Vegan substitute for Turkey

[ReginaPhalange12]

Hello 👋🏼

I am hosting this year & half of the family are vegan, I've had a look online at the no meat roasts but they all seem to have either no reviews or mixed reviews. Does anyone have any suggestions on a god substitute please?

Why try to have pretend turkey? Vegans are vegan because they don't want to eat meat, they won't want to have pretend meat either.

Much better to do an actual vegan meal in its own right. Either do that for everyone or just for the vegans (but in that case do extra as the meat eaters will want to have it too).

There are hundreds of good recipes online or pick up a vegan food magazine in the supermarket.

Please don't just give them a random vegan meal as suggested by a previous poster. I'm only veggie but it's beyond crap when you want a Sunday roast and the veggie option is a mushroom stroganoff or something! I want roast potatoes too!

Can you ask them? Some vegans love vegan substitutes but some don't, so a nut roast would be better.

That's not true, I'm veggie and have lots of vegan friends and we all love meat substitutes. We don't eat meat because we don't like the cruelty (no judgement!) but we love the taste of it still so substitutes can be great.

I'd ask them what they prefer. Some vegans are keen on the meat substitutes and other not. Essentially though I would plan to do all the trimmings in terms of roast potatoes, vegetable side dishes, pigs in blankets (get some vegan ones for the vegans) etc so that everyone has the same meal and the only difference is that the vegans have something else instead of turkey. Otherwise you're effectively doing two meal for everyone which is a lot of work.

Some of the food mags have christmas specials out. They all mostly have a few vegan dishes in that look quite nice.
Have a browse on Readdly or next time you're in the newsagents.

I'd ask them for ideas. I'm a vegetarian and I don't enjoy a veggie centre piece (unless that centrepiece is cauliflower and broccoli cheese ). I'd rather have more of the veg. I frequently make roasts with everything except the meat. I'd feel a bit guilty if you'd gone out of your way to make something extra just for me.

I have already spoken to them & the consensus is a vegan 'meat' substitute. They do have nut roasts but like to have something a little more traditional for a Christmas dinner but I'm just not sure where to get it from, Tesco / M&S / Sainsburys all sell them but having not tried any I'm not sure which is nicer.

Also my OP was supposed to say good not god 🤦🏽‍♀️

@Normandy144 this is the plan, they'll be having almost everything we have and I'll do as much crossover as possible as I don't want to be doing 2 different meals

I'd be gutted if I went somewhere for Christmas and didn't get a roast of some sort. My brothers and parents are vegan too and we will be having a vegan meat type product.

I tried the "this isnt" one recently and really enjoyed it.

I like the 'this isn't' one too. Please not an alternative meal. This makes me sad when everyone has a delicious roast dinner and I get risotto or tomato pasta or some other very ordinary dinner.

I'm a vegetarian and I can't stand faux meat roasts and would prefer a nut roast or a vegetable pastry type main, but other people seem to like them. It's good that you've asked them. I wouldn't worry too much about reviews, just get one that looks like the sort of thing they would enjoy. I also would feel a bit deprived if I was served just veg for my Christmas dinner. Opinions vary.

And yes I agree it should be something that can be served as part of a roast dinner, not pasta, stroganoff, curry etc.

Why try to have pretend turkey? Vegans are vegan because they don't want to eat meat, they won't want to have pretend meat either.

What? Many vegans like the taste of meat, they just don’t eat it for ethical reasons.

@showmethegin exactly!

I like the taste but don't want to eat animals .. not sure why some people can't grasp that concept !

We tried the Sainsbury's Taste the Difference £6 turkey and stuffing roast at the weekend. We had it with traditional Sunday lunch veg and gravy. On Monday, we had it in sandwiches with salad.

My DH and DF (non-veggie) thought it was a little bit lacking in flavour, but quite passable.

I (vegan) thought it was good on a dinner and in a sandwich, but would've been improved by adding some cranberry sauce (or whatever your preference).

This? Only joking…

I'm vegan and personally I wouldn't want a "fake" Turkey! All the stores have lovely Wellington's or other vegan options, and then you could maybe get some vegan yorkshires (regular ones have egg). And then they can have the roast potatoes, veg etc that the rest of you are having.

I like a nut roast or a good wellington or something in pastry that can be eaten with the veg and gravy. I don't like fake meat roasts.

I've been vegan most of my life so meat substitutes are not my thing.
What about something like this? I haven't tried it but it looks like an option.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/mushroom-sweet-potato-wellington

She already said they want fake meat 🙄

Exactly 🙄 it's not a long thread so easy to read what the op has commented

You could make a very easy wellington, shop bought puff pastry, vegan Richmond sausages (taken out their skins), stuffing, cranberry sauce, fried sprouts or mushrooms. Brush with oat milk. Perfect!

V bites is the best in my opinion.

She still wants fake meat

I'd stay away from substitutes.

I think there are some great main dishes like tartletts, patties made from couscous or fancy style mushrooms that go perfectly fine with rostered vegetables...

I'd ask them what they recommend, since as vegans year-round they must have tried a fair few of the vegan options out there? I wouldn't know where to start with vegan food, because I never buy it and if you're not vegan they can't expect you to know what's good and what isn't.