Monday, December 7, 2009

Whole Foods' Faux Chicken

Ever call up your favorite Asian take-out, and are greeted with, “Sweet & Sour Tofu?” instead of something like, “Thank you for calling...”? 

Totally embarrassing, right?

Well, that’s how I feel at the Whole Foods deli in Highland Park. Kinda like my favorite take-out joint, the guys here usually start filling my order before I even make it all the way to the deli case.

Hmm…maybe it’s time I start a collection of disguise wigs just like Uncle Nancy.

What keeps me—and so many other vegans—coming back are the deli’s fabulous faux chicken creations! Whole Foods’ Mock Chicken Salads, Sweet Chili Soy Nuggets, and Savory Mushroom Soy Nuggets are beautifully presented, packed with flavor, and the chicken-style soy nuggets taste and feel like the real deal.

Mock Chicken Salads come in two different styles. Original Mock Chicken Salad is made with diced soy nuggets, Nasoya’s Nayonaise, celery, and parsley. The Sonoma Mock Chicken Salad contains red grapes in the mix, and Follow Your Heart’s Vegenaise is used instead of Nayonaise.

The deli’s Sweet Chili Soy Nuggets are prepped with broccoli, carrot shreds, and a sweet Asian chili sauce, and the Savory Mushroom Soy Nuggets are made with wild mushroom and sage gravy, onions, parsley, and a few other add-ins.

Whole Foods’ faux chicken deli offerings are not only big sellers with the veggie crowd—omnivores dig ‘em, too! At least according to Whole Foods checker Jon Adams.

“I would say at least half of the people who buy the fake chicken also have real meat in their carts,” states Adams, “And the other half are vegans like you who come to the line with lots of beer and wine,” he says laughingly.

Um—that was research. I swear.

The popular Soy Nuggets are produced and distributed by a North Carolina-based company called Delight Soy. The company produces its goods on a small scale, making them available on an irregular basis, and only at a short list of natural markets and eateries.

“That’s why when they sell out, there could be long stretches before you can get more,” says Adams.

But you can usually find Delight Soy’s plain Soy Nuggets and Soy Patties in the freezer case at the Whole Foods on Lemmon. A single serving (3 nuggets, or 1 patty) contains 130 calories, 7 grams of fat, 9 grams of soy protein, and 2 grams of dietary fiber. Four-serving packages sell for $5.99, and very little prep work is needed to recreate your deli faves! The best part: No wig required.

4 comments:

Drew said...

Mmm...love me some faux meats. Speaking of faux meats, I made a nice "turkey" picatta this past weekend with slices of my jazzed up tofurky that I made for Thanksgiving. No-its not still leftover. It was sooo good, I made another!

Food Czar said...

Eddie G, you keep right on researching. It's what keeps your personality so sparkling!

Trinity (of haiku tofu) said...

That looks so yummy. I've got to get myself to Highland Park stat!

two vegan boys said...

I have tasted the WH "chicken". It is delicious.