How to Make Vegetarian Hamburgers

Finding a tasty vegetarian burger recipe that doesn’t rely on tofu or mashed beans is difficult. Many recipes also use eggs or dairy to “bind” the patties together. Vegetarians, particularly vegans, often have to find creative solutions to meal dilemmas. One great solution is this recipe for vegetarian burgers. Although it’s true that anyone could buy a package of frozen vegan or vegetarian burgers, at $4 or $5 per package of only four patties, the cost of feeding a growing family can get rather steep. These burgers taste more “meaty” than those using beans or tofu, and can be cooked, then wrapped and frozen. Experiment with various flavorings and seasonings--barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce or steak sauce--to tailor this recipe to your particular tastes. This recipe can yield up to eight burgers, depending on the size of each burger.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Large mixing bowl
• Mixing spoon
• 1/2 lb. Kikkoman panko bread crumbs
• One (20 oz.) can “Vege-burger” (Worthington/Loma Linda brand) or one thawed package frozen vegan “Grillers Crumbles” (Morningstar Farms brand)
• 1/4 to ½ cup of wheat flour
• 1 tbsp. egg replacer powdered egg substitute
• ¼ to 1 cup water or unflavored soy milk
• One onion, minced
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder (optional)
• Seasonings of your choice
• Frying pan and spatula
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

1. Place the panko bread crumbs and the Vege-Burger or vegan crumbles into the mixing bowl. Stir to loosen.

2. Combine the flour and the egg replacer and add them to the contents of the bowl. Mix together thoroughly.

3. Pour the water or soy milk into the bowl to moisten the “meat.” Add the minced onion, garlic powder and seasonings. Stir again very well, making sure to incorporate the onion and the seasonings into the mixture.

4. Allow the combined ingredients to stand for up to 15 minutes.

5. Shape the mixture into individual patties. Add vegetable oil to a frying pan and cook the burgers over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides and firm. Add lettuce, vegan cheddar, tomato slices or your favorite condiments and toppings. Serve on a bun and enjoy.

Tips & Warnings

• If you would like to grill these burgers, place a few of them at a time in a grilling basket (usually reserved for grilling vegetables) before putting them over charcoal. If you have one, the wire basket that is sometimes used to submerge food for deep-frying can also work well. Brush the basket with vegetable oil first.
• Vegan burgers will cook much faster than burgers made from meat, regardless of your cooking method. Watch them closely during cooking, and only cook them until they feel firm, and can be easily flipped over.

Resources

• Many more recipes at Cooks.com