Hey guys! It’s been a while since I did a product review but let me tell you, this is a good one, so stay tuned. As I’m sure everybody’s heard, Tesco has launched a brand new meal range that’s TOTALLY plant based and vegan. I know, it’s exciting.
Produced in collaboration with American chef Derek Sarno, Wicked Kitchen is his way to ‘celebrate everything that’s tasty about plants’, and it sure does. I tried 5 of the dishes to give you guys a totally honest review. There are actually LOADS of dishes available including sandwiches, wraps, salads, ready meals and sourdough pizzas. The range is available at selected Tesco stores, which is kind of amazing.. especially, but not only, for us vegans.
The whole Wicked Kitchen range is super quick to prep. Most of the ready meals I tried were microwavable and ready to eat within 5 minutes, which is a huge positive for busy and on the go people. The cost, in my opinion, reflects the nature of the product: fresh, high quality and creatively designed dishes.
Also, how AWESOME is this packaging!?
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BBQ MUSHROOM SOURDOUGH PIZZA
So first up is the BBQ Mushroom Sourdough Pizza. Personally I love sourdough and I love the bold punch of a barbecue flavour so this was potentially a marriage made in heaven for me! A ten minute blast in the oven and it was good to go. When I first tried it, I thought there was slightly too much of the base, making it that bit too dry. However, the overall taste was delicious: it had a smokey flavour with undertones of fruity sweetness followed by a touch of heat from the chillis that hit the back of your throat. Seriously, mushrooms have never tasted so good.. these pulled king oyster mushrooms had a meaty texture, meaning you don’t feel you’re missing out on anything at all!
So first up is the BBQ Mushroom Sourdough Pizza. Personally I love sourdough and I love the bold punch of a barbecue flavour so this was potentially a marriage made in heaven for me! A ten minute blast in the oven and it was good to go. When I first tried it, I thought there was slightly too much of the base, making it that bit too dry. However, the overall taste was delicious: it had a smokey flavour with undertones of fruity sweetness followed by a touch of heat from the chillis that hit the back of your throat. Seriously, mushrooms have never tasted so good.. these pulled king oyster mushrooms had a meaty texture, meaning you don’t feel you’re missing out on anything at all!
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GUNPOWDER POTATO CHANA MASALA
This Indian inspired dish was SO tasty. If you’re like me and Saag aloo is a staple on your take out menu – this one’s for you. It’s satisfying, fresh and tasty all at the same time. I loved the pairing of the masala chickpeas and the roasted spiced potatoes. Personally, I would have preferred slightly more of the masala sauce to counter the starchy rice and potatoes. But still, a really yummy dinner.
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KUNG FU BOWL
You don’t get fresher than this lunch bowl. This simple meal required no prep at all, making it a perfect plant based lunch for a busy working day! With smokey crumbled tofu, miso brown rice, quinoa and freshly steamed broccoli, it made for a delicious, filling lunch, and packed with all the good stuff too. The dressing of pineapple and sweet chilli was light and zippy. The flavours here were a little less bold than some of the other dishes, but sometimes simplicity is the key, especially for those mid-week lunches.
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BBQ BUTTERNUT MAC
Definitely the prettiest and most colourful of the dishes, this take on the classic (non-vegan) mac + cheese, can certainly satisfy those cheesy cravings. The strong BBQ flavoured roasted mushrooms perfectly complimented the creamy butternut squash sauce – an unusual but successful pairing. The crunchy texture of the purple cabbage further enhanced the dish – Sarno’s creativity really shines through on this one.
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VEGGIE PASTA AND AMAZEBALLS
So I’ve definitely saved the best ’til last with this one. To my surprise, I was delightfully blown away with this dish. I can’t fault it! It scores on all fronts due to the rich and sweet tomato and red piquillo pepper sauce, the perfectly moist chickpea veggie balls, and the meaty chunks of charred courgette and aubergine. The added touch of a parsley garnish added a welcome freshness to the warmth of the dish.
These dishes absolutely lived up to my expectations. I was seriously excited when I first heard about Wicked Kitchen, and now I can’t wait to head back to Tesco and try the rest of the range (I’m looking at you, Hoisin Mushroom Wrap). Whether you want to reduce your environmental foot print or simply experiment with a more plant based diet, the vast array of choices means that you will most certainly be able to find a dish to suit your palate. Mighty plant flavours have definitely been unleashed – It’s a thumbs up from me.
This post is sponsored by Tesco, but as usual all opinions expressed are my own.
