A lot of the veggie burgers you see involve lots of ingredients, grated, chopped, mushed, and reconstituted into a burger-shaped patty. This may be the foundation on which ALL burgers are based, but when it comes to veggie burgers, it almost seems like a shame. You take such glorious ingredients and then mush them together into a homogenous lump that all too often falls apart or goes to mush as soon as you bite into it.

Dr. Weil’s burger gets around all this by using tofu as the burger patty and marinating it in a delicious, Marmite-based mixture. I know what you’re thinking: marinated tofu? Haven’t we been there, done that? I wanted a burger, not a stir fry.

But here’s the magic touch, the surprise, the transformative step that turns this into a meaty, chewy burger: Dr. Weil FREEZES the tofu, then thaws it, then squeezes it dry before adding the marinade.

For those of you who have never frozen tofu before, let me tell you: the process is completely transformative. Freezing tofu changes its texture from gelatinous and almost creamy into a something spongy, almost bread-like. Why? Well, tofu is inherently MOIST, but when you freeze it, the water in the tofu expands and forms ice crystals. Then when you thaw it, the ice melts, you squeeze out the water (gently, by pressing down on the block in a towel), leaving you with a sponge that’s just perfect for soaking up lovely marinades.

This only applies to firm tofu, not the silken stuff - I’ve tried.

(For a great primer on freezing tofu, and a delicious cooking suggestion, check out Just Bento’s Poached Frozen Tofu and Fried Frozen Tofu Cutlets.)

The things that bother me about this burger are totally superficial. First, my review is making me sound like a total Dr. Weil fan girl which I totally am not. I mean, he’s fine and all, actually I don’t know very much about him at all, so perhaps he’s a quack and I’m doing the world a disservice by extolling his burger. But this is about the food, not the man. Which brings me to my other objection - this burger is not an original Dr. Weil creation, but from Bryanna Clark Grogan’s The ( Almost ) No Fat Cookbook. I am forced to object to any cookbook, diet or food philosophy that seems to imply that eating fat is a bad thing. That’s just not how I roll. (Mind you, I did roll that way once, but I consider it a low point in my culinary escapades, marked by too many egg white omelets, and not enough avocados and almond butter).

But enough food philosophy - this is about veggie burgers, after all. Let’s see how Dr. Weil’s Tofu Burgers add up on my five-tier veggie burger rating system:

• Ingredients - 4/4 - I appreciate Dr. Weil’s use of whole, natural ingredients that are relatively easy to find, and are the types of things most of us have in the cupboard, provided you’re from England, New Zealand, Australia or any other place where Marmite and Vegemite are staple foods. And on that note, I really appreciate the use of Marmite in the marinade. It gives these burgers a deep, earthy flavour that you don’t often get in veggie burgers.
• Preparation - 4/4 - You can’t get much easier than this. The only knife-work required is slicing the tofu into slabs. The marinade is made with dried herbs and various liquids, so there’s no dicing or chopping required. Perhaps the only niggle is that its best to do the prep ahead of time so that the tofu has time to marinade. But really, this is a small niggle.
• Texture - 4/4 - I simply adore the texture of these tofu burgers. Their chewy, just a tad juicy, and with good bite. A total win in my book.
• Structural integrity - 4/4 - Again, since there is no reconstituted mush matter to these burgers, they hold their shape well. That is, provided you were GENTLE when squeezing out the water from the thawed tofu. Excessive pressure can crumble the tofu apart, so be careful in thsi stage.
• Flavor - 4/4 - This is one of the more interesting burgers I’ve ever tasted. I credit the combination of Marmite and tomato ketchup in the marinade. Its tangy, but earthy, lightened a bit by the basil and oregano.

Monica’s notes on toppings:

These burgers would do very well with traditional burger toppings such as lettuce, tomato and raw onion. But if you’re more adventurous, I highly recommend sauteed onion and sauerkraut with avocado and giardiniera. A little sweet pickle doesn’t hurt, either.

Best-Ever Tofu Burgers

Rating: 4 out of 4

Originally from Bryanna Clark Grogan’s The ( Almost ) No Fat Cookbook, endorsed and reprinted on drweil.com. The marinade is also good with a bit of Sriracha sauce mixed in - just sayin’!

Dietary stuff: Vegan, Nut-free

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. medium-firm or firm tofu (NOT silken tofu), frozen at least 48 hours
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (regular or mushroom)
• 2 tablespoons ketchup (fruit-juice sweetened, cane-sugar sweetened, or organic)
• 2 teaspoons Marmite, Vegemite or other yeast extract (gives a “beefy” flavor) or 4 teaspoons red miso
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic granules (or 1 clove garlic finely minced)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Method

 

1. Thaw out the tofu. Slice each pound block into three thick slices. Place the slices on a cookie sheet covered with a couple of clean, folded tea towels. Cover the slices with more tea towels and another cookie sheets. Weigh this arrangement down with something heavy for about 15-20 minutes. Now the tofu slices are ready for marinating.
   
   
2. Mix the marinade ingredients together and pour over the prepared tofu slices in a shallow container in one layer. Cover and let marinate for several hours or days.
   
   

 

3. Just before serving, pan-fry on a lightly-oiled heavy skillet or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned on both sides. Or cook on an indoor grill. Serve on buns with all the trimmings.
   
   

Makes: 6 burgers

Amount per burger: 121 Calories | 6.3 grams Fat | 14.2 grams Protein | 4.4 grams Carbohydrates | 1.5 grams Fiber

Daniel Acevedo (pictured with his partner, Sarah Wasserman), is head chef at Mildred’s vegetarian restaurant, famous for, among other things, its constantly changing (and always vegan) “burger of the day”.

Mildred’s beetroot burger remains one of the best veggie burgers I’ve ever had, and their kidney bean and olive burger was a close second. I wrote about these elusive burgers last year when I described my quest for the ultimate veggie burger and asked: just what are these burgers made of?

Serious about my quest, I went straight to the source, Daniel himself, and spoke to him about how they make the burgers at Mildred’s. Daniel was kind enough to entertain my burger fancies, and even shared a mouth-watering recipe for their popular beetroot and fennel burgers. Turns out, the secret is in the “Sosmix”.

The burgers at Mildred’s rock my world. Are they your own recipe?

Our burgers have been on the menu about 15 years, and I’ve been in the kitchen about six. We have a standard recipe we follow but we change the vegetables and ingredients to flavour them differently. The burger mix changes every two or three days.

What are the fundamental ingredients that go into a cohesive burger?

It begins with Sosmix, the main binder of our burgers, which is a dehydrated soy mince that you can buy at shops like Whole Foods and some grocery stores. There are a few different brands but they’re all fairly similar.

To this we add vegetables, fresh herbs, dried herbs, tinned tomato or water, and a bit of gram (chickpea) flour to hold it together. The vegetables and herbs vary depending on what flavor we’re after. For example, today I made a red pepper, caper and courgette burger, to which I added parsley, oregano and black pepper.

Finally, we add chopped tinned tomatoes or the equivalent amount of water to bring it all together. The amount depends on how much water the sosmix is going to absorb and the types of vegetables we’re using.

I’ve seen bean burgers on the menu - where do those fit in?

We use the same formula and treat beans like one of the vegetables. But you must remember, cooked beans have lots of liquid so you won’t need to add as much water or tomatoes to the mix.

It seems like there’s an art form to achieving the perfect moisture balance - how do you know when the burgers are just right?

With the tomatoes and water, it’s not something you can really measure - start with a little and add it as you need it. And if you are adding beans or juicy carrots, add less liquid.

What about texture? Do you choose certain ingredients for texture?

We generally choose a theme and base our burger around that. So, if it’s Italian then we’ll add black olive and basil. If it’s Mexican, spices. Asian, coriander. Sometimes we put seeds and nuts in the burger but not too often because we deal with a lot of nut allergies.

Do you have any advice for people who want to make a veggie burger at home?

The main thing is not to rush the process. If you’re using our method, you really need to left the burgers sit 30-40 minutes. Then you need to test the mixture. You want a mixture that you can grab in your hands and form into a burger, but doesn’t leave your hand messy. It should be dry enough to mold into a burger shape, but not so dry it crumbles apart when you cook it. It’s an in between thing. Trial and error. Be patient with it.

Check out Mildred’s blog to read about Daniel’s recipes and food experiment with his comrade Sarah Wasserman. And if you’re in London, book a table at Mildred’s for lunch or dinner. You won’t be disappointed.

Mildred’s Beetroot, Fennel & Dill Burgers

Sosmix is a dehydrated soy mince that you use for making veggie sausages and can buy in health food shops. A similar product is Granose Meat Free Sausage Mix. You might also get away with using TVP and breadcrumbs, in which case, be sure to add a bit of salt to your mixture! Many thanks to Daniel Acevedo for the recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 med beetroot, peeled and grated
• 1/2 bunch dill, chopped
• 1/2 Tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 small fennel bulb, washed and finely diced
• 400-500ml water
• 1 litre Sosmix

Method

1. Saute the diced fennel bulb with some olive oil until tender; add the beetroot and continue cooking for a couple minutes until the beetroot is cooked but still has texture (al dente).
2. Mix the sauteed vegetables with the remaining ingredients. Let the mixture rest for at least 40 minutes, then form into burger patties.
3. To cook, heat non-stick fry pan on lowest heat, add a touch of oil and fry burger on each side for 4-6 min until golden brown.

When Lukas Volger sent me this recipe for Mushroom and Barley bulgar burgers, I knew I had to try it. Not only do I love mushrooms, but I trust the source: Lukas is the author of Veggie Burgers Every Which Way and runs his own blog called Veggie Burger Madness. If anyone knows how to make an ultimate veggie burger, it’s Lukas.

These burger’s follow Lukas’ philosophy that the veggie burger should be an expression of a single vegetable or flavor profile. Here, we celebrate the glorious mushroom and one of its most complimentary grains, barley. This vegan burger uses potato as the binder and three different types of mushrooms - total umami fest.

• Ingredients - 4/4 - I appreciate the simplicity of this recipe. There are ten ingredients, three of which are mushrooms, two of which are salt and pepper, all of which are completely natural, recognisable, and readily available foods. The mushrooms are portabella, crimini and shitake. A more high brow cook might have thrown porcini on the list, but then again, this isn’t a risotto: it’s a burger.
• Preparation - 3/4 - Preparation is fairly straightforward, though does require a bit of time slicing and dicing mushrooms, and you must also have the foresight to cook the barley (which takes about an hour). The mushrooms also get minced in a food processor - those without will have to use patience and a sharp knife to finely dice the fried mushrooms.
• Texture - 4/4 - The barley deserves credit for the wonderful texture of these burgers. Or is it the mushrooms? I can’t decide. The barley gives it bite; the mushrooms give it chew. It’s a match made in veggie burger heaven.
• Structural integrity - 4/4 - Lukas was right: mashed potato really IS a great vegan binder for veggie burgers. These burgers held their own in the bun. No mush in sight, and marginal crumbling at the edges.
• Flavor - 4/4 - Speaking as a mushroom lover, I thought these burgers where fantastic. The shitake mushroom really made it for me - its smokey sweetness made for an intensely flavored burger that held its own next to the bun and various toppings. Would make again.

Monica’s notes on toppings:

These burgers would do very well with traditional burger toppings such as lettuce, tomato and raw onion. But if you’re more adventurous, I highly recommend sauteed onion and sauerkraut with avocado and tomato chutney. A little sweet pickle doesn’t hurt, either.

Read more Top Tips from Veggie Burgers Every Which Way.

Or, better yet, getting cooking:

When I stumbled upon Lukas Volger’s Veggie Burger Madness blog, I knew I had met a kindred spirit. Lukas has been making and eating veggie burgers since he was a teenager, and he’s turned this passion and experience into a wonderful recipe book called Veggie Burgers Every Which Way.

What I love about Lukas’s approach is that his recipes don’t try to imitate meat, but instead, accentuate the veggies with which the burgers are made. His book comes with over thirty recipes for burgers, buns, toppings and sides, over half of which are vegan and/or gluten free.

I spoke with Lukas last month about vegan burgers, the elusive eggless binder, topping ideas and my own quest for the ultimate veggie burger. Lukas was kind enough to share some fantastic tips on making ace veggie burgers, plus a recipe for Mushroom Barley Burgers that are out of this world.

How to get burgers to hold their shape

Binder is key. The standard homemade veggie burger includes eggs and breadcrumbs, which is a no-brainer if you’re not vegan. For vegan binders, you can use egg replacer or vital wheat gluten, but what I found to work best—and to result in the absolute best flavor—is a bit of mashed-up cooked potato. Waxy Yukon Golds are my favorite to use, but you can use any kind you like (except sweet potato, which is only distantly related to the potato family anyway). Tofu, blitzed up in a food processor, works fairly well if it’s seasoned properly.

Go strong on one vegetable or flavor profile

For anyone experimenting with homemade veggie burgers, the inclination seems to be to mix up a bunch of different kind of vegetables and rice and beans into a semi-unrecognizable mass and shape it into patties. This works, of course, and sometimes with delicious results. (It’s also the approach used in the store-bought, frozen varieties.) But what I’ve done in my book, and what I’d encourage anyone who wants to experiment to do, is to try treating the veggie burger as an expression of a single vegetable or flavor profile: Start with one veggie or flavor profile, like corn or cauliflower or mushroom-barley (as I do in the recipe below), and then, working backwards, let it shine.

Go bold on flavor Putting something on a bun is going to dilute the flavor no matter what, so go bold in the veggie burger itself, and then go bold with the toppings, too. I like to quick pickle whatever veggies I have around and figure out a way to get them between the buns—cucumber is great, of course, but you could make a little quick-pickled salad of diced cauliflower and carrots and onions, and it would give a fresh tang and crunch to your veggie burger. Olive tapenades and pestos are nice, too.

Now get cooking

Start with this recipe: Mushroom & Barley Burgers

The classic hamburger bun is white as a ghost and speckled with sesame seeds. While this certainly has its place (in a fast food restaurant, perhaps?), my favorite burger bun is a bit more complex.

In my world, a good burger is about the whole package - burger, bun, and fixings. And so the bun is much more than a delivery device. It’s a food in itself, and should have enough flavor and substance to match.

My favorite burger bun achieves this with a clever combination of white flour, whole wheat flour, honey, olive oil, salt, yeast and water. The result is a light and fluffy burger bun with enough flavor to stand on its own.

I adopted the recipe from one at food.com. The original calls for a whopping 1/4 cup of sugar, which was way too sweet for my taste (what is it with Amercan’s fascination for sweet bread?). My recipe uses a modest 1 Tbsp of honey (or other sweetener of your choice).

This is my go-to recipe for burger buns. It’s easy, relatively quick, and far more delicious than anything you can buy in a store. Plus, it’s vegan when made with sugar or maple syrup instead of honey. You could replace some of the white flour with whole wheat if it would make you feel better about eating bread, but the buns may love their soft, light texture that make them so appealing.

And if you must have sesame seeds, then by all means, sprinkle a few on top during the final rising.

But is it a burger at all?

You could argue that Heidi Swanson’s “Ultimate Veggie Burger”, featured on her blog, 101 Cookbooks, and in her book, Super Natural Cooking, is not a veggie burger at all, but a different kind of sandwich altogether.

The basic premise: veggie burgers are often way too “dry and bready”, so turn the burger patty into the bun and fill that with all your toppings.

To me this recipe violates veggie burgers are all about: the overwhelming satisfaction of taking a soft delicious bun, filling it with a substantial patty and delicious toppings, then eating it with your hands. However, in my research of ultimate veggie burgers, time and time again I came across posts recommending Heidi’s burger, so I felt I had to give it a try.

How did it stack up? Surprisingly well on all accounts but the most important of all: flavor. I found it rather bland, and quite unsatisfying. Her recipe makes 12 “mini burgers”, which means you can have a few and try different toppings (fillings?) in each. But in the end I felt like I’d eaten a bunch of little appetizers, and not a meal.

• Ingredients - 2/4 - While the short list of ingredients is certainly inviting, two of these ingredients make me feel like this recipe was created by someone who does all of their shopping at Whole Foods. “Sprouted garbanzo beans” and “micro sprouts” are not exactly easy to find. Yes, you can use canned chickpeas instead, and yes, the “micro sprouts” are optional. But beyond this, there isn’t much else going on: a little cilantro, lemon zest, bread crumbs, onion, eggs and salt. On the positive side, the chickpeas outweigh the breadcrumbs: this is not a bread burger.
• Preparation - 3/4 - I must give this recipe props for preparation - it’s so wonderfully easy. Just throw it all in the food processor and bla-zam. Burger mix. Of course, if you don’t have a food processor, the story changes - minus one point for special equipment.
• Texture - 3/4 - Not perfect, but definitely above average. My hippy organic tinned chickpeas still had some bite to them, 4 eggs added moisture, and I love a burger that uses raw onion in the mix.
• Structural integrity - 4/4 - I must hand it to Heidi, her burgers held together, despite being sliced in half and used as the bun. They didn’t crumble, or mush, but held their own as a supportive wall around my myriad of toppings.
• Flavor - 2/4 - Boring. More salt may have helped, but there wasn’t much going on in these burgers to begin with. A burger should be bold, flavorful, enough to be noticed over the toppings and the bun. Even without the bun, these burgers didn’t seem to stand out as having much flavor at all. The lemon and cilantro were far too subtle. This would work in a salad, but it fails in a burger.

Overall rating: 2.8 out of 4

Monica’s notes on toppings:

Heidi recommends “topping” these burgers with avocado slices, “Cipollini” onions, sliced roma tomatoes, a sprinkling of smoked paprika, and/or grilled vegetables. I tried all but the grilled veggies, but found them all a bit too “light”. This burger has a very mild flavor, and I found that it needed something more robust like pickles or spicy mustard. But maybe that’s just me. Or maybe it was the weather. Perhaps on a hot summer’s day, a light filling of your favorite salad ingredients make the most sense. But here in England, I need something a little more punchy to get me through the night. Pass the Coleman’s please!

Modifications

• Eat them as nature intended, bun and all: Check out RecipeGirl.com’s adaptation, which also includes delicious peas and beautiful pictures!
• Add more veggies: RhodeyGirlTests did this with great success by adding spinach. Lovely color!
• Go vegan: Talesofaspoon accomplished this with cornstarch and flaxseed.

Overall Rating 2.8/4

What first intrigued me about this veggie burger was the mayonnaise. Not on top of, but INSIDE the burger. The rest of the appeal largely came down to ethos. This is Cooks Illustrated’s vision of the “ultimate veggie burger”.

Their approach:

We didn’t want [our veggie burgers] to taste like hamburgers, but we did want them to act like hamburgers, having a modicum of chew, a harmonious blend of savory ingredients, and the ability to go from grill to bun without falling apart.

Their solution: bulgur and lentils for texture, onions, garlic, celery and leeks for depth of flavor, and “to replace the meat-like taste, we turned to food rich in umami —specifically, cremini mushrooms and cashews.”

Umami - what a brilliant idea. But do they hold up to the test?

Ingredients 3/4

There are people in the world who like mushrooms, and there are people who don’t. I fall in the former camp, fortunately, and so appreciated the pound of mushrooms that went into these burgers.

Beyond umami, the burgers have a pleasing balance of vegetables (mushrooms, leeks and celery), protein (lentils and cashews) and grains (bulgar wheat and breadcrumbs).

As already state, the burger mix includes mayonnaise, but no egg (aside from what’s in the mayo). Fat phobics who shudder at the thought of mayo should rest easy - it’s only 1/3 cup distributed across 12 burgers. At about 10g of fat per 4-inch burger, the result is not excessively fatty, and in fact is choc full of fiber (7g) from all the lovely nuts, legumes and whole grains.

As a bonus, the lack of egg would make these easily adaptable to a vegan diet, if that’s your thing.

Preparation 1/4

As others* have mentioned, these burgers are not easy to make. Each ingredient needs to be prepared separately - boil the lentils, boil the bulgar, saute the veggies, grind the chashews. It takes a while. (I suggest that, next time you make lentils, beans, rice, bulgur, whatever, make extra and freeze it for occasions like these.)

Once everything is prepared, it all gets blitzed in the food processor, but this step is easy to get wrong - if you don’t blitz it enough, the burgers won’t hold their shape (as I woefully discovered with my first trial - see “Crumble Factor”). In fact, no matter how much I pulsed my food processor, I couldn’t achieve the “coarse-textured paste” called for in the recipe. So I turned to the VitaMix.

If you do make this recipe, I recommend using a blender. You will have to push the mix into the blender as it goes, but it helps immensely, and results in easy-to-form burger patties not unlike the one pictured in Cooks Illustrated (shown above).

Texture 4/4

When it comes to texture, these burgers are a win. The bulgar and cashews give the burger excellent “bite”, while the soft lentils and mayo keep the burgers from being too dry. I’m sure the sauteed celery and onion have something to do with it, too.

Mush Factor 4/4

At last, a burger that is not a mush burger.

As the picture shows, the burger did not ooze from the bun as I bit into it, as is often the case with so many ill-fated bean-based burgers, where by the end of the burger you’re left with something more akin to hummus than a burger. Not so here. This is a solid burger. I credit the bulgar and cashews which helped keep the moist lentils in check.

Crumble Factor 3/4

When prepared correctly, these burgers do NOT crumble. But it’s easy to get wrong, which is why I give them a 3 out of 4. My first batch of burgers were not blended enough, and so the result did not hold together but fell apart immediately on the bun.

However, after pureeing the burger mix in a blender, the crumble disappeared and the burgers held their own.

Flavor 2/4

These burgers taste like a cross between Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup (thank the mayo and the mushrooms for that) and good ol’ fashioned stuffing (thank the celery). Bot of these foods I really like, but not so much in a burger form. The stuffing-effect also made me feel like I was eating a bread burger.

Overall Rating 2.8/4

I must hand it to Cooks Illustrated - they created a wonderfully well-textured burger that did not fall apart on the bun. It’s a shame, though, that for all that effort, and such promising ingredients, that its flavor isn’t all that it should be. Perhaps a few spices would help - maybe some mustard, or soy sauce? It needs something more substantial. Alas, I’m not sure if these burgers are worth the effort it would take to experiment.

Mushroom Cashew Bulgur Burgers

Originally published in Cooks Illustrated; recipe sourced from perfectlyedible.com (thanks, dan).

3/4 C dried green lentils, rinsed
2 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 C bulgur
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 C chopped onion (about 2 medium or 1 large onion)
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 small leek (white and light green parts), chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb. brown or white mushrooms sliced
1 C raw unsalted cashews
1/3 C mayonnaise
2 1/2 C panko bread crumbs
black pepper (lots!)

Bring the lentils to a boil in 3 cups of water with 1 tsp of salt over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 25 minutes. Drain the lentils in a mesh strainer and then spread them out on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to dry out a bit. Cool to room temperature.

While the lentils are cooking bring 2 cups of water and 1/2 tsp of salt to a boil in a small pan. Add the bulgur, stir, cover, and remove from the heat. Soak for about 15-20 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Drain in a mesh strainer and gently press out the excess moisture. Set aside in a large mixing bowl.

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of oil over medium high heat. Add the onions, celery, leeks, and garlic. Stir occasionally and cook until everything starts to brown, about 10 minutes. Spread these veggies out on a baking pan and cool to room temperature. (If you’re doing this all in order, the lentils are probably cooked by now, so add them to the mixing bowl with the bulgur and re-use the same sheet pan).

Add 1 Tbsp of oil to the same skillet and turn the heat up to high. Cook the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown. They should give off all of their liquid, and then that liquid should cook off, so you have a pretty dry batch of cooked mushrooms. It takes 12-15 minutes. Spread the mushrooms on the pan with the other veggies and cool to room temperature.

Chop the cashews in the food processor for a few pulses. Coarse is ok since it’s all going to get mixed and chopped again.

Add the cashews, veggies, mushrooms, and mayonnaise to the bowl with the bulgur and lentils and mix everything up. Move half of the mixture to the food processor and pulse about 15 times. It should be a coarse-textured paste (use a blender if the food processor doesn’t work). Transfer this to another bowl and repeat with the second half of the mixture. Combine it all in the big bowl you started with.

Add the panko, 1 tsp of salt, and ground pepper to the mixture and mix thoroughly.

Shape into patties about 4″ in diameter and 1/2″ thick.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook the patties for 4 minutes per side, until golden. If they’re browning too fast, turn it down a bit.

Makes 12 4-inch burgers. Per burger: 308 Calories; 10.5g Protein; 13.6g Total Fat; 38.1g Total Carbohydrates; 7.5g Fiber.

*What other people say:

“I recently tried the “Ultimate Veggie Burgers” recipe from Cooks Illustrated, and it came out great! It’s not the simplest recipe, but I think it’s worth the effort. It makes a good size batch and they freeze very well.”
- Dan, perfectlyedible.com

“The best non-meat burger I’ve ever had was the veggie burger recipe from Cooks Illustrated. The combo of bulgur, lentils, cashews, mushrooms, onions, leeks, and panko give them a really great, firm texture and a satisfying, round flavor. I’ve served these to vegetarians and dedicated meat-eaters alike with raves from all.”
- JaimePMac, thekitchn.com

“These are kind of a pain to make, but they are so awesome! They’re worth the trouble to me because I always freeze some, and we get burgers for a while. Fab on onion buns with seasoned mayo!”
- Tesseract, veggieboards.com

“…boy was it ultimate! It took a couple hours to prepare, but was so worth it, that I may be swearing off store bought veggie burgers for good. It was great with some grilled veggies and a cold porter.”
- Linsay Preston, linsay-preston.com

Overall Rating: 2.3 / 4 

Last week I sent Mark Bittman a tweet asking for his recommendation for the ultimate veggie burger. He came back with a recipe for his Midsummer Vegetable Burger, one of the burgers in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.

According to Bittman

This light, colorful burger, which gets its crunch from corn, is terrific on a bun, especially with a little Salsa, Chile Mayonnaise, or Roasted Pepper Mayonnaise, or with sliced ripe tomatoes and drizzled with basil pesto.

As a great lover of corn on the cob, corn bread, corn salsa, and pretty much all things corn, I was sure this burger would be a hit. The base ingredients are fresh corn, cornmeal [1], grated zucchini, and chili, all bound together with a puree of fresh corn.

Alas, having made this burger and considered all of its components, the burger rates slightly below average for my tastes.

Preparation 2/4

Tim and I argued over this - he claimed it was fairly easy to make but if you ask me, once you get blenders and food processors involved, it takes a recipe beyond simplicity into a mess. Add to that the necessity of cutting corn kernels off an ear of corn (and yes, you should be using fresh corn if you make this recipe).

Most of my prep troubles had to do with the instructions (something Mark Bittman usually excels at), some of which seemed unachievable by my food processor (the recommended tool).  For example, “Put the onion, garlic, and chile in a food processor and pulse a few times to grind almost smooth” and “Put the remaining corn into a food processor and let the machine run until it becomes a thick paste.”  For some reason, my food processor could only create “chunks” rather than “paste”.  I had to turn to the Vitamix to achieve the desired result.

Ingredients 1/4

Overall Rating  2.3 / 4

I wouldn’t make this burger again, but those with a greater appreciation for sweet corn and bread-based burgers may find this more “ultimate” than I did.

Midsummer Vegetable Burger

Bittman recommends serving these with a little salsa, chile mayonnaise, roasted pepper mayonnaise, or with sliced tomatoes and drizzled with basil pesto.  I reckon avocado is a better match for these corny patties.

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small red onion, halved
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 minced fresh chile (like jalapeño or Thai), or to taste, or hot red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium zucchini, grated (about 1 cup)
• 2 cups corn kernels, fresh if possible
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• A little all-purpose flour, if needed, for binding

1. Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a deep nonstick or cast-iron skillet with a lid over medium heat. Put the onion, garlic, and chile in a food processor and pulse a few times to grind almost smooth. Add the mixture to the pan with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and cook and stir.
2. Stir the zucchini into the onion mixture along with 1 /2cup of the corn and another sprinkle of salt and pepper. Put the remaining corn into a food processor and let the machine run until it becomes a thick paste. Continue to cook and stir the zucchini mixture until the vegetables release all their water and it starts to evaporate, about 5 minutes. Stir in the corn paste and the cornmeal. Remove from the heat, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. If the mixture seems too wet, stir in a little flour to help bind it. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
3. Form 4 to 6 patties and let sit for a few minutes if you have time. (You can make the burger mixture or even shape the burgers up to several hours in advance. Just cover tightly and refrigerate, then bring everything back to room temperature before cooking.) Wipe out the pan, put in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and turn the heat to medium. A minute later, add the patties. Cook until nicely browned on one side, about 5 minutes; turn carefully and cook on the other side until firm and browned.
4. Serve on plates or on buns with the usual burger fixings. Or cool and refrigerate or freeze for later use.

Fresh Summer Vegetable Burger with Cheese: A little richer and creamier: In Step 3, when you stir in the eggs, add 1/2cup grated cheddar, mozzarella, Jack, or Parmesan cheese.

Makes 6 burgers. Per burger: 196 Calories; 3.6g Protein; 10.3g Total Fat; 25.3g Total Carbohydrates; 3.2g Fiber.

[1] Word to the wise - use a fine cornmeal for this recipe.  I initially tried this with polenta - what a mistake!  I ended up with a crumbly mess and had to start over.

Fortunately, the above crumble makes a great topping on chili (make the chili, then put it in a ramekin, distribute the corny crumble on top, then bake until the top is crispy).  I am sure it would be yummy on other casseroles, as well (which is good because I have loads of the stuff).

[2] There is some question to whether this recipe is intentionally vegan.  The book and his blog post both mention a variation which states: “In Step 3, when you stir in the eggs, add 1/2cup grated cheddar, mozzarella, Jack, or Parmesan cheese.” However, the recipe does not call for eggs. Queries on his blog post have so far been unanswered. One comment offers a suggestion that may improve the textures of these grainy patties:

I’ve been making Mark’s veggie burgers by following the chapter in his book and, while I don’t have it in front of me, my guess is that the egg goes in when you add the corn paste and corn meal to the cooked mixture. The egg will help hold everything together, but it also adds moisture which you may have to counter with more corn meal and/or some breadcrumbs. Just experiment, you can’t really go wrong here as long as you get the mixture to a consistency that holds its shape when pressed into a patty.