My Favorite Veggie Burger

A tasty and firm whole foods plant-based vegetable burger patty that puts the bite back into an all-American classic.

For our first real date, my husband took me to Red Robin. I had never been before and couldn’t get over how many different burger options there were. In time, it became one of our favorite places for date night. I have always enjoyed a good hamburger, especially when it’s accompanied with golden French fries and Heinz ketchup.

Besides, there isn’t a food more American than a grilled burger and fries. Many restaurants, like Red Robin, spotlight this iconic American sandwich, featuring a grilled patty in between a soft hamburger bun. And the associated toppings seem endless!! You can put just about anything on a burger. The patty itself can be made with a myriad of ingredients and topped with even more off-the-wall imaginations. I’ve seen caramelized onions, french fried onion straws, guacamole, hummus, all manner of aioli, sautéed mushrooms, fried jalapeños and pickles, sauerkraut, fried onion rings, french fries, grilled pineapple, cole slaw, and more!!

What toppings do you like putting on your veggie burger?

I usually opt for a classic Veggie Burger, just like these little beauties.

Even though many restaurants do offer the tasty Impossible burger or a variety of a veggie burger, we try not to eat them much. For one thing, it’s really hard to order a veggie burger at a restaurant without gorging on delicious golden french fries. This is especially true with Red Robin’s bottomless fries.

So, the fact that I have no self-control can be an issue. But the amount of added salt and oil are two more reasons we eat a lot more meals at home now. I can’t justify consuming that many calories and fat in one meal, no matter how delicious it is.

Today, there are a lot of commercial vegan burger products available at the grocery store, including many vegetable and bean-based veggie burgers. I shouldn’t admit this, but I have purchased and tried a plethora of commercial veggie burgers. I simply enjoy burgers a lot.

One thing that I’ve learned is that it is super important that you carefully read all of the ingredients on the label since some products do contain eggs and dairy, or they contain an excessive amount of oil and salt. This only matters if you are trying to avoid these ingredients.

And if you’re anything like me, you may find that most commercial veggie burgers made with actual vegetables (and no eggs) tend to be a bit oily and/or mushy.

Have you ever bitten into a veggie burger only to have it squirt out the sides of your bun onto your hands or plate? I’ve had this happen more times than not. And it kinda grosses me out. I don’t care for mushy food of any kind. It’s just one of my weird little quirks.

And the mushy veggie burger is no exception. I just don’t want my veggie burger mushing out of my bun when the slightest pressure is applied. No matter how I prepared them, the patty inevitably mushes out of the bun. My ideal veggie burger needs to be firm.

I have tried many many recipes. The majority of veggie burgers out there are just too soft and mushy.

After a great deal of trial and error, I discovered a technique that results in a firm enough texture and boasts wholesome nutrition. A not-mushy or oily veggie burger?

Yup, I officially declare that I have indeed achieved the holy grail of the all-American veggie burger!!

So this is it.

Not only does this veggie burger contain a whole lot of wholesome plant-based fiber and nutrition, it actually holds together very well. The patty itself isn’t too soft, contains zero oil, and does not mush out of my bun.

I’m telling you, this is legit.

I present to you a firm and tasty veggie burger that doesn’t fall apart on the grill and doesn’t squirt out of my bun.

Best of all, this burger is absolutely delicious all on its own straight up on a soft hamburger bun. It’s pretty versatile, too. My husband always puts a slice of cheese on his burger, typically Daiya cheddar slices or Follow Your Heart smoked gouda slices.

I prefer my burger with lettuce, tomato, purple onion, some mayo, ketchup, and spicy brown mustard. I know it’s the standard fare, but why mess with perfection?

And every now and again, I sauté some onions and mushrooms with a little Follow Your Heart smoked gouda cheese. Yum.

So how is this firm veggie burger achieved?

I’m glad you asked. There are two important techniques used in this recipe.

First, you need to dice up all of your ingredients fine but in tact. Please don’t worry, we’re going to let the food processor do most of the heavy lifting. Please keep in mind, you’re not trying to puree anything. All of the ingredients are pulsed and need to be chopped fine. It’s important that you keep some texture, which is quickly and easily done in a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, a knife works, too. It just takes a little longer.

Second, you’re going to hone your simultaneous cooking skills. Basically, you’re going to have two skillets or pans on the stove at the same time. This improves your efficiency. It also ensures your ingredients cook more uniformly at a lower temperature. You can definitely make this recipe using one large skillet or pan – it will just take a little longer.

Alternatively, you can roast the ingredients on baking sheets in the oven; but again, that takes time but it also makes it harder to monitor the wetness or dryness of your ingredients. An oven also adds quite a bit more heat to your kitchen, which may or may not be a good thing.

This is a critical step and can’t be overlooked since wet ingredients result in a soft mushy patty that squishes out of your bun the second you take a bite. This is not what we are looking for.

To start, combine your flax meal and piping hot water in a small bowl. I use a tea kettle to get the water close to boiling. Hot water just blends nicely with the flax meal, which acts as the binder or glue that keeps everything together.

Some veggie burgers use eggs as a binder; but flax meal works just as well, if not better. Check out the viscosity of this flax “egg”.

The next thing you need to do is cook your mushrooms with the balsamic vinegar. This enhances the umami flavor, which lends to a nice full burger flavor. But please don’t think this is going to make your veggie burger taste like an Impossible Whopper. These are vegetables. There is no heme in this recipe.

It takes 10-15 minutes to get the mushrooms to release their liquid. Just keep stirring every minute or two so everything cooks evenly. Once the mushrooms appear somewhat dry, add in your walnuts and continue cooking on low to medium heat until they’re almost dry, about 5 more minutes. Then add in the beans and rice. Continue cooking until the entire mixture is fairly dry. Once this process is complete, turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

In a separate skillet, cook your vegetables. You can use any vegetables you wish, but I’ve included the quantities and varieties I enjoy using. Just like your mushrooms, you’re going to cook your vegetables on a medium-low heat. You want everything to cook uniformly. When they’re not quite dry, add in your garlic. Then turn off the heat and allow the ingredients to cool slightly.

While your vegetables and mushrooms are cooking, pulse the oats in the food processor and combine with all of the remaining ingredients in a very large bowl. Then add your mushroom mixture and then your vegetables on top. Combine gently but thoroughly.

I use my hands here. For one thing, it’s easier to combine and a lot more fun – well, until someone calls you or rings your door bell. Then it’s downright messy.

All of these ingredients should come together and form into a nice dough. You should also see that you still have plenty of texture from your walnuts, rice, beans, and vegetable medley.

Depending on the size of your vegetables and how dry or wet your ingredients are, you should have 40-44 ounces of veggie burger dough, which is enough to make ten to eleven 4-ounce veggie burgers or twenty to twenty-two 2-ounce veggie sliders.

I use a scale to measure out the portions of dough and roll them into a ball. I also like to use a hamburger press to make sure the patties are uniform in size. This helps even cooking, but your hands can easily make this happen – you’ve got skillz.

Once your burgers are portioned and shaped, bake or grill for 20-30 minutes, depending on their size. I recommend grilling them as it enhances the flavor. They are sturdy enough to grill all on their own but you can also cook them on a cast iron griddle or skillet.

These patties freeze extremely well and can be reheated anytime you are craving a tasty veggie burger. This also makes weekday meal prep super fast and simple.

These veggie burgers love being nestled in between my Soft Hamburger Buns. The recipe can be found here.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp flax meal
• 4 Tbsp very hot water

• 8-10 ounces bella mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup walnuts (any nuts will do)
• 2 cups beans (pinto/black)
• 1 cup brown rice, cooked

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• ½ cup beets, sliced or chopped
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic

• ½ cup oats
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste*
• 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• ½ tsp black pepper
• Salt to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Stir together the flax meal and very hot water. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, pulse the mushrooms until finely diced.  Sauté in a large skillet on medium low heat until almost dry.  
3. Pulse the walnuts a few times.  Then add to the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is dry.
4. Meanwhile, pulse all of the vegetables in the food processer until finely diced.  
5. Sauté the vegetables in a separate skillet on medium low heat until dry.
6. Pulse the beans and rice. Add to the mushroom-walnut mixture and stir to combine.  Continue to sauté, breaking it up. Then turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly. 
7. Add minced garlic and continue to sauté the vegetables until mixture is dry.  Then turn off the heat and allow to cool a little. 
8. Meanwhile, pulse the oats until fine.
9. In a large bowl, combine the oats and all of the remaining ingredients, including the vegetable mixture and the mushroom/bean/rice mixture.
10. Stir until combined.  I found it’s easier to do this with my hands.
11. Form the dough into equal size balls – 4 ounces for large patties, 3 ounces for regular, and 2 ounces for sliders.
12. Turn on the oven or grill to 350° F.  This gives the patties 15-30 minutes to rest.
13. Bake or grill for 20-30 minutes, until cooked firm.
14. Serve on hamburger buns with desired condiments and toppings.

Notes

• * If you prefer, you can substitute ketchup or barbecue sauce for the tomato paste.
• You can use any kind of nut (including cashews or almonds), but walnuts are softer, contain a nice neutral flavor, and provide a great firm texture in this veggie burger.
• These veggie burgers are great on pretzel rolls, my soft hamburger buns, or english muffins. This veggie burger also makes a great old-fashioned patty melt nestled in between toasted bread and cheese.