The Top 3 Plant-Based Burger Recipes

Looking to get creative without having to shell out your hard-earned cash on fast food? If so, then check out these healthy plant-based burger options that will surely inspire your taste buds.

Red Bean and Quinoa Veggie Burger

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 dashes cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa cooked in veggie broth
• 1 1/2 cups red beans fresh cooked or a full can
• 3 spring onions roasted
• 1 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 2/3 cup vegetable broth

Cooking Instructions:

1. To make the smokey seasoning, combine the paprika, black pepper, sea salt, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
2. Put 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet and stir in half the red beans, the smokey seasoning mixture, and 2/3 cup veggie broth. Let it simmer for 9-11 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
3. Transfer beans to a food processor or blender, add half the cooked quinoa and chopped roasted spring onions. Process until smooth.
4. Transfer the blended mixture into a large bowl, and stir in remaining quinoa and red beans. Season with salt and pepper and let it cool down.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and generously coat the baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape bean mixture into 8 patties (1/4 cup each), and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until patties are crisp on top. Flip patties with a spatula, and bake 10 minutes more, or until both sides are crisp and brown
6. Serve on a bun, a bed of greens, or over a large spoonful of hummus with some sliced avocado on top. Yum!

Related Article: Vegan Mushroom Pecan Burgers

High Protein Vegan Burger

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (80g) textured vegetable protein
• 1/2 cup cooked red kidney beans
• 3 tbsp (45ml) oil
• 1 tbsp (15ml) maple syrup
• 2 tbsp (30ml) tomato paste
• 1 tbsp (15ml) soy sauce
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp each: paprika, ground chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano
• 1/8 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water (or beetroot juice)
• 1/2 cup (80g) vital wheat gluten

Cooking Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the textured vegetable protein (TVP) and let simmer for 10-12 minutes. Drain the TVP and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, add the cooked beans, oil, maple syrup, tomato paste, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, spices, liquid smoke, and water. Process for 10-20 seconds, scraping down the sides if needed and process again until it forms a purée. It doesn’t need to be completely smooth.
3. Add the rehydrated TVP and process for 7-10 seconds, or until the TVP is very finely chopped. The mixture should look like bolognese sauce. You don’t want to have big chunks of TVP, otherwise, the burgers won’t hold together well.
4. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the vital wheat gluten. Mix using a wooden first, and then knead with your hands for 2-3 minutes to develop the gluten. The mixture should be soft and have a slight elasticity.
5. Divide the mixture into 3 and form patties. Carefully wrap each burger in parchment paper and then in aluminum foil
6. Place the wrapped burgers in a pressure cooker (you can stack them) and pressure cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes. You can use a stovetop pressure cooker or an Instant Pot.
7. Once cooked, unwrap the burgers and let cool for 10 minutes. You can now pan-fry the burgers in a small amount of oil until golden brown on each side.
8. Burgers will keep for up to four days in the refrigerator. They will harden a bit in the fridge but will soften once heated.

Mushroom and Walnut Burger

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of walnuts
• 1 tbsp. cumin seasoning to taste
• 2 tbsp. vegan mayo
• 1 1/2 cup cremini or button mushrooms
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 tsp. Worcester sauce
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups black beans from can, rinsed, strained and dried

Cooking Instructions:

1. Add your walnuts into a food processor and pulse for 10 seconds.  Add your mushrooms and process into small pieces. Note: you do not want a paste. Transfer to a bowl and add soy sauce, cumin, and seasoning.
2. Add olive oil into a saucepan and heat on medium for 20 seconds. Add your onions and cook for 5 minutes until golden and fragrant. Now, add your garlic and cook for another minute. Set aside.
3. Add your black beans into the food processor and blend until smooth, but not a puree. Add the onion mixture and pulse.
4. Add the bean mixture to the walnut and mushroom mixture and stir until everything is well combined.  Then, add your nutritional yeast, mayo, tomato paste, Worcester sauce, vital wheat gluten, and oats. Using your hands, give this one final mix.  Cover with cling film and set in the fridge for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
5. Mold into burger patties, add oil to a frying pan and cook for 4 minutes on each side. At the last minute add vegan cheese and enjoy with your favorite burger bun and fixings.

Looking for more cooking inspiration? Check out our Recipes section.