Does anyone actually like turkey outside of having to like it on Thanksgiving? Deli slices don't count. The seeming ambivalance towards actual turkey makes the idea of a vegan turkey substitute even more hilarious, but of course this is a niche that must be filled. And that's how we came to have this Gardein savory stuffed turk'y that was popping out at me from the freezer end cap at Earth Fare.
So let's review it. Is it worth your $8.99 (local price) to purchase this for your Thanksgiving? If you're vegetarian or vegan, chances are you'll bring this to have a turkey-like option for yourself at the table. Or if you're doing a small or solo Thanksgiving, this and one or two sides of choice might be all you need.
What comes with Gardein savory stuffed turk'y?
The package comes with two turkey ...rolls? Let's go with rolls, and it also comes with two gravy packs to drizzle upon each turkey roll. This makes it the perfect dinner for two, or it leaves you with leftovers for Friday, which is the second best part of Thanksgiving weekend. There's nothing like having so many leftovers that you don't have to cook beyond heating things up in the microwave til Monday.
How many people does the Gardein turkey serve?
As for sizing, if you prefer lots of sides, on your Thanksgiving plate you can probably split this turk'y package to work for four people, or you can have more turk'y per person by just giving each person their own serving size. I only ate one half of one along with a ton of sides during my Thanksgiving trial run feast.
Gardein Savory Stuffed Turk'y
Brand: Gardein
Meat Type: Turkey
Taste: Like savory protein. Not quite turkey-like, but not like anything else either. The stuffing has salad of shaved fennel, oranges and roasted chickpeas, spiced cranberry and beet compote, and roasted cauliflower with kale almond pesto. The cranberries stand out the most to me and provide a nice light tang to complement the saltier gravy.
The gravy is pretty good too — a perfect viscosity and goes great on your mashed potatoes too. Also, if you put your stuffing next to it and use the stuffing to sop up the extra gravy, it works well there.
Texture: A little less "meaty" than other Gardein items I've tried, and a little softer than you might expect. The breaded exterior helps to complement the softer interior. It definitely needs the stuffed components, otherwise the whole thing would be pretty one-note.
Realisticness: ⅗
Rating: ♥♥♥♥ (⅗)
Overall, I don't hate it, but I found it was worth a try, especially at Thanksgiving-time. I might buy it again in the future, but wouldn't really desire it outside of the seasonal festivities that call for turkey or a turkey-like substitute.
Find more meat alternatives if you need more vegetarian ideas!
