Plantidote Foods: Wholesome & Tasty Vegan Plant-Based Patties, Made in CT

As keepers of Connecticut culinary intel, we field a lot of reader queries. One question commonly asked is, “Where can I get really good quality, great tasting vegan food?” One that also answers the question, “Why can’t I understand half the ingredients in the so-called healthy convenience store foods?” We recently came across Plantidote Foods vegan, ready made plant-based patties, and they check all the boxes. They taste great, have just 10 nutrient packed ingredients, all of which you can see, pronounce and understand, and they are made right here in Norwalk, CT.

Photo Credit: Liz Rueven

The founder of Plantidote Foods is Danielle Lutsky, but the inspiration for Plantidote’s lentil based patties was Lutskys mother in law, who was battling illness, and her husband, a lifelong athlete, who both needed to make some diet changes. As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention, and Lutsky created the recipe for her lentil based patties as a way of healing and feeding her family by supplementing their meals with something plant-based, tasty and nutrient dense.

“When we decided to replace animal protein for a plant based protein that isn’t filled with crap, I noticed that so many brands that seem family friendly have a second ingredient that’s basically wood pulp. I needed a whole food protein that had all the health benefits of an animal protein, that was nutrient dense, but as easy to cook up for dinner as a grilled chicken breast,” says Lutsky. “What really drives me insane in the "health" food world is that 99% of food that's marketed as plant based, vegan or healthy is filled with absolute garbage. They contain things that improve taste but are definitely not good for you.”

When Lutsky started R&D on her plant-based patty, she knew she wanted to start with lentils as a base. Lentils are easy to cook, they provide a ton of protein, and are extremely versatile. Additionally, red lentils have a wonderful nuttiness and sweetness that worked well with the flavor profiles she wanted to create. She came up with this recipe that has full spectrum of amino acids, and researched how to make the grains and beans most digestible. This included a deep dive into the work of David Chang’s use of Kombu (umami) to break down the sugars in beans and helps you digest it better. 

Once she had the foundation, she started to play with flavors and mouthfeel. “When we were contemplating texture, we knew we didn’t want to be eating mush. We had started with farro but then quickly moved on to oat groats as they were toothsome, held together better, and, as a bonus, are gluten free." They also did extensive biofeedback testing to assess how customers felt after eating the patty to ensure good digestion. The patties passed the tummy check, and my own personal testing yielded the same results. I was satiated and felt great after substituting this for my standard lunch burger. Turns out this is the Plantidote promise.

“It's so much more than a burger you stick in a sandwich. It's your center of the plate protein source when you're craving variety and something that makes you feel good after you eat it,” says Lutsky.

Plantidote plant-based patties come in five flavors: Original/Umami (garlic cheese), Sesame Ginger & Lime Garlic, Seasonal, and lastly, my favorite, Curry. The original base contains: tender red lentils, juicy split pea, chewy oats and quinoa, roasted carrot, celery, onion and garlic. From there Lutsky started playing with flavors. The mildly spicy and sweet curry patty features…well…curry obviously, as well as plump raisins. Sesame Ginger is also mildly spicy, with toasted sesame seed oil, fresh ginger, sweet and tangy coconut aminos (coconut nectar, Balinese salt), and fresh lime.  The seasonal variety is their original patty with seasonal herbs (think stuffing), roasted organic celery, onion and garlic with parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme and sea salt.

And just because they come shaped as patties, does not mean you can’t get creative with these guys. Lutsky has been known to dip both sides in coconut aminos and bread crumbs, and then pan sear it. Served in a homemade biscuit with pickles and red onions, this has become their fried chicken sandwich. The patties can be served over zucchini noodles or paste, and if you break it down with some tomato sauce to make plant based meat sauce…really just about anything.

Plantidote Foods debuted at The Westport Market in May 2021, and since then and the feedback has been overwhelming positive. They sell out of roughly 400 patties every week. You can find them at The Westport Farmers’ Market, Sam Bridge Farmers’ Market, Old Greenwich Market, and on Plantidote’s website for pickup at her commercial kitchen in Norwalk. These patties sell for $18 for package of four, and each is a little bigger than 1/4 pound. Additional retail locations will be announced in March 2022.

Give them a try and let us know what you think.

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