Memorial Day is just around the corner, and if you plan on celebrating with a summer cookout or a backyard BBQ, but haven’t figured out what’s on the menu, we have great news: Veggie Burgers Every Which Way is a cookbook packed with mouth-watering veggie burger recipes that both carnivores and herbivores are guaranteed to enjoy!
Made with real ingredients (like beans, mushrooms, vegetables, and grains), the patties in Lukas Volger’s cookbook are fresh and full of flavor. Even restaurant critic and author of The New York Times’ “The Veggie” newsletter, Tejal Rao, recommends these recipes!
This Memorial Day, leave the tasteless, frozen burgers sold in cardboard boxes in the freezer, and prepare a delicious meal that even your vegan and vegetarian friends can savor!
Quinoa, Red Bean, and Walnut Burger
Makes Six 4-Inch Burgers
½ cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
1 small potato (4 to 5 ounces), peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch scallions, including an inch of the green parts, thinly sliced
½ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1½ cups cooked red beans
½ cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts
½ teaspoon salt
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons Pomegranate-Sesame Sauce
1. Bring 1 cup water to boil in a small saucepan and add the quinoa. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, steam or boil the potato until tender. Mash with a fork.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook just until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the parsley and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, cooked potato, parsley-scallion mixture, red beans, and walnuts with a potato masher or your hands. Add the salt and lemon juice. Shape into 6 patties.
5. In a large oven-safe skillet or nonstick sauté pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the patties and spoon 1 teaspoon pomegranate sauce on top of each. Cook until the bottoms are browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other sides until crisped and slightly firmed, 4 to 5 minutes more.
Prep and cook time: 30 minutes
Cashew-Leek Burger with Bulgur and Lentils
Makes Six 4-Inch Burgers
¹⁄3 cup brown or red lentils
¹⁄3 cup bulgur
4 tablespoons olive oil
8 cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 medium leeks, cleaned and finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup toasted cashews
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup toasted bread crumbs
1. Pick through the lentils and rinse thoroughly. Bring the lentils and at least 2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are cooked and beginning to fall apart. Transfer to a baking sheet or mixing bowl to cool.
2. Meanwhile, bring ²⁄3 cup water to a boil. Stir in the bulgur with a pinch of salt, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for about 7 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture and it evaporates, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and wipe out the sauté pan.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in the sauté pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks are completely softened and beginning to caramelize, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes longer. Transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms and stir to mix.
6. Combine half of the lentils, half of the bulgur, and half of the leek mixture with the cashews, eggs, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until uniformly puréed but still slightly chunky. Add the puréed mixture and the remaining lentils and bulgur to the remaining leek mixture in the bowl. Work in the bread crumbs. Shape the mixture into 6 patties.
7. In a large oven-safe skillet or nonstick sauté pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the patties and cook until browned on each side, 6 to 10 minutes total. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the burgers are firm and cooked through.
Prep and cook time: 1 hour
Check out Veggie Burgers Every Which Way for more delicious recipes here!
