I already tried the calamari and fish fillets, both of which I loved. This time, Zach and I decided to try the breaded vegan shrimp. We wanted to serve the shrimp with cocktail sauce so we found a great sauce made by Wine Country Kitchens in Napa Valley. Beware -- many cocktail sauces contain fish products so be sure to look for a vegetarian sauce.
When we got home, we thawed the shrimp, then placed them on a baking sheet and baked them according to the instructions. The shrimp are made of the konjac powder along with potato starch, paprika, agave nectar, sea salt, cargeenan, alginate from seaweed, and calcium hydroxide. The breading is made of buckwheat, oat, barley, millet, and flaxseed. They are all-natural and contain no artificial ingredients.
We served them cocktail style in little martini glasses with cocktail sauce in the middle. The result was delicious breaded vegan shrimp paired with a horseradish-based cocktail sauce that would please any crowd. The texture was similar to the calamari, but with the shape and color of shrimp. And I really thought it tasted like shrimp. Zach said it was similar, but not exactly the same. Well, that is to be expected. What a great alternative and a great way to have the taste of shrimp without the cruelty!
What do they look like without the breading? I stripped one down so you could see.
I am such a big fan of Sophie's Kitchen's products that I am beginning to feel like I should be paid for marketing for them! Eh, I get my satisfaction from sharing my experiences with my readers. I hope you have the chance to try the shrimp as well. I have not been able to find it in my area, but it is currently available in northern California. For more information on where to find these products, check here.
I love their stuff too! And I love your fancy presentation in the martini glasses. :) You can get it at Pangea, Roots, and the Takoma Park Co-Op. Possibly the Seventh Day Adventist store too--they have a lot of Asian mock meats and I buy their (unbreaded) shrimp all the time, so they may have Sophie's Kitchen.
ReplyDeleteI have found Sophie's products in the DC Whole Foods, but not the breaded shrimp. Is the breaded shrimp in all of those places?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure, they likely rotate stock, probably best to check before going if it was a special trip. Pangea should usually have it, I would assume.
ReplyDeleteI've seen one or two of the Sophie's products at the P Street Whole Foods. If you don't mind ordering online and paying for a cold pack, Vegan Essentials sells them. It's about three days in shipping.
ReplyDeleteI stopped eating the real shrimp almost 28 years ago because I discovered that they were scavengers. I just tried the Sophie's Breaded Shrimp. They were absolutely delicious. I bake them about 3-5 minutes longer to make the breading a little crunchier. If the other products are anything like these shrimp I'm sure I will love them too. I'm already thinking of having a party to introduce this product to my other friends. Great subsitute for the real thing.
ReplyDeleteYes, agreed! I think all of their products are great. You'll have to try others as well!
ReplyDeleteWonderful!
ReplyDelete