The best ones I’ve tried are flavorless. The worst ones make me gag. After complaining to my husband one two many times he asked me when was I going to focus on making the perfect veggie burger instead of continually being disappointed by my purchases. Since I am quite a culinary wiz in my kitchen I decided to get to work immediately. My first attempt tasted better than anything I bought so I was encouraged to continue. The fact that my hubby still prefers turkey burgers and my kids prefer hamburgers is a blessing in disguise because it gives me the freedom to change up the recipe as much as I want without taking their taste preferences into account.
My favorite is a Thai Inspired Veggie Burger. If you follow the simple steps below and you allow your taste buds to guide you I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how delightful a Veggie Burger can be.
First off, veggie burgers are pretty simple so don’t worry about making a mistake!
Basically it can include as few or as many veggies as you like or have readily available. It can be flavored and spiced however you desire. Lastly, it needs some type of binder to keep it all together. The texture can be as moist and soft or as hard and chewy as you like based on the veggie and binder combinations you choose.
I am not a big fan of eggplant, mushrooms, or black beans so my ideal veggie burger doesn’t contain these items. If you like them they may wind up in your ideal burger. My favorite veggies to use are some combination of carrots, onion, red pepper, pepperoncinis, broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, bean sprouts, garbanzo beans, lentils, peanuts, cashews, spinach, celery, and wild rice.
I use a variety of fresh and dried herbs, wine, bullion, mustard, bbq sauce, horseradish, or liquid smoke to add some extra flavor.
I use a combination of eggs, egg substitute, peanut butter, bread crumbs, oatmeal, flour, and cornstarch to help bind the mixture together. Dried whole wheat berries, lentils, or rice can also be effective binders.
The mixture can also be blended with your choice of ground meats if you are a little unsure about making a meatless patty. Prior to adding the binder or any raw meat I taste test the veggie mixture and adjust the seasoning blend accordingly.
Pre-form the patties into the desired shape, size, and thickness and place on a cookie sheet to freeze patties. Afterwards they can be separated with wax paper and placed in to a Ziploc bag for long term storage.
I have an Advantium which cooks both sides at the same time using a combination of halogen lights and microwaves. If you are grilling them use a veggie grill pan instead of placing them directly on the grill. Cook thoroughly on one side before you flip it or it may fall apart if your mixture was a little loose.
Here is my favorite recipe....... Thai Veggie Burgers.......Enjoy!