How to Make Homemade Spicy Italian Sausage (Vegan, Soy-Free and Gluten-Free)

These sausages are firm enough to hold up on the grill. When you cook them, they are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside but not mushy, and filled with spicy, Italian flavor. Using black-eyed peas instead of pintos removed the “beany” taste and provided a neutral background for the spices to shine through.

The same recipe can be used with different spice mixes to make breakfast sausages, chorizo sausages, or apple sage sausages. They can be sliced up to use in other recipes or eaten whole on a hero with sauteed peppers and onions. You can shape them into links or patties.

For the Spice Mix:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons High Caliber Granulated Garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon High Caliber Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons High Caliber Sweet Red Paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons High Caliber Smoked Paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon High Caliber Oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon High Caliber Allspice

For the Sausage:

• 2 teaspoon + 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups cooked or 1-15 ounce can of black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 3 tablespoons of gluten-free, vegan Worcestershire Sauce
• A few drops of High Caliber Liquid Smoke (optional)

Click here to download the High Caliber Sausage Making Cheat Sheet.