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    Home » Recipes

    Ultimate Christmas Tofurkey Roast

    By: Thomas Published: 18 Dec, 16 Updated: 2 Sep, 20 25 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Ultimate Christmas Tofurkey Roast

    To me, there is no great Christmas eve dinner without a good roast as the centerpiece.

    This festive roast has all the flavors of Christmas, it's filled with spinach, sautéed mushrooms and lentils, wrapped in a tender tofu crust. This is not your basic tofurkey with little to no filling, this one is loaded with a flavorful and protein-packed filling.

    Did I mention everything is made from scratch?

    Ultimate Christmas Tofurkey Roast

    The "crust" is a blend of firm tofu, white miso, spices and nutritional yeast that are processed until you get a smooth paste. Unlike some other roasts recipe, I didn't want to press the tofu or drain it with a cheesecloth so I added some rice flour to absorb some of the moisture. Do you know what? It worked perfectly!

    The filling consists of three layers: spinach with garlic, sautéed mushrooms, and smoky lentils/brown rice with cranberries and pine nuts.

    Ultimate Christmas Tofurkey Roast

    Assembling the roast is where the fun is! You start by spreading an even layer of the tofu mixture into the bottom of a cake pan, place the spinach, sautéed mushrooms on top and last but not least, the lentil and brown rice mixture, that has the texture of ground meat.

    Covering the filling with the remaining tofu is the most delicate step but don't be afraid, it's totally doable. Since the tofu mixture is soft and sticky, you will have to use wet hands to cover the filling little by little.

    Ultimate Christmas Tofurkey Roast

    This tofu roast is protein-rich, each slice is packed with 18g of protein for only 275 calories! It can be served with mashed potatoes, green beans and your favorite gravy.

    Ultimate Christmas Tofurkey Roast

    Even meat eaters will love this tofu roast, it's tender, flavorful and make the perfect Christmas center dish.

    Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe and tag @fullofplants on Instagram if you take a photo!

    Ultimate Christmas Tofurkey Roast

    Print

    Ultimate Christmas Tofurkey Roast

    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    4.9 from 8 reviews

    Perfectly tender tofu crust filled with spinach, sautéed mushrooms and smoky lentil filling make this a flavorful and comforting Christmas dish.

    • Yield: 6 Slices 1x

    Ingredients

    Scale

    Roast crust

    • 21 ounces firm tofu
    • 2 tbsp white miso
    • 1 tsp smoked paprika
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ½ tsp oregano
    • ¼ tsp ground cumin
    • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
    • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • ⅓ cup rice flour

    Filling (makes enough for 2 roasts)

    • ½ cup dry green lentils
    • ½ cup brown rice
    • ⅛ tsp salt
    • 2 and ½ cup water
    • 1 tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 tbsp soy sauce
    • 1 tbsp tahini
    • 1 tbsp tomato paste
    • ½ tsp liquid smoke
    • 1 medium onion, chopped
    • 1 shallot, minced
    • 1 clove of garlic, chopped
    • ½ cup cooked chestnuts
    • ½ red bell pepper
    • ¼ cup fresh parsley (or basil)
    • ¼ cup dried cranberries (or raisins)
    • ⅛ tsp pumpkin spice (optional)
    • 2 tbsp pine nuts

    Spinach layer

    • 6 cups chopped spinach
    • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
    • salt, pepper

    Mushrooms layer

    • 10 cremini mushrooms
    • 1 tbsp soy sauce
    • pepper

    Instructions

    Roast crust

    1. Place all the crust ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process for about 1 minute, until everything is well incorporated and looks smooth. You will end up with a slightly wet, very soft dough. Transfer to a large bowl, cover and set aside while preparing the filling.

    Filling

    1. Combine the green lentils and brown rice with the water and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 25 minutes until the lentils are cooked and almost no liquid remains. Drain excess water if needed.
    2. Place the rice and lentils in the bowl of a food processor and add the maple syrup, soy sauce, tahini, tomato paste, liquid smoke, onion, shallot, garlic, chestnuts, red bell pepper and fresh parsley. Process for about 15 seconds until everything is roughly chopped and has the texture of ground meat. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cranberries and pine nuts. Set aside.

    Spinach

    1. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped spinach to the skillet and allow to cook for 5 minutes until the spinach has softened. Add the chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the spinach to a colander and squeeze excess liquid by pressing with the back of a spoon. Set aside.

    Mushrooms

    1. In the same skillet, sautée the mushrooms until they become tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Deglaze the skillet with the soy sauce and continue to cook until no liquid remains. Set aside.

    Assemble

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
    2. Once you have the crust and fillings ready you can start assembling the loaf.
    3. Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Transfer about 1 cup of the tofu mixture in the bottom of the pan. Using wet hands, spread the mixture into an even layer. You can also place a piece of parchment paper on top and use the bottom of a glass to spread the mixture evenly. Be careful, the tofu mixture will be sticky and very soft.
    4. Place the cooked spinach on top of the tofu mixture, leaving about 1 inch on each side. Top with the sautéed mushrooms. Spread about 2 cups of the lentil/brown rice filling on top of the mushrooms, pressing lightly.
    5. Once you have placed the filling it's time to cover it with the remaining tofu mixture, this is the most delicate step. Using wet hands, take a small amount of the tofu mixture in your hands and carefully cover the filling, little by little into an even thickness, making sure to press on the edges to enclose the filling. When the filling is fully covered, carefully rub it with wet hands to smooth the top.
    6. In a small bowl, combine one tablespoon of maple syrup with one tablespoon of soy sauce. Brush the tofurkey with the glaze.
    7. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 50 minutes. Bake uncovered for another 5 minutes until the top is golden brown, let cool 5 minutes before serving.
    8. Serve with green beans, mashed potato or peppercorn sauce. I found the roast tastes even better the next day.

    Notes

    You will only use about ⅓ to ½ of the filling for one tofurkey roast, you can freeze leftovers or use it to make veggie steaks, it will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.

    To serve in a baking dish (optional): Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large baking dish, combine 1 and ½ cup of water with 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Add one finely chopped shallot, 6-8 small onions, one carrot cut into matchsticks, some chestnuts and ¼ teaspoon oregano. Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the cooked tofurkey in the middle of the baking dish, cover with foil and bake for another 15 minutes, just to reheat the tofurkey. The tofurkey roast will absorb some of the sauce and the tofu crust will be softer, even more delicious!

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 Slice
    • Calories: 276
    • Sugar: 6.9g
    • Fat: 8.1
    • Carbohydrates: 36.3g
    • Fiber: 7g
    • Protein: 18.1g

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @fullofplants on Instagram and hashtag it #fullofplants

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Akhila

      December 20, 2016 at 4:21 pm

      Looks so perfect and innovative..loved the combination ..Pinned !!!

      ★★★★

      Reply
    2. Nancye Smith

      January 15, 2017 at 3:25 am

      This is a must try. I am wanting to find easy ways of making Seitan, whilst this isn't Seitan, it's easy, and that is what I am looking for in a recipe.

      I can't wait to make this...

      Thank you so much for the recipe...

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    3. Manon van Luling

      December 22, 2018 at 11:17 am

      I don't have rice flour. But I do have several bean flours (white, black and chickpea), also allporpose or oatflour. Can I use any of those instead?
      Looks amazing by the way!!

      Reply
      • Thomas

        December 22, 2018 at 12:40 pm

        Chickpea or all-purpose flour should work well here!

        Reply
        • Manon van Luling

          December 22, 2018 at 4:26 pm

          Thank you! I am going to make this tomorrow for our christmas eve dinner. Super excited.

          Reply
    4. Bev Green

      November 01, 2019 at 9:13 am

      I am in Australia and my Grandchildren are vegans and I would like to make your recipe for Christmas

      I have one problem what is liquid smoke I have no idea what this is

      Reply
      • Thomas

        November 04, 2019 at 11:58 am

        Hi,
        Liquid smoke is smoke in liquid form, it is used as a flavoring to give food a smoky flavor. You can leave it out.

        Reply
    5. Mrs. Marker

      November 27, 2019 at 2:11 pm

      Can you make this ahead of time? If so how should i warm?

      Reply
      • Thomas

        December 02, 2019 at 11:47 am

        Yes, you can. I would cover with foil and warm in a preheated oven.

        Reply
    6. Wanda

      December 01, 2019 at 3:18 am

      Awesome!!! My first meatless roast. It was a hit with everyone I used pecans instead of pine nuts. The texture was very pleasing.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Thomas

        December 02, 2019 at 11:54 am

        Thanks so much for your feedback Wanda! Glad everyone liked your roast 🙂

        Reply
    7. randee

      December 19, 2019 at 5:28 pm

      Definitely want to make this,

      When you say 'cooked chestnuts' do you just mean chestnuts that have been boiled with their skin removed? Or do you mean roasted as well?

      Reply
      • Thomas

        December 20, 2019 at 3:38 am

        Yes, I mean boiled with skin removed, or roasted and with skin removed should work well too.

        Reply
    8. mobasir hassan

      October 01, 2020 at 3:11 pm

      I am very excited to read this recipe and very much happy to make this tofurkey roast for this coming christmas. Looking for more such recipes in future too. Thank you.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    9. Richard

      November 29, 2020 at 1:36 pm

      Just eaten this having made it yesterday and cooked today. A few tweaks for me (left out the fruit as family isn't keen, forgot the pine nuts, swapped the chestnuts for hazelnuts) and also made mine a little taller as that was the shape or the dish I had (and had more filling).

      It's excellent and lots of opportunities to experiment changing filling and flavouring for the crust.

      Family had got a bit bored or nut roast and this really is excellent! Thanks for sharing!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Thomas

        December 01, 2020 at 3:28 pm

        Thanks for your feedback Richard 😉

        Reply
    10. Tine

      December 21, 2020 at 8:56 am

      Made this, it's soo good! Both vegans and meat eaters loved it. I didn't have miso or red pepper flakes, added smoked paprika and smoked pepper to the filling. Delicious! Also the next days <3

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Thomas

        December 22, 2020 at 9:03 am

        Thanks for your rating Tine!

        Reply
    11. Rachel

      December 25, 2020 at 11:31 pm

      Tasted amazing.
      However, the loaf fell apart and the tofu was a bit mushy, did not keep its form. I used firm tofu, slightly pressed. Should I have used extra firm or firm tofu with no pressing or more pressing?

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Thomas

        December 27, 2020 at 10:14 am

        Thanks Rachel,
        If your tofu is very soft, then yes, you should try to remove some moisture. I didn't do it as my tofu was very firm.

        Reply
    12. Roy

      January 01, 2021 at 6:32 pm

      Tried making this last night. Taste was good, but texture was off. The crust was very mushy and liquid pooled in the bottom of the pan. We're going to try again with the rest of the filling ingredients. Should we press the tofu before making the crust?

      Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Thomas

        January 05, 2021 at 1:15 pm

        Sorry to hear that Roy! I would assume your tofu was a bit too soft, try removing excess water by pressing it in a press, or in a nut milk bag.

        Reply
    13. Karen H.

      November 02, 2021 at 1:40 pm

      I am so excited to try this for Thanksgiving! Can it be frozen?

      Reply
      • Thomas

        November 04, 2021 at 8:03 am

        Unfortunately I have never tried freezing it, but I think it should freeze pretty well.

        Reply
    14. bill

      November 24, 2021 at 8:44 pm

      can I make this for thanksgiving thanks

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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