By Gwynedd Stuart |
The best vegan turkey roast shouldn’t feel like a punishment for people who’ve cut out meat. Being vegetarian is good for the planet, it’s good for animals, and it’s good for you—truly, a win-win-win situation—that is until a big meat-centric holiday dinner like Thanksgiving rolls around and you’re stuck eating a plateful of side dishes (but only the ones that weren’t made with poultry broth, sorry!).
The good news: There are more vegetarian turkey alternatives on the market than ever before (even though Trader Joe’s discontinued theirs, which we really liked when we tasted it last year), and that means a main course doesn’t have to be off the menu. Of course, every vegan turkey roast isn’t created equal. We fired up the oven and tried five of the biggest brands out there to find the best plant based turkey for thanksgiving.
- Gardein Savory Stuffed Turk’y
There’s no shame in having a solo Thanksgiving. It’s quiet. You can watch TV while you eat. And you can have your very own individual vegetarian turkey roast. Cute and delicious. Gardein (maker of our number one vegan turkey roast, spoiler, sorry) also makes this little individual version and we love it. It’s vegetarian turkey, stuffed with cranberry and sage stuffing, breaded, and fried. So many vegetarian turkey roasts are so dry. Last year we ranked Tofurky, but eliminated it this year because we just couldn’t handle how dry it came out. Gardein’s plant-based turkey substitute is nice and moist. Honestly, the stuffing in the center doesn’t have much flavor, but the gravy it comes with helps a lot. If you don’t want a bunch of leftovers, this is the best vegetarian turkey option for you.
Credit: Liv Averett / Vons
- Field Roast Garlic & Sage Celebration Roast
If you like Field Roast products, you’ll love this roast, which is essentially just a big, honkin’ version of one of their meat-free sausages. Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling liked how seasoned and salty this one is, but I personally have a hard time getting past the fact that the stuffing in the center of the loaf is exactly the same texture as the rest of the loaf (ie rubbery). While this may be the best vegan turkey alternative for someone who loves the brand, I have to say that Field Roast always gives me indigestion. If you’re similarly afflicted with agita, buckle up for a ride to burp city.
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Gardein Plant-Based Turk’y Roast
I am not vegetarian, but I eat a lot of veggie meat products at home. Gardein is a favorite (their breaded turk’y cutlets and gravy make such a good, quick weeknight dinner), so I’m pleased to report that Gardein makes the best vegan turkey loaf out there. My biggest beef with vegan turkey (pun intended) is that it’s always so dense. Seriously, if you neglect to baste a Tofurky roast, you’re going to have to go at that thing with a hacksaw. Gardein’s turk’y is super tender, and the breading encasing the loaf is lightly seasoned and adds just a little bit of crunch. The stuffing inside isn’t the tastiest stuffing I’ve ever had, but bits of celery give it some texture, while cranberries contribute a subtle tart sweetness. Most importantly, the loaf comes with a packet of vegan gravy (some of these options are BYOG, sadly) and the gravy actually tastes good. I would be stoked if someone served this to me on Thanksgiving!
Credit: Merc / Instacart
Best Classic
Rating:
8/10
Sporks
Best Seasoning
Rating:
8/10
Sporks
Best of the Best
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Other products we tried: 365 Plant Based Roasts with Gravy & Mushroom Stuffing, Trader Joe’s Breaded Turkey-less Stuffed Roast (discontinued), Tofurky Veggie Roast & Wild Rice Stuffing
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About the Author
Gwynedd Stuart
Gwynedd Stuart, Sporked’s managing editor, is an L.A.-based writer and editor who spends way, way too much time at the grocery store. She’s never met an Old El Paso taco or mozzarella stick she didn’t like.
Your thoughts.
Jeff
Worthington is the only roast I have found worth eating. The Field Roast one is vile. The Tofurkey one was meh.
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Axel
As a vegetarian, I found my favorite turkey substitute is Quorn’s meatless style roast. It doesn’t come seasoned, but it’s really easy to add it, and out of all the stuff we tried it truly tastes the best. And I have to agree, Tofurkey definitely misses the bar for turkey substitution.
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Michelle
The tofurkey roast is basically inedible. It was like chewing on rubber. 5 is kind. The Sol Cuisine roast is amazing. Not sure if that’s just a Canadian thing or what but would highly recommend.
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RG Mastroberte
It’s interesting that the Trader Joe’s and Field Roast pictures look like loaves of bread…and not in a good way.
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Beca
I’ve been a vegan since 2017 and so I know my way around a vegan thanksgiving roast and I do have some disagreements lol. First of all, the Gardein Turk’y roast is 100% the best texture for a vegan turkey I’ve ever found but it’s not my favorite roast in general for the holidays (not to mention many vegans don’t like the texture to be too close to real, like my sister). Trader Joe’s prices can’t be beat so I do like to get several of their roasts and store them in the freezer to bring them out between thanksgiving and christmas (and yes, their gravy does suck). You don’t have the Field Roast Hazelnut & Cranberry roast in this list, which has been the best vegan holiday roast flavor-wise that I’ve ever had. I’m super surprised to see Tofurky on here because I know literally no one who would buy that roast (no shade to Tofurky, they’re great for other things lol.)
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