cooking | Cadry's Kitchen

A couple of months ago the folks at Sol Cuisine contacted me about sampling some of their products for review. They’re a Toronto-based company, and they make a variety of veggie burgers, crumbles, and breakfast patties. After they mailed several coupons to try their products, I realized the closest places selling them were at least an hour and a half away. So when my husband and I traveled to Kansas City at the beginning of February, I slipped the coupons in my wallet to see if I’d find any products there. As luck would have it, Green Acres Market carries several products in their line – Spicy Black Bean Burgers, Almond Grain Burgers, Mushroom Rice Burgers, and Breakfast Patties. Since it was still in the heart of winter, the car trunk was kind enough to act as a freezer until we were home again.

In our family, my husband is a bigger veggie burger fan. He likes having an excuse for using sliced pickles and mustard; plus, they’re a convenient lunch option. For me, I’m more apt to make a Reuben or veggie BLT when I have a hankering for a sandwich. Occasionally, I’ll make a veggie burger from scratch. Here’s a he said/she said of our experience:

Spicy Black Bean Burger

My husband’s favorite burger of the group was the Spicy Black Bean Burger. They are wheat-free and gluten-free. The texture is the firmest of the three that we tried, and it has a Southwestern flavor with a spicy kick without being hot. They reminded me of the black bean burgers in Veganomicon, which is probably my favorite burger recipe. I wasn’t as excited about soy protein concentrate being high up on the ingredient list since I like to stick with more minimally processed soy foods as much as possible.

Almond Grain Burger

My favorite of the bunch was the Almond Grain Burger. The flavors were mild and reminded me of fall or Thanksgiving. It’s not specified on the package, but I wouldn’t be surprised if thyme or sage were involved. This burger has a soft texture, but in this case, I thought it worked. I also liked that the ingredients for this burger featured more whole foods.

Mushroom Rice Burger

Rounding out the burgers, we had the Mushroom Rice Burger, which was the most hamburger-like in terms of color, texture, and flavor of the ones we tried. Neither of us are that keen on products that are reminiscent of hamburger, and so I don’t think we’d get these again. That said, if you’re looking for a plant-based meat that would fit right in on the grill, this could be a good bet for you.

My husband did most of the cooking where these products were concerned, and his opinion was that between cooking them on a stovetop versus in the oven, the stovetop gave better results in terms of crispiness. (Unfortunately, we weren’t able to try any out on the grill.)

Breakfast Patties

Finally, we tried the Veggie Breakfast Patties. They were reminiscent of the Morningstar sausage patties we used to eat occasionally when we were vegetarian. However, the Sol Patties are egg-free and made without GMO’s. So that’s a plus. The flavor was bang on. They’re wheat-free and gluten-free, but they’re a more processed food than I’d usually buy.

For the most part we enjoyed the Sol Cuisine products we tried, found them to be a fun change of pace, and I like it that all of their products are free of GMO’s. Most of all, I could see them appealing to people who are just transitioning to a vegan or vegetarian diet and looking to replicate some familiar favorites.

I received all of the products in this review for free from Sol Cuisine, but the opinions are totally my own.

Update: Great news! I entered this soup into Wayfare‘s Great Cheese Swap Event, and I won the Grand Prize – a year’s worth of We Can’t Say It’s Cheese! I envision many crackers in 2012. ;) Now back to your regularly scheduled blog post…

Cozy slippers, new pajamas, hot tea in the afternoons and chamomile at night… I’m very much a warm weather person, but this December is wooing me with certain benefits for sure. Of course, the twinkling lights and promises of presents don’t hurt its case either. Another benefit of dipping temperatures and long evenings? Hot soup and crackers. I recently made this non-dairy version of the cheesy cauliflower soup I grew up eating. It has an echo of hickory with the full-bodied mouth feel that I’ve always loved. It’s a rich and hearty soup that’s good for filling the bellies and warming the bones.

This recipe is only for two, but it could easily be doubled or quadrupled if you’re serving a larger group.

Hickory Cheddar Cauliflower Soup

Serves 2

½ head cauliflower, cored and chopped into medium-sized pieces
1 cup vegetable broth or 1 cup water + ½ vegetable bouillon cube
1 carrot, chopped small
¼ red bell pepper, chopped small
¼ medium-sized red onion, chopped small
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp We Can’t Say It’s Cheese hickory-smoked cheddar spread
Salt & pepper, to taste
Parsley for garnish (optional)

Bring cauliflower and broth to boil in a soup pot. Lower heat to simmer and cover with a cocked lid. Once the cauliflower has softened (about ten minutes), blend with an immersion blender. Add We Can’t Say It’s Cheese to cauliflower, stir until fully blended, and salt to taste. In a separate pan, sauté carrot, bell pepper, onion, and garlic until the onion and garlic are translucent and fragrant (about five minutes). Add vegetable mixture to soup pot and continue cooking until the carrot has softened. For a chunky soup, it is ready to serve once the carrot has reached its ideal softness. For a creamier soup, blend the soup again with an immersion blender until it has reached your preferred consistency. Top with fresh chopped parsley and ground pepper.

Cadry's Kitchen

From the outside, veganism looks like limits. From the inside, freedom.

Tag Archives: cooking

Sol Cuisine Burgers & Breakfast Patties Review

Hickory Cheddar Cauliflower Soup