10988 CHOW Veggie Burger 1 hr 30 mins 7 burgers Wed Aug 29 07:35:00 -0700 2007 Tue Aug 25 12:48:14 -0700 2009 Medium American CHOW http://www.chow.com/recipes/10988 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:48:14 GMT Our stab at the perfect formula Our stab at the perfect formula. In this age of vegetarianism, veganism, and other restrictive diets, veggie burgers have become nearly as ubiquitous as regular hamburgers, and unfortunately, mediocre versions are rampant. While we find the premade frozen patties OK, we prefer to make our burgers ourselves. A sampling of house-made restaurant burgers left a lot to be desired, so we set off on a mission to create the very best veggie burger. The following is our stab at the perfect formula.

What to buy: TVP, short for textured vegetable protein, is a meat substitute made from soybeans that is low in fat, high in protein, and has a pleasingly chewy texture. It is often found in dried, flaked form in the bulk foods section of grocery stores.

Game plan: Be sure to have the lentils and rice cooked before starting the recipe (leftover brown rice from your Chinese takeout works great). For the lentils, start with 1/4 cup dry lentils and cook according to the package directions. For the brown rice, use 3/4 cup uncooked rice.

This recipe was also featured as part of our Hamburger Through Time story.

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  • In a medium bowl, combine TVP with water. Stir and set aside until ready to use.
  • Toss zucchini with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and put in a colander or strainer set over a bowl to drain, at least 10 minutes. Squeeze zucchini mixture to release excess water and set aside, discarding the liquid.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add onion and garlic, and cook until vegetables are soft and translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of the soaked TVP mixture, zucchini, carrot, beet, 1/4 cup of the sunflower seeds, tomato paste, dry mustard, 3/4 cup of the brown rice, 1/4 cup of the lentils, parsley, thyme, and 1/2 cup of the panko. Add the sautéed onion and garlic, and mix well; set aside.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the same frying pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Transfer mushrooms to the bowl of a food processor; add egg, egg white, tamari, pepper, and remaining salt, TVP, lentils, brown rice, sunflower seeds, and panko. Process until mixture is well combined and uniform, about 30 to 45 seconds. (Mixture will not be smooth.)
  • Add puréed mushroom mixture to reserved vegetable mixture and combine well (using your hands works best). Form mixture into 7 patties (about 3/4 cup each) and place them on a baking sheet. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 3 patties to the pan and brown on one side, about 6 to 7 minutes; flip burgers and continue cooking until crispy and heated through, about 5 to 6 minutes more. Repeat with remaining patties and serve on whole-wheat buns or kaiser rolls with your favorite toppings.

    • Beverage pairing: Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc Reserva, Chile. The Casablanca Valley in Chile is one of the coolest places to grow wine grapes in South America. Consequently, this Sauvignon Blanc is zingy and bright, with grassy, citrus, herbal flavors that will complement this earthy burger.

    ]]>     http://www.chow.com/assets/2008/06/gardenburger290.jpg Regan Burns 55 Project 1 cup dry TVP (textured vegetable protein)

    ]]>     3/4 cup hot water

    ]]>     1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)**

    ]]>     301 1 teaspoon kosher salt

    ]]>     4 tablespoons olive oil

    ]]>     1/2 cup minced yellow onion (about 1/2 medium onion)**

    ]]>     74 1 medium garlic clove, minced

    ]]>     3/4 cup grated carrot (about 1 carrot)**

    ]]>     1/3 cup peeled, shredded red beet (about 1/2 large beet)**

    ]]>     1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

    ]]>     2 teaspoons tomato paste**

    ]]>     2 teaspoons dry mustard, such as Colman’s**

    ]]>     1 1/2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice (about 3/4 cup dry)

    ]]>     2/3 cup cooked brown lentils (about 1/4 cup dry)

    ]]>     203 2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley leaves

    ]]>     228 1 tablespoon dried thyme

    ]]>     1 cup coarse whole-wheat panko, such as Ian’s

    ]]>     30 3/4 cup sliced cremini mushrooms

    ]]>     1 large egg

    ]]>     1 large egg white

    ]]>     3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

    ]]>     305 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    ]]>     7 whole-wheat buns or kaiser rolls, for serving

    ]]>     435 vegetarian 2393 regan burns 1 chow 1619 omnivore 388 healthy 320 project 6328 myo 2403 diy 1136 clear your calendar 815 legumes 504 herbs 244 parsley 418 dairy 2747 make ahead 776 fun 9636 adults 955 hamburgers