The vegan Jewish deli fare craze continues. The latest to jump on the health and eco-conscious bandwagon? Whole Foods.
In the next month, vegan corned beef sandwiches will line the shelves of over 50 Whole Foods Markets in the U.S., including stores in Arizona, Hawaii, California, and Nevada. The meat-free Jewish deli favorite comes from Mrs. Goldfarb’s Unreal Deli’s plant-based corned beef recipe, and will be served on a whole-grain seeded roll with vegan Russian dressing and green leaf lettuce. (No rye bread or mustard? Sorry, that’s not a true corned beef sandwich.)
The recipe took a year to create, Unreal Deli founder Jenny Goldfarb told VegNews. “When folks started tasting it, we were able to fool many into thinking they were eating real meat,” she said. “That’s when we knew it was more than just a recipe, but a business.”
The Nosher celebrates the traditions and recipes that have brought Jews together for centuries. Donate today to keep The Nosher's stories and recipes accessible to all.
Goldfarb has a history with deli meats. When her great-grandparents emigrated from Romania to New York City, they opened a chain of delis. In 2011, Goldfarb made a voyage of her own from NYC to California and adopted a vegan diet, but she didn’t forget about the family business. Still passionate about those delicious deli meats of her childhood, the entrepreneur developed her vegan corned beef recipe.
Earlier this summer, Los Angeles’ famed Canter’s Deli picked up Goldfarb’s recipe for their meatless Reuben. Unreal Corned Beef is set to expand even more in the coming months, soon available at 27 Gelson’s Markets in California, and will soon hit delis and restaurants in New York, Boston, and Washington D.C. So vegan deli lovers, you’re in luck!
Image does not accurately reflect Unreal Corned Beef sandwich.
More Jewish culture: New documentary explores the making of “Fiddler on the Roof”
