Tofurky Review & Giveaway

This giveaway has closed!

Perhaps the most ubiquitous of all vegan meat companies is Turtle Island Foods—the 34-year-old, family owned and independent, organic maker of Tofurky. Though maybe the butt of jokes from uncles teasing their vegan nieces and nephews at the Thanksgiving table, various Tofurky products have held their own as hearty, flavorful, and innovative animal-free meats for a good long while. Beyond the traditional holiday roasts that catapulted Tofurky to meatless fame, products that boast the Tofurky name include sandwich-style deli slices of every flavor imaginable, hot dogs and sausages, taco-style crumbles, pot pies and quiches, pizzas, marinated tempeh, and even hot pockets. This company most impressively gives truth to the claim that any food on the face of the planet can be veganized. Even better, the main ingredients found in Tofurky products include vital wheat gluten (the base of seitan), tofu (big surprise there), spices, and other minimally processed, nourishing ingredients.

With all of this in mind, I was absolutely thrilled to receive a request from the lovely folks at Turtle Island Foods to review their Tofurky products. After our email correspondence, an absolutely ginormous package stuffed with various Tofurky products arrived at my doorstep. We’re talking multiple boxes of every type of deli slice, marinated tempeh, and gourmet-style sausages. Luckily—seeing as I would have had to eat Tofurky for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in order to finish off all of it—I live in a vegan co-op of 21 ravenous students, all more than happy to partake in the Tofurky goodness.

 And partake they did! On a cold winter evening, one of my housemates and I teamed up to cook for the whole house a huge dinner that featured the Tofurky I was sent to review. The menu included:

–A sandwich bar of deli slices in oven-roasted, peppered, hickory smokes, bologna, Italian, and roast beef styles; Vegenaise; mustard; lettuce; tomatoes, and Ezekiel bread.

 

–A spicy jambalaya inspired by this recipe, featuring the artisan Tofurky Andouille sausages and the smoky maple bacon marinated tempeh.

 

–A sweet sauté of bell peppers, caramelized onions, and artisan Tofurky chick’n and apple sausages.

 

–A tangy coleslaw of green cabbage, shredded carrots, and scallions with a dressing of olive oil, Dijon mustard, tahini, balsamic vinegar, and agave (one of my housemates professed that this coleslaw was the best he had ever tasted!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mind you, even though the co-op in which I live purchases only vegan products as a house, only six of us in the house actually lead vegan lifestyles. Nonetheless, I received nothing but rave reviews of our Tofurky dinner from each and every one of my housemates. They scarfed down the jambalaya and sausage sauté, leaving absolutely none for leftovers and “mmm”-ing through every bit. Even meat-eaters remarked that the dishes proved immensely satisfying, pleasingly textural, and hugely flavorful. Though the dishes made with Tofurky sausages undoubtedly won the night, my housemates also expressed their enthusiasm toward the deli slices. Indeed, one of my most food-particular housemates noted that the bologna-style deli slices harbored exactly the same flavor and texture as animal-based bologna. The only qualm I received regarding the deli slices concerned their slight dryness—though the juicy tomatoes and spreadable condiments at the sandwich bar certainly mitigated that. If any of my housemates held views of Tofurky similar to those of the aforementioned dubious uncle before the dinner, they most definitely found such views shattered after tasting the fabulousness of the products.

 

Surprisingly, our grand dinner didn’t use up all of the Tofurky that the generous folks at Turtle Island sent me. You can bet that much fine sandwich-making ensued in the week following our dinner, including my favorite: the tempeh reuben. A magnificent mess of toasted Ezekiel bread, vegan red Russian dressing (using the 2nd version on this page), tangy sauerkraut, crisp lettuce, juicy tomato, and of course smoky maple bacon marinated Tofurky tempeh, this sandwich provides a soul-satisfying way to highlight Tofurky’s fabulous tempeh products.

And now, dear readers, I’m ecstatic to provide one of you with the chance to sample Tofurky’s impressive product line! One of you who enters the giveaway at the links at the top and bottom of this post will win a prize pack including the following: –Four coupons for one FREE Tofurky product. –Tons of Tofurky coupon booklets. –One vintage-style metal Tofurky lunchbox. –One Tofurky t-shirt.

The giveaway will end at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 21, and I will announce the winner on Sunday, March 23. Apologies to my international readers, but you must reside within the U.S. in order to enter this giveaway.

Good luck to all!

This giveaway has closed!

Until next time, Ali.

I was not paid to run this giveaway, though I was provided with free product samples. All opinions are completely my own.