My veggie burgers are so often underwhelming, or they simply fall apart. Where am I going wrong?
Beth, Newark
“Veggie burgers are often lacking in everything that’s good about food,” says Melissa Hemsley, author of Real Healthy, and for her, that means texture, flavour and satisfaction. “They also tend not to have those key flavour highs – the fat, the salt – that you’re after from a homemade version.”
For Lukas Volger, author of Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, texture is by far the complaint he hears most often: “The patty is too moist, and glops out of the other side of the bun when you bite into it.” Veggie burgers often behave like this, Volger says, because vegetables contain water, so you’ll either need to cook the veg in advance or add something to the mix to soak it up, whether that’s breadcrumbs or grains. And remember, size isn’t everything: “I used to love the look of a thick, substantial burger,” Volger says, “but I’ve come to realise that they function much better on a bun when they’re thin and seared until crisp on each side in a hot pan, smash burger-style.” (Alternatively, bake in a moderate oven to “help them dry out a little” before grilling.) This will also help if you’ve ever fallen victim to burgers falling through those barbecue grates.
Volger’s burger vision often starts by giving a vegetable “a point of view”, which is to say a flavour pairing: carrot with almond, say, sweet potato with sesame, or kale with ginger. He builds from there with spices, fresh herbs, a flavour bomb (think miso or harissa) or nut butter, plus “something to provide body”. For Hemsley, that might mean chickpea flour (“it’s cheap and naturally gluten-free), an egg (“that’s always good”), or beans or lentils, although the latter will need “bags of flavour” to keep the burgers from being boring. “That’s why Bold Beans are so good,” Hemsley adds, “because their beans have a lovely, salty brine.”
On to the specifics, and Hemsley always flips out over a black bean and feta number: “It’s one of my favourite burgers ever, and I’d happily eat it instead of a meat one any day of the week.” Her patty also has onions and grated garlic in there, plus dried oregano or thyme, sun-dried tomatoes (“for juiciness, flavour and salt”), and jalapeños (“for the brininess and hit of chilli”). “I usually add an egg, too, to up the protein. I hate to be that person who talks about protein, but I do think it helps keep you sated.” As a bonus, these burgers freeze well, too, and Hemsley often turns the base mix into meatballs to eat with tomato sauce and couscous or rice.
Volger, meanwhile, is “very into” a grated halloumi burger, for which the cheese is stirred into softened onions with garlic and harissa, then combined with beaten egg, panko breadcrumbs, minced herbs (parsley, coriander, mint, dill) and cornflour. “My next plan is to make a red lentil and sweet potato Thai red curry burger,” Hemsley says, “so hold the front page.” She’s planning on serving thatwith a coriander, mint and coconut chutney, which is a good lesson never, ever to forget the importance of your burger accoutrements. As Volger puts it: “A slice of cheese and a mess of burger condiments can salvage most veggie burgers.”