The results are in! I tested all the vegan holiday roasts that you could buy at Whole Foods to find out which is worthy of prime real estate on your holiday plate!
If you’re like me, you see the options in the aisle and you are curious but too scared to commit for fear of being disappointed. It’s nice to know what actually tastes good with more and more options popping up each year, the choices can become quickly overwhelming.
Here are my thoughts and favorites and (overly) detailed holiday roast review.
#1 Gardein Savory Stuffed Turk’y
#2 Gardein Holiday Roast
#3 Gardein Turk’y Cutlets
#4 Tofurky Ham Style Roast
#5 Field Roast Celebration Loaf
The good, the bad and the weird.
Let’s start with the obvious, Gardein never lets me down! I love everything I try by them and they save me from starvation all the time with their vegan comfort food options! I was not surprised that my top three was all Gardein products. Honestly though, that’s where I’d end the list in Holiday Roast category as far as things worth buying trying and serving confidently to omni-curious, which always happens at holiday gatherings. Field Roast and Tofurky do other things well, so they get honorable mentions later on.
Going back to Gardein, any of these 3 options I would confidently serve for a holiday vegan/vegetarian option. The texture of each is spot on, which is amazing. The flavors are exactly what you want for your holiday meal and they all look great on the plate and serving dish. We do eat with our eyes, you know! I also love the gravy that comes with the Gardein products, I wish I could buy it separately because I definitely would! I also appreciate that I can make these options easily, no basting, no cooking for hours and hours, Gardein gets me and keeps it simple. I swear this isn’t sponsored. I just really love Gardein and their consistently delicious food.
The Tofurky ham roast was an interesting beast. The packaging was cute and traditional but difficult to pry the roast out of. Once in the pan, it had a noticeable odor that was reminiscent of old school spray tan. Not the most appealing smell when trying to convince your friends and family vegan food is just as good. However, in the taste test, the flavor and texture was spot on for a ham. My recommendation is slice it thin! I think this is best served to someone who has been vegan/vegetarian for a little while and really misses holiday ham roast. While I liked it, it was not something I kept going back for more of, like the Gardein.
Tofurky also makes a gravy found in the freezer section. I thought this was a great option for anyone not wanting to make their own. I heated this over low heat in a pan and at first I wasn’t so convinced based on consistency but when fully heated through, it smelled, looked and tasted great! I would definitely feel confident serving this at a holiday dinner if I didn’t make my own!
The Fieldroast Celebration Roast requires “basting” which I personally don’t have time for during the holidays, hello, there’s football to watch and family to hug! I did my best but even without a dozen people milling about in the house, I slacked on this step and it was noticeably dry. The texture was also more gummy than Gardein. The flavor was along the lines of a beef flavor, which was nice since beef is often served this time of year, but still found it to be lacking, although very salty. However, I love the other Fieldroast products like their cheese, sausages and know many people who love this roast, so it could just be personal preference.
What is on your menu this holiday season? What are your favorite meat alternatives?
Collectively,
Karmen
