicious nor atrocious. If there is an option, I will also take tofu and vegetables. With that being said, there are definitely brands I enjoy more than others. My objection to many of the plant-based sausages on the market is that they taste too much like meat.
One thing to note, many brands of veg sausages contain wheat gluten as an ingredient which I assume gives them that robust ‘bite’ but that means many of them are not gluten free.
Use any colour of bell pepper you want – I’ve added 1 hot chili pepper into the mix, which adds an unexpected hint of heat.
Sheet pan veggie sausage and peppers
Ingredients
- 4 capsicum / bell peppers (about 2 pounds / 900g), stem, seeds and membrane discarded, cut into 1/2-inch strips
- 1 red or green chili pepper such as Serrano jalapeno, Fresno, cayenne, halved and stem, seeds and membrane discarded (or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red chili (pepper) flakes)
- 1 red onion, trimmed and cut into thin wedges
- 450 g cherry grape or sungold tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt and lack pepper
- 8 vegan sausages
To serve
- Hot dog rolls
- Cooked polenta
- Pasta or rice
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425ËšF / 220ËšC.
- Place the capsicum / bell peppers, chili pepper, onion, tomato, garlic and thyme onto a baking sheet. Drizzle over the balsamic vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt and lots of black pepper. Toss to combine until everything is well coated. Place into the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the sausages onto the cutting board and drizzle with olive oil.
- Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and give the peppers a toss. Nestle the sausages in and around the peppers, spreading them out evenly. Return to the oven until the capsicum (peppers) are completely soft and the sausages are golden on top.
- Remove from the oven and season everything with sea salt and black pepper.
- Serve with bread rolls, over polenta or tossed through pasta (it makes a really nice pasta salad, eaten cold for lunch the next day).
