Review of 'Gardein' Chick'n Marsala

Gardein -- Chick'n Marsala (vegan)
Overall Rating: 2.5/5
Summary: no, Gardein...no. This was quite bland and relies heavily on the sauce for flavour...but the sauce itself is not impressive in flavour. I expected richness in spices but I instead got a slight smoky taste and that's about it. This would have been better used sliced and stir fried with some veggies rather than used as a quick meal.

Where to buy: Fortinos, Metro


Ingredients: water, soy protein isolate*, vital wheat gluten*, expeller pressed/canola oil, organic ancient grain flour (kamut®, amaranth, millet, quinoa), natural flavors (from plant sources), modified vegetable gum, yeast extract, sea salt, organic cane sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, potato starch, pea protein, carrot fiber, organic beetroot fiber, extractives of paprika and turmeric. rub: red bell pepper flakes. sauce: water, onions, Marsala wine reduction, roasted garlic, expeller pressed/canola oil, corn starch, organic cane sugar, mushrooms, natural flavor (from plant sources),sea salt, spices, konjac, xanthan gum, soy lecithin.

Nutrition Facts:

Serving size: 1 piece without sauce

Calories: 150

Total fat: 6g

     Saturated: 0g

     Trans: 0g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 350mg

Total Carb: 5g

     Dietary fiber: 2g

     Sugars: 0g

Protein: 18g

Vitamin A: 2%

Calcium: 4%

Iron: 15%

As with most Gardein products I've had, the nutritional profile is pretty good (high protein, iron, and not too shabby fiber).

So I understand that the sauce is a 'wine reduction', but seriously...maybe it was *too* 'reduced' because I really couldn't find any impressive flavours. When I hear marsala, I'm thinking flavour explosion. The texture resembled chicken breast, which was nice. The portion size was pretty good as well and it was actually pretty filling.

I'll pass on buying this again.

Other Gardein products (all vegan):

• Tuscan Breasts
• Chick'n Good Stuff
• Sante Fe Good Stuff
• BBQ Pulled Shreds
• BBQ Skewers
• Chick'n Filets 
• Meatless Ground
• Homestyle Beefless Burger
• Classic Beefless Burger
• Sloppy Joes
• Chick'n Strips
• Beefless Strips

 Brand (quoted from gardein.com):

• The majority of gardein ingredients come from North American farms.
• Uses non-MSG yeast extract to enhance gardein™'s flavor.  
• "...wherever possible, we use the best organic and certified non-GMO ingredients..."
• "...we like to diversify our proteins by using wheat, soy and pea proteins..."
• Ccontains no preservatives or artificial flavors.  
• "Our soy is grown in the United States and Canada."
• "...our suppliers ensure that all our ingredients do not contain pesticides or herbicides - in line with all federal, state/provincial, and municipal regulations."
• "... we only use 'identity-preserved' soy protein (which basically means, it helps to ensure us that our soy protein is not genetically modified)."