Dec 04, 2018
Plant-based Holiday Turkey Roll ~ Gluten-free!
Hello and Happy Holidays, dear reader! I am excited to share something festive and yummy with you today.
I just had to do it… I had to create this recipe because all of the vegan meat-substitute holiday products contain ingredients that have no business being in my body—such as isolated soy proteins, canola oil, thickeners, high sodium and vital wheat gluten. No thanks! So I created an amazing plant-based roll for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! Actually, I made cutlets with this recipe and later made the roll and guess what? They both turned out great! So it’s a versatile mix that you can tweak as you like.
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know I’m no stranger to Butler Soy Curls. Their versatility and meaty texture make them a perfect substitute for some animal-based dishes that perhaps you used to enjoy but would like to make plant-based. This one is no exception.
Making individual cutlets from the mixture was a bit messy and quite time consuming (I had doubled the recipe so there was a lot!) but the result was well worth the effort and my guests were extra thankful. I should note that the prep for the roll is also a little time consuming as half of the soy curls need to be shredded. Have someone help you shred. Mountain Man helped me. I honor his patience. 🙂 If you have children, this would be a great way to get them involved! This isn’t a recipe that I would make often but it’s perfect for a holiday dish or special gathering.
Oh and, by the way, the best part of this recipe is, you can make it ahead of time! Just wrap it up and keep it in the fridge until it’s time to put in the oven (extend the baking time by 10 minutes if you do this). You can even bake it ahead of time and reheat it if necessary. Anything that I can make ahead of time to give me more time to enjoy my guests is all right with me.
P.S. My Savory Bean Gravy may have even been more of a hit than the actual dish! It was the perfect complement and, of course, wonderful on the mashed potatoes. I used navy beans instead of red beans in the gravy and added a little sage and thyme for that traditional holiday flavor. Yum!
I hope you’ll try it and let me know your result!
Healthy trails,
Plant-based Holiday Turkey Roll
Notes
Finding a good quality vegetable base can be challenging. I don't use "better than boullion" brand because it is ridiculously high in sodium. I've found other brands that are good, one is by Edward & Sons, another is Vogue instant Veggie Base. Check your local health food stores and read your labels.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. dry soy curls
- 1 block firm tofu
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 TBS veggie boullion *see note
- 2 TBS organic corn starch
- 2 tsp agar agar powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried/rubbed sage
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Soak the soy curls in pure water for about 30 minutes. Then squeeze out most of the water.
- Shred half of the curls. If you've not shredded soy curls before, you'll find out that some of them pull apart easily and some just crumble. That's okay. You just want the particle size to be consistent. When you've shredded half of the curls, set them aside.
- Squeeze out most of the water from the tofu block. Don't worry if it's not really dry; you don't have to press it. As long as most of the water is out, that's fine.
- Place the tofu and the remaining ingredients (except the shredded soy curls) in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Don't be tempted to add water. It will be a VERY thick mixture. This is what you want.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl (or pot) and add the shredded curls, mixing well. I used my hands to mush it all together.
- Lay out a sheet of parchment paper about 20" long and place the mixture in the center.
- Shape into a log about 4" thick x 10" long with your hands and smooth it out the best you can.
- Next, roll it up into the parchment paper, twisting the ends to secure it.
- Have a piece of aluminum foil ready and place the wrapped log onto the foil and roll that up as well, securing the ends.
- Place onto a baking sheet and bake at 350° for 1 hour.
- When finished baking, gently and carefully unroll the foil and paper and let cool for about 30 minutes before serving. It gets firmer as it cools, so this step is important, otherwise it will be hard to slice.
- Enjoy!
15 responses to “Plant-based Holiday Turkey Roll ~ Gluten-free!”
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Thank you for this recipe. You read my mind. I was thinking a recipe needed to be created using soy curls. The meat eaters in my house do not like the texture of lentil loafs.
You’re so welcome! I hope you all enjoy it. 🙂
Thank you for this! I don’t love the flavor of vital wheat gluten, and I also have one daughter who needs her food to be gluten-free. We all like Soy Curls and we like tofu so this looks like a perfect way to enjoy a holiday roast. Bless you.
Quick question…is the two tablespoons of bouillon already prepared? Or in powder form?
Your’e welcome! I used a powdered veggie base.
Oh! my goodness, I can hardly wait to try this recipe. Helen it looks scrumptious. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
You’re welcome, Dee! I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. xx
How much is in a package of tofu (weight) please? My packs are 500gm. I’m substituting soy wadi (tvp) for curls as I can’t get them.
Hi Rachel. Here in the states, the tofu blocks are usually 14-15 oz, which is approx 400 grams. I used 15.5 oz package. It doesn’t have to be super exact. I hope your version is a hit!
Hello! I want to try this for Thanksgiving. Can you tell me, instead of shredding could the soy curls be rough chopped in the food processor?
Thanks! Looks delicious!
Hi Carrie! Yes, absolutely you can do this and save a bunch of time! I think I will do the same this year. Enjoy! 🙂
Hi! This recipe is exactly what I was looking for! Just wondering if cassava flour might replace the agar agar? Happy Thanksgiving!
Oooo, that may just work and be easier! Can you let us know if you use it as a sub? Thanks and enjoy! Xx
I was wondering about a replacement for agar-agar, also.
Hi! This loaf looks amazing. However, I can’t get soy curls locally. Any suggestions? I need to be gluten free for a visiting relative.
Grateful thanks!
Hi Kandus. Ohhh, I’m so sorry but the soy curls are the main ingredient in this loaf and are what makes its base… have you looked at my Thanksgiving Lentil Loaf? I’ve had success with that one time and time again…
Thanksgiving Lentil Loaf