How to Make the Best Veggie Burgers
I am not a vegetarian. And, what’s more, this is not a post about vegetarianism. I’m not going to tell you how much meat you should or shouldn’t be eating and when/why/where you should and shouldn’t be eating it. That’s not my bag. For me though (I can tell you about myself), I try to keep the amount of meat I cook for my family in check – not too much – and when I can, I try to source it locally or at least with some consideration as to where it came from and how it was produced. I’m lucky to live in an area where there are several local farms and co-ops that have wonderful selections and options for folks who want to keep it local. All of these things just make sense to me, and seem like the responsible way to go about eating meat – at least for me. However, locally sourcing your proteins can add up; it gets a little pricey after a while (which is one major reason why I try to keep the amount I purchase and consume in check).
I’ve made no secret of the fact that cheeseburgers are my favorite food my last meal, in fact. But even so, it seems fairly unreasonable and highly unhealthy to eat meat-filled cheeseburgers every time a craving strikes (even though I’m almost positive I wouldn’t get sick of them). So, instead I like to lean on some veggie-filled alternatives that hit all the marks and check the major boxes that I’m looking for. Enter, this perfect, perfect veggie burger. Perfect because it does, in fact, hit all of the aforementioned marks. It’s crisp on the outside and super flavorful; it makes a sturdy, hearty bed for any and all toppings with which you choose to pile it and, while the ingredient list is rather long, each ingredient does truly serve its own noble purpose and just like me, I’ll bet you have quite a few of the items in your pantry/fridge already.
So, though the the list may be long, the method is simple, very effective, and truly worth trying. So much that I’m totally comfortable with stepping outside my usual 10-ingredients-or-less policy. This recipe is one you simply need to have.
While my recipe here has taken some major cues from the NYT Cooking veggie burger, my initial inspiration for creating and sharing a recipe for the perfect veggie burger stems from my longtime love of a local favorite of mine. Fat Dan’s is a popular eatery in my hood in Indianapolis that is primarily known for their Italian beef, Chicago-style hot dogs, and their insanely delicious french fries (my favorite). People flock to this place, y’all. I personally champion their wondrously delicious veggie burger, which sits way down their simple menu so very unassumingly – you’d miss it if you weren’t looking for it. Apparently I was looking at one point and ordered it on a whim. One bite was all it took to win me over completely and I’ve yet to sample a veggie burger anywhere that even comes close to theirs.
Until I made one myself.
My trials and errors on the road to figuring out how to make the perfect veggie burger (read: how to recreate Fat Dan’s veggie burger) led me to the concoction you see here and I think you guys are going to love it. Again, it’s a bit of a riff on the NYT veggie burger, but I’ve tweaked it some and streamlined it just a bit to make it a little more accessible for home cooks everywhere (i.e. not test kitchen chefs who have the markets and stores of NYC at their disposal). I’ve My Kitchen Little-ized it. Ha. Enjoy guys.
If these veggie burgers strike your fancy, you might also love:
Honey Toasted Halloumi and Bacon Sandwiches
Jalapeno Crusted Grilled Turkey, Apple & Cheese Sandwiches
How to Make the Best Veggie Burgers
The list of ingredients is rather lengthy here – I’m clearly breaking my “10 ingredients or less” policy – but many of these items are things you’ve probably got already and the method to follow is simple and straightforward. By giving the mushrooms, tofu, beans, and beets a roast, you eliminate a lot of their moisture, thus contributing to a more firm (i.e. less mushy) burger in the end. A step that is absolutely worth doing, as it is a noticeable difference maker. Please feel free to substitute a different nut for the cashews, as well as plain brown or white rice for the basmati. I like to add cheese to mine, and then serve them on toasted brioche buns with lettuce, tomato, sliced onion, pickles, and ketchup, mustard, and mayo … so, the usual suspects.
- Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
· 4 oz. extra-firm tofu drained and sliced into ¼-inch-thick planks/pieces
· Olive oil
· ½ pound baby Bella mushrooms trimmed and sliced
· Salt and pepper as needed
· 15-ounce can kidney beans rinsed and drained
· 3 whole canned beets sliced into thin rounds
· ¾ cup cashews or almonds, pistachios or walnuts
· ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
· 1 TBSP soy sauce
· 2 oz. feta cheese crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
· 2 large eggs
· 2 TBSP mayonnaise plus more for the sauce
· 2 scallions sliced
· 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
· ¾ tsp smoked paprika (often called Hungarian smoked paprika)
· 4 oz. tempeh crumbled
· ½ cup cooked Basmati rice
· Toppings of your choice buns, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, sauces, etc.
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Line two large baking sheets with either parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Place the sliced tofu on one of the baking sheets and drizzle with a thin layer of the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. On the same sheet, add the mushrooms and also drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. On the second baking sheet, add the beans and the beets. Drizzle with a little oil (probably 2 tsp total) and season with salt and pepper. Place both baking sheets in the preheated oven and cook the beets/beans for about 13 – 15 minutes, or until the beans have split and the beets have shrunken down and dried up a bit. Keep the tofu/mushrooms in a bit longer, about 25 to 30 minutes total, until the shrooms are shriveled up and significantly darker and the tofu has taken on a golden brown glow around the edges.
4. Meanwhile add the cashews to your food processor and pulse until they’re a fine crumb.
5. When the veggies/tofu/beans are out of the oven. Add them all to the food processor with the nuts. Add the panko, soy sauce, feta, eggs, mayo, scallions, garlic, and smoked paprika. Season to taste with salt; I use a good 2 tsp here, sometimes more, as this is a lot of mix and you really want it to taste well-seasoned. You can adjust that amount as needed. Process until everything is broken down and well-combined. Lastly, add the tempeh and the rice. Process once more, just until well-combined. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before forming into burgers.
6. To make/cook the burgers, form the chilled mixture into 6-evenly sized patties, about ½”-thick (I find thinner veggie patties are more enjoyable to eat, and that 1” is a bit too much; but that’s just me. You make them as thick or thin as you like).
7. If you’re grilling them outside, heat the grill to medium-low. Cook the burgers until they are charred on both sides and firm to the touch; about 5 to 6 minutes per side. If they start to burn before they’re done, simply move them to the perimeter/sides of the grill so they can continue to heat through over indirect heat. If cooking inside (which is what I do), you can cook them in a nonstick skillet or a well-seasoned cast-iron pan in a thin layer of olive or canola oil, over low heat, until crisp on both sides and cooked through in the center; about 7 to 8 minutes per side.
8. Serve the burgers as you like, on buns or not, loaded with your favorite toppings.
