Vegan Holiday Faux Turkeys

No holiday meal would be complete without a veggie turkey. Try these tasty turkey-friendly alternatives this holiday season for a meal that everyone can celebrate:

• Gardein: There are many holiday centerpiece options available from Gardein. It has seasonal items as well as year-round favorites. Gardein is available at select health food stores and Whole Foods Markets nationwide. 
• Tofurky Roast: This roast comes stuffed with a savory herb dressing and is available as just the roast or as part of an entire feast—with gravy, dumplings, wild rice stuffing, and “wishstix”—for a complete holiday meal.
• Celebration Roast: This is an artisan-made vegan grain meat with a sausage-style stuffing made from butternut squash, apples, and mushrooms. Available at select Whole Foods Markets.

• Veggie Turkey Breast With Wild-Rice-and-Cranberry Stuffing: This delicious vegan turkey breast is stuffed with wild-rice-and-cranberry stuffing and is available at Whole Foods.

Not sure how to prepare the faux turkey? Our chefs put together a few tips for dressing the already-tasty veggie turkeys:

• Always follow the package directions for cooking.
• For wheat- and soy-based veggie turkeys, try basting them in vegetable broth while they’re cooking.
• Spice up your roast by coating it in a rub. First, cover the veggie turkey in melted margarine. Then sprinkle it with Cajun seasoning and cook it according to the package directions.
• For a traditional take on faux turkey, coat the roast in olive oil or melted margarine and then spread on our Veggie Turkey Seasoning before cooking:

1 1/2 tsp. poultry-seasoning herbs
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Pinch of salt and pepper

• Try our Southwestern Glaze for a spicy-sweet twist on your holiday meal. Cook the veggie turkey according to the package directions, but baste it with the glaze during the last 45 minutes of cooking time:

2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. cumin
Sea salt, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. agave nectar or maple syrup
1 Tbsp. water

• Deep-frying a veggie turkey is a good way to make sure that it’s moist and flavorful. Try our Deep-Fried Tofurky recipe.
• Try basting the roast with your favorite store-brought glaze during the last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking time.
• Be sure to serve your veggie turkey with one of our delicious gravies.

Return to Celebrate a Vegan Holiday page.