Over the years more and more people are foregoing the meat, whether they are going full-on vegan or vegetarian, or participating in things like Meatless Monday. Plus, with the rise in the cost of meat, due to the pandemic, many are looking for some meat-free options. So why not try a veggie burger?
Below are recipes for 3 different veggie burgers. Will they taste like the real thing? No, they won’t, because they are not designed to mimic it. Instead, they make up delicious sandwiches all on their own. Check them out!
Black Bean Burger
You’ve probably seen a black bean burger on a restaurant menu or too, and for a good reason, they’re a tasty meat-free alternative. To make this burger I followed this recipe from Minimalist Baker, except I subbed in brown sugar for coconut sugar, and olive oil for avocado oil. It turned out great. The best part of this recipe is the patty sticks together really well so you can grill it! Also, their method for making the patties is a stroke of genius in my opinion, so I used it to make all of the burgers. In terms of flavor, I would say it kind of reminds me of a gourmet sloppy joe. I recommend topping this burger with Mexican or Spanish cheese, lettuce, avocados (or guac is even better!), and salsa.
Ingredients
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup raw walnuts
1/2 Tbsp olive oil (plus more for cooking)
1/2 medium white onion (finely diced // 1/2 onion yields ~3/4 cup)
1 Tbsp each chili powder, cumin powder, and smoked paprika
1/2 tsp each sea salt and black pepper (plus more for coating burgers)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans* (well rinsed, drained and patted dry)
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
4 Tbsp vegan BBQ sauce
Method
Heat skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add raw walnuts and toast for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and golden brown. Let cool and set aside. In the meantime, heat another skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and onion. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until onion is fragrant, soft, and translucent. Remove from heat and set aside. Once walnuts are cooled, add to blender or food processor with all the spices - chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and brown sugar and blend until a fine meal. Set aside. To a large mixing bowl, add drained, dried black beans and mash well with a fork, leaving only a few whole beans. Next add cooked rice, spice-walnut mixture, sautéed onion, panko bread crumbs, BBQ sauce, and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon for 1-2 minutes, or until a moldable dough forms. Add more BBQ sauce or bread crumbs as needed to get the desired texture. To help form the patties, line your 1/2 measuring cup with plastic wrap and pack with burger mixture. Press down to pack firmly, then lift out by the plastic wrap’s edge, and slightly flatten with hands to form a 3/4-inch thick patty. This should make about 5 burgers. Grill them up a 3-4 minutes on each side and serve!
Falafel Burger
This mouthwatering burger tastes like what it is named after, a falafel! For this burger I followed this recipe from the Minimalist Baker. Since it tastes like falafel, I kept the Middle Eastern theme and topped with feta cheese, tomatoes, onions, pickles, hummus, and an olive tamponade. Yum!
Ingredients
1 bundle fresh parsley (1 bundle yields ~2 cups chopped)
3 large cloves garlic
1 large lemon (1 large lemon yields ~2 1/2 Tbsp juice)
1/2 scant tsp each sea salt + black pepper
1 1/4 tsp cumin
1 15-ounce can chickpeas (well rinsed and drained)
1/4 - 1/2 cup ground raw walnuts
Method
Add walnuts to a food processor and blend until a meal is produced, and set aside. To a now-empty food processor, add parsley, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and a healthy pinch each salt and pepper to a food processor and mix to combine. Add chickpeas and pulse until incorporated but still slightly chunky. You want to maintain a bit of texture. If it doesn’t all fit, empty the parsley mixture into a large mixing bowl and then add the chickpeas. Transfer everything to a mixing bowl and adding nut meal and mix again until a loose dough is formed that’s firm enough to be handled. You may need to add some olive oil in to make the mixture stick together better. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. To help form the patties, line your 1/2 measuring cup with plastic wrap and pack with burger mixture. Press down to pack firmly, then lift out by the plastic wrap’s edge, and slightly flatten with hands to form a 3/4-inch thick patty. This should make 4 patties. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze for 15 minutes to firm up. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (in the meantime). Bake for a total of 30-40 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point for even cooking. Keep in mind, the longer you bake them, the firmer they’ll get. Then, serve!
Lentil Burger
This is a very solid, tasty veggie burger. Since it has no real strong flavors, I feel this one is best done up like a classic burger with onions, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, mustard, ketchup, and whatever else you like. I followed this recipe from the Food Network. For this burger, I used canned lentils instead of dried lentils because I wanted to skip cooking them.
Ingredients
2.5 cups canned lentils, well rinsed
2 1⁄2cups water
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1⁄2 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3⁄4 cup rolled oats, finely ground
3⁄4 cup breadcrumbs
Method
First, put the oats in a food processor and blend until they are finely ground. Sauté the onions and carrot in the oil until soft, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, it will take about 5 minutes. In a bowl, mix the cooked ingredients with the pepper, soy sauce, milled oats, and bread crumbs. You will need to mash the lentils a bit to get it to all stick together. You can also add a touch more olive oil if they are too dry, or more bread crumbs if too wet. To help form the patties, line your 1/2 measuring cup with plastic wrap and pack with burger mixture. Press down to pack firmly, then lift out by the plastic wrap’s edge, and slightly flatten with hands to form a 3/4-inch thick patty. This should make about 6 patties. Burgers can then be cooked in a skillet with some oil for 2-4 minutes on each side or baked at 400 F for 15 minutes. Then, serve!