This Thanksgiving while turkey is being served in millions of homes across America, vegetarians and vegans will choose a meat-free option. Tofurky, frequently misspelled as Tofurkey, is a long standing holiday tradition for those who wish to spare the life of a turkey and go faux.

Since 1995, Turtle Island Foods has been dedicated to providing a meatless centerpiece for the Thanksgiving table with the company’s Tofurky Roast being the number one selling turkey alternative in the United States. The roast, made from an organic tofu and wheat blend, has a similar taste and consistency to turkey. Each Tofurky is filled with a wild rice and bread crumb stuffing.

The roast is easy to prepare and only takes about an hour and a half to cook. It is recommended that the meatless roast be moved from the freezer to the refrigerator at least 24 hours prior to cooking for proper thawing. Directions as to how to prepare a Tofurky are included on the packaging and at the company’s website but some people choose to be a bit more adventurous and discover new cooking methods, such as allowing the roast to be cooked similar to a turkey. Just make sure to allow approximately 2 hours for preparation on the big day.

One of my favorite alternative methods for cooking a Tofurky includes surrounding the roast with stuffing and onions. Fill the bottom of an oven safe bowl with uncooked stuffing. Nestle the thawed Tofurky into the stuffing topped with slices of onion and chunks of vegan butter. Add a few cups of water (depending on stuffing amount) to moisten stuffing. Drizzle the Tofurky with olive oil and spices. Cover the bowl with foil and cook in a preheated oven at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the foil and baste the roast once more with olive oil and spices. Allow the Tofurky to cook, uncovered, for an additional 10 minutes.

The cooked Tofurky makes for the perfect, cruelty-free Thanksgiving main dish. Tofurky allows vegetarians and vegans to indulge in the tasty festivities of the holidays and still hold true to the compassionate lifestyle.


Photo credit: Daelyn