Okay friends, here comes a classic Franconian dish, which I used to love before going vegan. Franconia, the part of Germany I am from, is a region in the north of Bavaria (which is in the south of Germany). “Sauerbraten” is a hearty and opulent meal, which you would eat on Sundays or holidays like Christmas.
It is a sour roast, usually made out of veal and marinated in red wine and gingerbread sauce. The thick sauce has a sweet and a little bit sour taste, which is very unique. I am very pleased to say that there is no meat needed to replicate this special taste. This vegan version of “Sauerbraten” tasted sooo good and I am not lying if I say it was better than the real thing.
Now, this is not something you whip up within an hour – it requires some prep time the day before. But the actual preparation is not as complex as you might guess. Down below you can find the instructions for making the roast and the sauce. We usually eat it with potato dumplings and red cabbage, which I will post the recipes for in the future.
Ingredients (4 servings):
- 1 kg (2 lbs) vegan roast “meat”
For the marinade:
- 0.75 l (3 cups) red wine
- 0.5 l (2 cups) red wine vinegar
- 2 onions
- 1 carrot
- 1 tsp juniper berries
- 5 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 Tbsp sugar beet syrup
- 1 Tbsp salt
For the sauce:
- 2 onions
- 3.5 spicing biscuits
I don’t actually know if you can buy them in every country – they are gingerbread cookies used for thickening the sauce and adding that gingerbread taste. If you cannot find them, use classic gingerbread (without chocolate glaze) - 5 Tbsp raisins
- 2 Tbsp sugar beet syrup (can be substituted with molasses)
- salt & pepper
- some oil
- 150 ml (0.5 cup) water
Instructions:
- For the marinade, chop onions & carrot and place both in a big pot.
- Add red wine, vinegar, juniper berries, cloves, bay leaves, salt & sugar beet syrup. Now bring everything to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Cut roast into slices.
- Take pot off the heat and place roast slices in the marinade so that all slices are fully covered. Let marinade cool and leave in the refrigerator over night.
- On the next day, take the roast slices out and put aside. Pass the marinade through a sieve and also set aside.
- For the sauce, chop 2 onions and cook in some oil until transparent. Break the biscuits into pieces and add to the onions together with 2 tbsp of the raisins and the sugar beet syrup. Salt & pepper to taste.
- Now add the marinade to the sauce and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Puree sauce with an immersion blender. Then add remaining raisins.
- Before serving, place roast slices in the sauce and heat everything up. Serve with potato dumplings and red cabbage.


- 1 kg vegan roast "meat"
- 0.75 l red wine
- 0.5 l red wine vinegar
- 2 onions
- 1 carrot
- 1 tsp juniper berries
- 5 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp sugar beet syrup
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 onions
- 3.5 spicing biscuits*
- 5 tbsp raisins
- 2 tbsp sugar beet syrup
- salt & pepper
- some oil
- 150 ml water
- For the marinade, chop onions & carrot and place both in a big pot.
- Add red wine, vinegar, juniper berries, cloves, bay leaves, salt & sugar beet syrup. Now bring everything to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Cut roast into slices.
- Take pot off the heat and place roast slices in the marinade so that all slices are fully covered. Let marinade cool and leave in the refrigerator over night.
- On the next day, take the roast slices out and put aside. Pass the marinade through a sieve and also set aside.
- For the sauce, chop 2 onions and cook in some oil until transparent. Break the biscuits into pieces and add to the onions together with 2 tbsp of the raisins and the sugar beet syrup. Salt & pepper to taste.
- Now add the marinade to the sauce and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Puree sauce with an immersion blender. Then add remaining raisins.
- Before serving, place roast slices in the sauce and heat everything up. Serve with potato dumplings and red cabbage.
- * not sure if you can buy these biscuits in every country - they are gingerbread cookies used for thickening the sauce and adding a gingerbread taste. If you cannot find them, use classic gingerbread (without chocolate glaze)
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Zutaten (4 Personen):
- 1 kg veganer Braten (z.B. Vesttagsbraten von Wheaty)
Für die Marinade:
- 0,75 L Rotwein
- 0,5 L Rotweinessig
- 2 Zwiebeln
- 1 Möhre
- 1 TL Wacholderbeeren
- 5 Gewürznelken
- 2 Lorbeerblätter
- 2 EL Zuckerrübensirup
- 1 EL Salz
Für die Soße:
- 2 Zwiebeln
- 3,5 Kräuterprinten (oder Soßenkuchen)
- 5 EL Rosinen
- 2 EL Zuckerrübensirup
- Salz & Pfeffer
- etwas Pflanzenöl
- 150 ml Wasser
Zubereitung:
- Für die Marinade Zwiebeln und Möhre hacken und in einen großen Topf geben.
- Rotwein, Rotweinessig, Wacholderbeeren, Gewürznelken, Lorbeerblätter, Salz & Zuckerrübensirup dazu geben. Die Marinade nun aufkochen und 5 Minuten köcheln lassen.
- Den Braten in Scheiben schneiden.
- Marinade vom Herd nehmen und die Bratenscheiben hineinlegen, sodass möglichst alle bedeckt sind. Abkühlen lassen und über Nacht in den Kühlschrank stellen.
- Am nächsten Tag die Bratenscheiben herausnehmen und zur Seite stellen. Die Marinade in ein Gefäß seihen und ebenfalls beiseite stellen.
- Für die Soße 2 Zwiebeln fein hacken und in einem großen Topf mit etwas Öl glasig werden lassen. Kräuterprinten grob zerbrechen und zusammen mit 2 EL Rosinen und dem Zuckerrübensirup dazu geben. Mit Salz & Pfeffer würzen.
- Nun mit der Marinade ablöschen, aufkochen und etwa 20 Minuten köcheln lassen.
- Soße mit einem Pürierstab fein pürieren. Danach die restlichen Rosinen hinzugeben.
- Vor dem Servieren die Bratenscheiben mit in die Soße legen und zusammen erhitzen. Mit Klößen und Blaukraut als Beilage servieren.
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