by Catherine Misener
Yves Italian Veggie Ground Round yields a great classic Bolognese Sauce – it has the same texture and consistency as ground beef, without the added fat.
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This week we feature Yves Italian Veggie Ground Round. Ground Round is a meat analog or substitute, that is made from soy protein and 100% vegetable ingredients. It comes in a 12 oz package and is equivalent to 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef.
Ground Round can be used in place of ground beef in most recipes, providing a similar texture and consistency, without much fat. In fact, 1 serving (1/3 cup) has 60 calories; 0 fat; and is cholesterol-free.
As this product has Italian seasonings, it is great in pasta sauces, meatballs, and lasagna. For meatballs, you may want to use this product as an extender – use it in place of 1/4 – 1/2 of the ground beef called for in your recipe. This is also a great way of introducing a soy product to your family.
The Test
We used Yves Italian Veggie Ground Round in a Bolognese Sauce. We then used the Bolognese sauce in three different ways: straight over spaghetti; in Baked Mostaccioli; and in Classic Lasagna. We also compared it with the same sauce made with two other products – TVP and Lite Life’s Soy Crumbles.
Results
Using the Veggie Ground Round yielded a great Bolognese Sauce. The sauce had the same texture and consistency as one using ground beef; however, it was not as oily and was not as “heavy”. This was especially noticeable when we used the sauce in a lasagna recipe. The dish was very satisfying and filling, but you did not feel as if you had had such a heavy meal (which usually happens after most meat lasagnas).
As a stand-alone sauce, using either TVP or Ground Round will provide a very satisfying and tasty sauce. TVP creates a smoother sauce, more like a Marinara rather than a Bolognese. While good over pasta, it did not work as well in lasagna. If you want a heartier, classic type of lasagna using ground round is best. Even using the soy crumbles did not work as well – the crumbles were too small and did not provide the same texture or consistency as did the ground round. While very good in other dishes, it did not work as well here.
Final Comments
Yves Italian Veggie Ground Round is one of the better meat analogs on the market. This company also offers Regular (unseasoned) Ground Round for non-Italian dishes or if you prefer to use your own blend of seasonings. Even using the Italian flavored, we added a small number of additional herbs.
At approx. $2.89 per 12 oz, it is a good buy (consider that 1 1/2 lbs. of the least expensive ground beef would be about $4.50). It is much healthier than ground beef and provides the same “mouth feel”, minus the grease found in even extra lean ground beef.
If you would like to learn more about this product, please visit Yves Veggie Products