The humble sausage is a staple of many wonderful meals; sausages and mash, casseroles, breakfasts, brunches and buffets. And luckily, for those wanting to cut down on their meat intake or cut it out completely, it's probably one of the easiest switches to make.
Finding your favourite vegetariansausages will be a bit of a journey - it all depends on your personal taste and texture preferences. While we can't tell you which one will be your new meat-free must-have, we can let you know about some of the best vegetarian sausages on the market right now, tried and tested by ourselves and the great British public.
So if you're wondering, "where can I buy vegetarian sausages"? You're in the right place. We'll be running down the top-rated snags when it comes to taste, texture and price, to help you choose from the many brands on offer.
What are the best vegetarian sausages?
Best overall
www.ocado.com
Description
Moving Mountains often appears in vegetarian best-of lists, because many of its products are well-loved by the veggie community. High in protein and with no artificial colours, these sausages really sizzle when they cook and have a meat-like casing that's very similar to the real thing. Available to buy in bulk on Amazon if you want to stock up (as they're often out of stock), and also available at Farmdrop.
Suitable for vegans: Yes
Gluten-free: No
Calories per 100g: 215 kcal
Ingredients: Water, oyster mushroom, vegetable oil (coconut, sunflower), vegetable protein (soya protein concentrate, soya protein isolate, pea protein isolate), wheat gluten, rice, natural flavouring, starch (wheat), thickeners (methylcellulose, sodium alginate), oat fibre, natural casing, vinegar, dextrose monohydrate, lemon juice, colour (beetroot red), salt, preservative (lactic acid), barley malt extract, vitamin B12.
Expert's pick
www.sainsburys.co.uk
Description
Beyond Meat has a similar cult status to Moving Mountains, with meat-eaters and veggies alike marvelling at its similarity to meat. With no gluten or soy, each sausage contains 17g of plant protein and has a delicious, slightly smoky flavour. They are quite pricey for what you get, but they deliver on that 'real' experience.
Suitable for vegans: Yes
Gluten-free: Yes
Calories per 100g: 238 kcal
Ingredients: Water, pea protein isolate (16%), refined coconut oil, sunflower oil, rice protein, faba bean protein, flavouring, potato starch, salt, fruit and plant concentrates (beetroot, carrot, pepper), apple fibre, citrus extract flavouring, stabilisers (methylcellulose, calcium alginate).
Best for casseroles
www.musclefood.com
Description
Great for pasta dishes and casseroles, these vegetarian sausages from Naked Glory are really succulent and are a great option for a low-calorie diet. They're well-seasoned and could easily fool your non-veggie friends.
Suitable for vegans: Yes
Gluten-free: No
Calories per 80g (2 sausages): 124 kcal
Ingredients: Water, rehydrated textured soya and wheat protein (23%) (water, soya protein, wheat protein, salt, soya bean oil, natural flavouring), rusk (wheat), coconut oil, wheat starch, soya protein concentrate (3%), chicory root fibre, natural flavourings, stabiliser: methylcellulose, yeast extracts, spices, sodium alginate, salt, herbs, colouring foods: beetroot, safflower, granulated onion, granulated garlic.
Best for BBQs
www.sainsburys.co.uk
Description
If you love nothing more than a sausage at a family BBQ, this option from Future Farm won't disappoint. A good meat substitute, these vegetarian sausages taste great and will work in a variety of meals. The only drawback is that with five sausages in a pack, you might struggle to feed the whole family with just one.
Suitable for vegans: Yes
Gluten-free: Yes
Calories per 100g: 278 kcal
Ingredients: Water, vegetable protein [14% textured soy protein, 2% isolated soy protein, 0,5% pea protein, 0,5% chickpea flour], coconut fat, modified food starch, natural flavouring, salt, onion, colour [beetroot powder], sugar, spices, garlic, white pepper, stabiliser [methylcellulose], thickener [carrageenan], acid [ascorbic acid].
Best vegetable sausages
www.waitrose.com
Description
If you'd prefer your veggie sausages to not resemble meat at all, these mushroom and leek sausages from Waitrose will be right up your street. With a delicious wholegrain mustard taste, they give you all the comfort of a hearty sausage-based meal but with the health benefits of vegetables.
Suitable for vegans: Yes
Gluten-free: Yes
Calories per 100g: 111 kcal
Ingredients: Water, mushrooms (24%), leeks (12%), roasted onion, pea flour, pea protein, pea fibre, palm oil, wholegrain mustard (water, mustard seeds, spirit vinegar, sea salt, cinnamon, pimento), pea starch, stabiliser (methylcellulose), porcini mushrooms, salt, yeast extract, leek powder, rice flour, gelling agent (sodium alginate), cracked black pepper, nutmeg, preservative (sodium metabisulphite).
Best all-rounder
www.sainsburys.co.uk
Description
Quorn is a staple in any vegetarian household, and some will swear they're the best around. They're firm, succulent, and don't split in the pan - an annoyance among meat alternatives. If you've tried the frozen Quorn sausages and weren't a fan, give these a try. They aren't suitable for vegans as they contain eggs and milk.
Suitable for vegans: No
Gluten-free: No
Calories per 100g: 206 kcal
Ingredients: Mycoprotein™ (36%), textured wheat protein (wheat flour, stabiliser: sodium alginate), rehydrated free-range egg white, rapeseed oil, rusk (wheat flour, yeast, salt), onion, seasoning [salt, yeast extract, dextrose, wheat flour (contains added calcium, iron, niacin & thiamine), spice extracts (pepper, coriander, nutmeg), antioxidant: ascorbic acid], casing (stabiliser: sodium alginate, cellulose, modified starch), natural flavouring, milk proteins, firming agents: calcium chloride, calcium acetate, roasted barley malt extract.
Best vegetarian cocktail sausages
www.sainsburys.co.uk
Description
Looking for a buffet treat? These Quorn cocktail sausages taste just like the real thing and can be added to pasta, casseroles or eaten as a healthy snack. They have a good bite and texture, plus taste brilliant dipped in ketchup.
Suitable for vegans: No
Gluten-free: No
Calories per 100g: 209 kcal
Ingredients: Mycoprotein (29%), rehydrated free-range egg white, textured wheat protein (wheat flour, stabiliser: sodium alginate), vegetable oils (rapeseed, sunflower), onion, rusk (wheat flour, salt), seasoning (dextrose, yeast extract, wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamine), spice extracts (coriander, pepper, nutmeg), salt, rapeseed oil, antioxidant: ascorbic acid), casing (stabiliser: sodium alginate; cellulose, modified starch), natural flavouring, milk proteins, firming agents: calcium chloride, calcium acetate, roasted barley malt extract.
Best spicy vegetarian sausages
Description
If you crave the taste of chorizo, these smoky sausages from MeatLess will really hit the spot. They have an awesome smoky chilli flavour and can be eaten as a snack or included in your favourite pasta dishes. Just make sure to remove the casing before you dig in.
Suitable for vegans: Yes
Gluten-free: No
Calories per 100g: 318 kcal
Ingredients: Water, Wheat protein, rapeseed oil, coconut oil, nutritional yeast, soya , soya sauce, salt, natural spices ( including onion and garlic ), spice extract, rice flour, dextrose, natural flavor, fiber (bamboo, pea, plantain ), maltodextrin. Beech wood smoked.
Best for a vegetarian sausage sandwich
www.tesco.com
Description
Linda McCartney is a regular in any veggie's freezer, and these are brilliant in a sausage sarnie. They're a little drier than some of the other options on our list, but some may prefer the texture overall. The red onion and rosemary really come through, and you can always count on them if you're in a pinch.
Suitable for vegans: Yes
Gluten-free: No (may contain cereals)
Calories per 100g: 123 kcal
Ingredients: Rehydrated textured soya protein (62%), red onion (19%), water, soya protein concentrate, rapeseed oil, red onion powder, kibbled red onion, stabiliser: methylcellulose, salt, sugar, yeast extract, rosemary, sunflower oil, white pepper, ginger.
www.tesco.com
Description
Richmond is a well-known name in the bangers industry and their meat-free sausages have been a total hit. The vegan sausages are made with Rehydrated textured soya and wheat protein and make a great addition to roasts, pasta dishes or in an English Breakfast.
Suitable for vegans: Yes
Gluten-free: No
Calories per 100g: 145 kcal
Ingredients: Water, Rehydrated Textured Soya Protein Concentrate (16%) (Water, Soya Protein, Wheat Protein, Salt, Soya Bean Oil, Natural Flavouring), Rusk (Wheat), Coconut Oil, Soya Protein Concentrate (4%), Chicory Root Fibre, Less than 2%: Stabiliser: Methylcellulose, Natural Flavourings, Yeast Extracts, Herbs, Spices, Spice Extracts, Flavourings, Colours: Beetroot, Safflower, Salt
Are vegetarian sausages healthy?
While vegetarian sausages certainly contain less saturated fat than their meat counterparts, it's worth checking the label before you buy. Some vegetarian sausages contain a fair amount of salt, so aren't exactly a superfood. In moderation, however, they're a brilliant switch to make.
What are vegetarian sausages made of?
Meat-free sausages can be made from any number of ingredients, including peas, tofu, Quorn and mushrooms. These ingredients will often be mixed with a variety of other vegetables and seasonings, as well as breadcrumbs, yeast extract, wheat, stabilisers and flavourings.
Unsure what's in your veggie sausages? Make sure to check out the ingredients list before you buy.
Are vegetarian sausages gluten-free?
Many vegetarian sausages will contain wheat, so they aren't all gluten-free. There are, however, some great options out there which will suit a gluten-free diet, which we've outlined above.
How to make vegetarian sausages
Want to have a go at making your own vegetarian sausages? This vegetarian sausages recipe from The Happy Pear is a great one to try.
Don't forget to check out our homemade veggie burger recipes, while you're here.