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Recipe

Non-Mushy Vegan Burger Secret Revealed

August 22, 2009 · By Monica Shaw

Dinner: Sweet Potato Burger and Cabbage Slaw

I’ve been experimenting with vegan veggie burgers over the past few months with mixed results. My main obstacle is the mush factor – almost every burger I’ve made failed to stay together in the bun, but instead oozed out the side with every bite. Traditional veggie burgers rely on egg to bind everything together. So how do I make a vegan version that doesn’t use any weird egg substitute?

I think I stumbled upon the answer with this recipe for sweet potato and black bean burgers made with quinoa. I’ve made a few variations of this burger with great success, and I think I may have figured out the secret to non-mushy vegan burgers:

  • Potato – Potato makes a great substitute for egg as a burger binder. I’ve only used sweet potato so far, but I look forward to trying these with regular potato. Just bake the potato, scoop out the insides and you’re sorted.
  • Bread crumbs (or oatmeal) – On this point I have failed in the past. Adequate bread crumbs or oatmeal are required to soak in the moisture from the potato, beans, veggies, and whatever else goes into your veggie burger. Skimp on the bread crumbs and you’ll be met with mush (I know from experience!). To minimize the use of bread crumbs, avoid using super moist beans and veggies in your burger assembly. Then add enough breadcrumbs until the mix is firm enough to form patties.
  • Refrigeration – After you’ve formed your patties, refrigerate (or freeze) them for an hour or two. This will give the breadcrumbs time to absorb some of the moisture in the burger, making them more apt to stay together during cooking.
  • Good beer – A good general rule for cooking, particularly when a bbq is involved. But vegans beware: not all beers are vegan friendly (including Foster’s, Murphy’s, and Newcastle). Check out Barnivore, a vegan wine and beer guide, to find out if you’re beer is vegan.

The technique takes practice (what good burger doesn’t?) and I’m sure I still have a lot to learn. So if you’ve got some vegan burger tricks up your sleeve, please share! In the meantime, here’s a recipe for the lentil burgers pictured above. I served these at a recent bbq and they went down well among a crew I consider to be veggie burger aficionados.

Lentil Quinoa Sweet Potato Burgers

They are inspired by Cupcake Punk’s sweet potato and black bean burgers and Trader Joe’s Vegetable Masala Burger.

2 tablespoons oil
2 onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, grated finely
1 cup kale, finely chopped
2 cups cooked brown lentils
1 baked sweet potato, scooped out of skin
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups oats
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon chili powder (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon curry powder (or more to taste)
1/2 fresh cup cilantro, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and lower heat. Cook until lightly browned, several minutes. Add carrots and kale and cook an additional 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat. Add lentils and mash slightly in pan, until lentils are half crushed.

Place skillet mixture in large bowl with remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. USE YOUR HANDS to encourage everything to mush together. Add enough oats so that it’s easy to form the mix into patties.

Form into ~10 patties. Pan-fry with a little oil for 5-10 minutes on each side. Serve on a bun with all the fixins and enjoy!

Makes about 10 burgers. Per burger: 237 Calories; 10.1g Protein; 5.1g Total Fat; 38.7g Total Carbohydrates; 0mg Cholesterol; 44mg Sodium; 10.1g Fiber.

About Monica Shaw

Veg lover, dog owner, hill walker, wild camper, avocado addict, nerd. I write about how to be awesome through a "smarter fitter" approach to eating, drinking, living and working.
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Recipe Rating




  1. Jes says

    August 22, 2009 at 6:03 pm

    Ooooh I love the lentils & kale in the burgers–these sound perfect for a cookout! And yes, beer is absolutely essential!

    Reply
  2. Alicia says

    August 22, 2009 at 7:45 pm

    Sounds like a great burger flavor combination. I would probably add a little vital wheat gluten for chew. The addition of the finely chopped kale is fantastic from a nutritional perspective.

    Reply
  3. Sagan says

    August 23, 2009 at 9:16 pm

    That sounds amazing! They must have so much delicious flavor.

    Reply
  4. A says

    August 25, 2009 at 7:31 pm

    Sounds tasty… but shape into 15-20 patties, then it makes about 10 burgers? How much does it make really? Just curious.

    Reply
  5. Monica Shaw says

    August 26, 2009 at 9:19 am

    Good catch, A. The original recipe made 15-20, but mine made about 10. The recipe has been corrected. Thanks!

    Reply
  6. A says

    August 26, 2009 at 1:40 pm

    Cool… I’ll be trying these this weekend!

    Reply
  7. Katharina says

    August 27, 2009 at 8:33 pm

    Oo I made a bulgur veggie burger with vegan lime mayo for my lunchbox this week 😀 I can share the recipe if you’d like!

    Reply
  8. Monica Shaw says

    August 27, 2009 at 8:40 pm

    Ooh yes pleeease send the recipe for the bulgar burger and lime mayo! Both sound awesome and I’m itching for another veggie burger recipe to try.

    Reply
  9. Sue says

    November 21, 2013 at 7:59 pm

    I am making the Northstar Cafe version, and was looking for an egg substitute other than flax seeds – the addition of sweet potato sounds perfect! Even if they fall apart they will taste great!

    Reply
    • Monica says

      November 21, 2013 at 7:59 pm

      Awesome, Sue! Let me know how it goes. 🙂

      Reply
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