Monday, November 26, 2012

Food Review: Three Vegan Holiday Roasts

If you read my previous post, you probably already know I was a glutton this Thanksgiving and was blessed enough to enjoy several vegan holiday roasts (Tofurky and Field Roast). Well, on Black Friday we got to enjoy another roast, this time from Trader Joe's! They were all delicious, but each was a little different and I wanted to give my quick opinion on all three of these vegan roasts.


First up is the Field Roast Celebration Roast. The description from the Field Roast site reads: ...rich and savory sausage-style stuffing made from Field Roast grain meat, fresh cut butternut squash, mushrooms and granny smith apples seasoned with a blend of rosemary, thyme and sage. We then surround the stuffing with our most luxuriant grain meat seasoned with rubbed sage, garlic and lemon juice. I really loved this roast....Field Roast always makes quality, artisan products and this roast was no different! It had a slight sweet taste and a really hearty texture. It also looks quite nice as a centerpiece. I would choose this roast for a slightly fancier feast or to impress any carnivores you might entertain. The size that I bought (shown above) runs for about $6-$8, but I got mine on sale for about $5 and some change.


Next is my traditional holiday standby, Tofurky Roast! Tofurky has been around since 1995 and is the go-to product for most veggies the during holiday seasons. The description of the roast from the Turtle Island Foods i.e. Tofurky site is as follows: Made from a revolutionary tofu-wheat protein blend, our famous Tofurky® Roast is known for its incredible, turkey-like texture and flavor. Stuffed with wild rice and whole wheat bread crumb stuffing. I love Tofurky and of all the meatless roasts I have tried, it is probably still my favorite. Its taste and texture are probably the most pleasing of any roast I've tried and I think its wild rice stuffing is delicious! I've had a lot of success with feeding this to meat-eaters as well (it just doesn't have the visual impact of the Field Roast). This roast (with just the roast, no extras and no gravy) typically runs about $10, and you can also buy the complete vegetarian feast or a roast with gravy included. I definitely recommend picking up some Tofurky gravy as well (either sold separately or with the roast).


Lastly is Trader Joe's Turkey-less Stuffed Roast. Trader Joe's is an independent grocery store that carries many vegan products and many times makes their own. According to their site, the roast is: Made with protein from soy, peas, wheat and ancient grains, the roast boasts remarkable texture and flavor, and the stuffing and gravy set it up beautifully. The roast was larger than either the Field Roast or the Tofurky and also came with gravy. As for the taste, I felt the roast was a bit more under-seasoned than either the Field Roast or Tofurky. It was still good and I think the texture and look of it was closer to actual turkey than the other two roasts. The gravy it came with was delicious and really helped to amp up the flavor of the roast. For more bang for your buck, I would recommend the Trader Joe's Turkey-less Stuffed Roast.

All in all, all three roasts were tasty and were long gone by the end of Thanksgiving vacation (that's just between Mister Spooky and I!). I would recommend all three of these roasts, but my favorite is still the Tofurky Roast. I also highly recommend Tofurky's Gravy for whatever roast you use!

NOTE: Check out my updated Guide to Vegan Holiday Roasts!

2 comments:

  1. We decided to go with a Quorn roast this year (which I believe is vegetarian, not vegan), but we've bought the Field Roast 'Celebration Roast' for the past two years. We usually do appetizers at Christmas, but I'm thinking we'll have a second version of Thanksgiving (since I was sick, and couldn't taste anything). And this time we'll get a field roast.

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  2. Hi there. Somebody in my G+ circles posted a link to your review of TJ's coconut milk chocolate ice cream, and then I just went ahead and read all the food review posts, and now 45 minutes later here I am. I'm a reluctant carnivore, is what I am. I feel like the guy with the cigarette in the billboard, saying "I know why I should quit. Don't tell me why, tell me how!". I see these Celebration Roasts are readily available near me, so I think I will pick one up and give it a try. Other items from your reviews, too. Thanks for the unintentional nudge!

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