Description
Air fried chicken cutlets and homemade vegan pesto layered on a bed of sourdough, vegan cheese and red onion make for the perfect lunch panini.
Ingredients
The Sandwich:
- 2 slices sourdough bread or ciabatta
- 1/4 diced red onion
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
Seitan Chicken:
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp chickpea flour
- 3/4 – 1 cup vegan chicken broth or vegetable broth
- (Optional) Replace seitan with 1 block extra firm tofu
Breading:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp paprika salt & pepper to taste
- 2–1/2 cups broth for simmering
- oil for frying
Pesto:
- 3/4 cup cashews
- 1/4 cup basil leaves
- 1/4 cup kale
- 1 clove of garlic
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup water
- generous pinch of salt
Instructions
-
- Make the seitan chicken: Whisk together seitan dry ingredients until combined. Add broth and stir until it forms a dough ball.
- Knead a few times with your hands until dough has no dry spots.
- Add rest of broth to instant pot. Rip off chunks of seitan and add to pot. Cook on “manual” for 15 minutes. Once it is done, quick release steam.
- Meanwhile, whisk together breading ingredients. When seitan is done, toss in the breading mixture until coated.
- Heat a large frying pan with oil. When hot, add seitan and fry a few minutes per side until crispy and golden brown. Remove from pan and plate into a paper towel-lined bowl to rest. (If you have access to an air fryer, fry on 400 degrees F for 10 minutes until golden brown).
- Make the pesto: Add pesto ingredients to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth(ish).
- Onto each slice of bread, layer the pesto blend, vegan cheese, and seitan chicken and red onion.
- Add to oil coated panini press and cook for 5 minutes until golden brown and crunchy on both sides. Remove from heat and serve.
Notes
Store leftover seitan chicken in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a frying pan or in the oven until crispy.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15