Spending an evening drinking wine and nibbling on tapas is one our favourite summer activities, but the menu can be quite limited for non-meat-eaters. This spicy vegan Spanish chorizo is a great addition to the tapas repertoire!

Makes: 1 large or 2 medium, about 500g or roughly 1 pound
Preparation and cooking: 30 minutes
Baking: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 red bell peppers, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
75ml (5 Tbsp) cold water
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
150g (1 1/4 cups) vital wheat gluten
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chilli powder (I used chipotle for added smokiness)
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp fine salt
1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 175°C / 350°F / gas mark 4.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the diced peppers and the garlic and cook over medium heat until the peppers are soft, 10 – 15 minutes.

Allow to cool a little, then purée the peppers and garlic with the cold water and cider vinegar in a blender until as smooth as you can manage (there will doubtless be tiny bits of skin, but I like the visual texture they add).

In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients, whisking well to ensure the spices are evenly dispersed through the vital wheat gluten.

Add the puréed peppers and mix by hand until well combined.

Shape the mixture into a sausage about 4cm (1 1/2″) in diameter on a large sheet of lightly oiled aluminium foil, wrap tightly and twist the ends securely closed.

Bake on a baking sheet in centre of oven for 1 hour.

Allow to cool a little before removing the foil, then cool completely on a wire rack before serving.