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What are Some Different Kinds of Veggie Burgers?
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Veggie burgers are patties made from vegetables and grains, as an alternative to meat. There are a number of different types of veggie burgers available on the market, and they are also relatively easy to make at home, for consumers who want to make their own varieties. Commercial veggie burgers break down into three basic categories: vegan veggie burgers, vegetarian veggie burgers, and veggie burgers which are made as a part of various ethnic cuisines. Within each category, there are a number of options.
Vegan veggie burgers are made without the use of any animal sourced ingredients. Boca burgers are a popular vegan brand, made using soy as a base with a variety of flavor additions. Several companies also make vegan seitan veggie burgers, using wheat gluten. In addition, vegan veggie burgers can be made from tempeh, a fermented soy product which started to grow in popularity in the 1990s.
Vegetarian veggie burgers are made with animal products such as eggs and milk, but no meat. Gardenburger is one of the most popular vegetarian brands, but Boca also makes a vegetarian line of veggie burgers, as do several other companies. Typically soy or tempeh is used as the protein base, and flavor is added with vegetables and spices. Often, grains are mixed in for texture and taste.
Numerous countries make vegetable patties which could be viewed as veggie burgers. One of the most famous is falafel, which is made throughout the Middle East. Falafel is made by grinding chickpeas with an assortment of spices and deep frying the resulting patties, which are typically served on pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes, tahini, and other Middle Eastern ingredients. Africa and Asia also have vegetable patties of their own, made with local ingredients and served in a variety of ways. In South America, some cooks make veggie burgers out of black beans which are rich, filling, and tasty.
Cooks can make their own veggie burgers with an assortment of ingredients. Try taking a variety of grains along with textured vegetable protein, mixing them in a blender, and then adding hot water to form a thick paste. Make the paste into patties and cook them in a skillet until brown. The dry mix can be kept in a cupboard until it is ready to use, making it a quick and easy meal. Numerous companies also sell dry veggie burger mix, to which cooks can add sauteed vegetables and spices to taste.
Mary McMahon
Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.
Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.
Learn more...AS FEATURED ON:
AS FEATURED ON:
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![Many veggie burgers include chickpeas.]()
Many veggie burgers include chickpeas. -
![Cannellini beans, which can be used to make veggie burgers.]()
By: Bert FolsomCannellini beans, which can be used to make veggie burgers. -
![Many different types of beans can be used to make veggie burgers.]()
By: tfazevedoMany different types of beans can be used to make veggie burgers. -
![Veggie burgers may be cooked on a skillet.]()
By: Brian WeedVeggie burgers may be cooked on a skillet.
Discussion Comments
Isn't it cool how pretty much every country has their own commonly-accepted type and style of veggie burger? We humans have a knack for developing similar ideas -- alcohol, bread, veggie burgers. It just goes to prove that no idea is ever truly original.
My favorite kind of veggie burger is tempeh. You don't have to make it a patty, either -- if you buy it in the typical square shaped container, you can slice it thin, coat it in egg whites and then Parmesan cheese granules, and it deep fries into delicious crispy "fingers" that way.
The results are less crunchy and bread-like (the reason I don't like falafel) and more meaty in texture, too. I love it!
@Hawthorne - Wow -- what a cool idea! The only downside I could see with using falafel patties as buns for a sandwich of any kind would be that it could end up a very filling meal. I could counteract that by either making the falafel "buns" and whatever burger patty I was using smaller, or by cutting the finished sandwich in half.
I'm sold on the idea, I'm going to try a falafel-bun sandwich at my next nearest opportunity! I don't see any reason it wouldn't turn out delicious.
@malmal - You use falafel for a low carb diet, huh? When you said that and the part about patty-shaped falafel and bread-like textures and all, a kind of bizarre idea occurred to me. What if you ate a regular hamburger or a different kind of veggie burger and used falafel patties as the bun?
It would be a bit crispy, but I'll bet it would make a pretty good substitute if you wanted to keep the carbohydrates down really low. I can't do without bread and buns, or I would try low carb dieting, since I've read that it has a lot of benefits.
Falafel is by far my favorite "veggie burger" material. You know how deep frying things is supposed to be unhealthy? Falafel is the exception! Deep fried falafel in patty or ball form is just delicious every time -- especially if you add tahini (made from sunflower seeds) or some other kind of sauce.
One of the great things about falafel is that it ends up with an almost bread-like texture, yet it is high in protein and low in carbohydrates, so it works exceptionally well for low carbohydrate diets.
If you want to eat vegan or vegetarian, falafel is completely okay and allowed in your diet, too. It's great that something so yummy is so good for you!
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