Okay, here comes the Rhode Island girl in me. If you are from here, you know what the deal is with NY System Hot Weiners. These loaded hot dogs are basically a state delicacy. Before I went vegan, I could eat 3 or 4 of these in a sitting (gross, I know). But the flavor is all in the sauce, mustard, onion, and celery salt. I haven’t had one since becoming vegan. And you can imagine with pregnancy… I started having a bunch of odd cravings that I normally wouldn’t. This being one of them. So when my husband was making himself chili dogs over the weekend, I could’t help myself. I grabbed all the vegan ingredients I’d need to make these babies.
Rhode Islander or not, if you are vegan or vegetarian, you can still enjoy nostalgic staples – even NY system! That’s the beauty of veganism – you honestly can whip ANYTHING up sans animal products. These are definitely proof!
I won’t be eating these regularly. I actually have NEVER bought vegan hot dogs before in my life! I tend to stick with tempeh, tofu, and seitan rather than mock meats. But a pregnant woman wants what she wants. Definitely a treat.
I’ll be honest – this is as close as I could get to the sauce tasting 100% genuine. The real stuff is made with lard (no thanks) so it is not an exact replica of the recipe and flavor. HOWEVER, it is pretty damn close. And for me… who hasn’t had one in over 4-5 years… that is enough.
Recipe
Makes enough for 4-5 hot dogs.
You will need:
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 cup beefless ground crumbles by Gardein
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbs soy sauce
- 1 tbs worcestershire sauce (not usually vegan, but Annie’s has a good vegan version – make
- sure to read labels!)
- 1 dash cinnamon
- 2 dashes nutmeg
- 2 dashes cumin
- 1 dash ground mustard
- 3 dashes onion powder
- 2 dashes garlic salt
- 1 dash ground ginger
- 2 dashes celery salt
- 2 dashes chili powder
- 3 tbs ketchup
- 1 package Smart Dogs by Lightlife
- Hot dog buns
- Yellow Mustard
- 1/2 cup chopped vidalia onion
- Sprinkle with celery salt
To make:
- In a pan over medium heat, add olive oil, beefless crumbles, and water. Stir a bit until coated.
- Add (many) seasonings: soy sauce, worcestershire, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, ground mustard, onion powder, garlic salt, ground ginger, celery salt, chili powder, and ketchup.
- Stir well and let sit over heat for about 10 minutes (stirring occasionally). If the pan gets too dry, add a smidge more water.
- In the meantime, bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add desired number of Smart Dogs and boil for about 2-3 minutes.
- Chop up some onion while you wait.
- Prep buns with some mustard on the inside. Add hot dog, top with beefless sauce, onion, and – never forget – sprinkle with celery salt.
How’s that for a meat lovers dish made vegan?
Rhode Island friends, you’re welcome. Everyone else, I really hope you give these a try – especially if you liked hot dogs during your previous lifestyle. Just a little piece of where I’m from. xx bianca
