Burgers and sausages always have a place on the grates, but the holiday is most associated with the hot dog. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council expects that Americans will eat 150,000,000 hot dogs that day — enough to stretch from New York to California with some links left over.
More of those dogs and sausages than ever before will be plant-based. According to Plant Based Foods Association, plant-based food sales were up 27 percent in 2020, topping $7 billion.
While there aren’t nearly as many vegan options in grocery stores as traditional hot dogs and sausages, there’s enough to make selecting a package feel daunting — especially at specialty grocers such as a Whole Foods which stocks even more. So to find the best options, I tried five varieties I picked up from H-E-B and Whole Foods and cooked each of them on a charcoal grill for about six minutes over high heat.
Overall, the vegan options were better than I expected, but most aren’t great. And it’s hard to find a true hot dog substitute, so vegans may have to go with something that’s more like sausage on a bun. Here’s how they ranked, from worst to best.
5. Upton’s Naturals Updog Vegan Hot Dog
The packaging is attractive, with good selling words like non-GMO, kosher and with an illustration of a dude resembling Wyatt Earp. The actual dogs were disappointing. They had a gritty texture and reeked of vinegar, a scent that didn’t burn off. $5.99 for four links at Whole Foods
4. Lightlife Smart Dogs
Although low in calories (60 calories per link), they were pretty flavorless and oddly gelatinous. $5.49 for eight links at Whole Foods
3. Field Roast Smoked Apple & Sage sausages
These links had a flavor that’s a natural for breakfast; just add a drizzling of maple syrup. But on a bun with ketchup and mustard, it was a fun and slightly sophisticated twist on a hot dog. Apples dominate the flavor, with Yukon potatoes providing the heft and a texture like bratwurst. $5.99 for six links at Whole Foods
2. Field Roast Classic Smoked frankfurters
They grilled up nice and firm and came loaded with tomato and onion flavors and even a little bit of beer that produced a delightful bite with a smoky finish — and I do like smoke. Each link comes individually wrapped in plastic, so it takes some precise cutting to keep from cutting into the dogs. $6.69 for six links at Whole Foods
1. Beyond Sausage Sweet Italian Links
I have eaten my fair share of Beyond brand burger patties, because they are tasty, and these were, too. The links had classic sweet fennel flavor with a texture than mimicked ground pork, all wrapped in a casing with a nice ballpark snap. You wouldn’t know that there wasn’t any meat in them. $8.99 for four links at H-E-B
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