Veggie Bits
Jamaican Jackfruit Patties
Ready for a bite of the exotic? Caribbean Food Delights makes vegan frozen patties, all seasoned with their signature spice blends and easy to have on the table from the air fryer, microwave, or stovetop in very little time. The Jamaican Curry Jackfruit Patties were the tester favorite, with authentic island flavors and a perfect blend of jackfruit and chickpeas for a satisfying lunch. Jamaican Style Jerk BBQ Jackfruit Patties are more sweet than spicy, with molasses adding to the flavor. These are likely to be a hit with the whole family, as younger folks may appreciate the milder taste. The Vegetable Patties are like a side dish, all wrapped in delicious flaky pastry. Packed with broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, corn, onions, and peppers, this savory offering is made with a soup base and offers up the same kind of comforting flavor. They also make vegan Plantain Tarts and Spinach Patties. Buy online or at stores in the northeast region, cfdnyinc.com/where-to-buy
Rissa Miller/Senior Editor
Fruit Jerky
Simple ingredients are the hallmark of Soley's Fruit Jerky strips. This fruit jerky is ideal for anyone wanting an easy way to get more fruit into their diet. Each pineapple strip contains half of a pineapple all packed into one serving! And the varieties all burst with flavor and have a soft yet dense texture, making it surprisingly easy to chew. They come in many flavors including banana, banana-cacao, banana-pecan, mango, mango-cacao, mango-chili, pineapple, pineapple-chili, pineapple-cacao-coconut, and pineapple-coconut, all without added sugars or preservatives. Soley's fruit jerky is an excellent on-the-go vegan snack for school, work, car trips, or anytime! Available at major grocers nationwide and purchase online at solely.com
Anna Markulis/VRG Intern
Bean Soup Pouches
Beans make a hearty meal, and when you need that satisfaction in a hurry, The Good Bean's Heat and Eat Pouches have lunch or dinner covered for you. The four flavors—Indian Coconut Curry with Chickpeas, Low-Carb Classic Chili with Black Soy Beans, Mexican Smoky Chipotle with Pinto Beans, and Santa Fe Green Chile with White Beans—are all ready in 90 seconds in the microwave, making them ideal for travel or a hot meal at work or in the dorm. If you can serve them over rice or with flatbread, they become more of a complete meal, and that long-simmered flavor really shines. All varieties are gluten-free and come with a label that estimates the heat level from low to high for those concerned about spiciness. Available online at thegoodbean.com, Amazon.com, Whole Foods, and grocers nationwide.
Rissa Miller/Senior Editor
Kettle Corn
In one bite savory and sweet, kettle corn can whisk you away to happy memories of street fairs and markets. The folks at Keifer's Kettle Korn share that nostalgia and have managed to bag it up, each bag popped up to fresh and flavorful perfection. This snack comes in Garlic-Maple-Pepper, JalapeñMaple, and Traditional. Testers loved them all and were pleasantly surprised how well the spicier flavors balanced with the sweetness of the kettle corn. Though Traditional was definitely the tester favorite, it's undeniable that each flavor was a "just-one-more-handful" winner. All varieties are gluten-free, low-sodium, kosher, nut-free, and soy-free and are available in bags or gift tins on their website at keiferskettlekorn.com, as well as some independent grocers in New England.
Rissa Miller/Senior Editor
Cactus... Chips
Using a beloved family recipe from Mexico, Tia Lupita started by bottling their trademark hot sauces, including Chipotle, Habanero, Original Hot Sauce, and tester favorite Salsa Verde. But that's not all: Tia Lupita also makes two varieties of Salsa Macha, which is a world away from the usual tomato-based salsa. They're packed with chiles and pepitas and combine a unique "whole" texture with fruit and nuts for a dip experience like nothing else. Scoop all these sauces up on a crunchy, snackable cactus chip! Yet another outstanding offering from Tia Lupita, their nopales cactus-based chips are available in Chipotle, Habanero,
Hot Sauce, Salsa Verde, and Sea Salt. These chips are always gluten- and grain-free, with all the snap and texture of traditional tortillas. Tia Lupita also makes soft tortillas for tacos and wraps. Available online at tialupitafoods.com and Amazon.com, as well as some Krogers, Walmarts, Whole Foods, and other grocers.
Rissa Miller/Senior Editor
Cauliflower Crumbs
If you want some more cauliflower in your life (and why wouldn't you), Cauli Crunch crumbs are here to revolutionize your savory dishes. They come in Original, Savory Cheese (vegan), 7 Spice (Asian), and Taste of Italy, and each variety is well-seasoned with ideal breadcrumb texture. Cauli Crunch held up well in the oven, sprinkled over casseroles, and made terrific "breaded" tofu sticks in the air fryer. The crumbs added wonderful texture and flavor to a vegan meatless loaf, and the Cauli Crunch website suggested recipes included eggplant slices baked with the Taste of Italy crumbs, which were crispy and delicious. Cauli Crunch is gluten-free, kosher, non-GMO, and nut-free. Available online at caulicrunch.com and at grocers nationwide, including Giant, Kroger, Sprouts, and Wegmans.
Rissa Miller/Senior Editor
Shiitake Powder
Sugimoto Forest-Grown Shiitake Powder promises all the shiitake goodness with none of the mushroom taste. A sprinkle of this delicate powder does enhance umami flavor in a dish. Try it on roasted vegetables, in gravies or sauces, over seitan or tofu slices, or atop your favorite Buddha bowl. Testers also liked it added to cooked grains, like quinoa and rice. The package suggests adding a teaspoon to Tablespoon, depending on the number of portions, about 10 minutes before serving any dish so that the shiitake powder has time to integrate. The product website has a section with a dozen vegan recipes. We tried the chickpea-shiitake gravy, shiitake-infused soy sauce over tofu, and udon noodles in shiitake broth; and all were very tasty, using the powder to boost the subtle Asian-style dishes. Sugimoto's Shiitake Powder is available online at shiitakejapan.com or Amazon.com, as well as at Giant, Krogers, and Walmarts nationwide.
Rissa Miller/Senior Editor
