Vegie Burgers

Backyard barbecues are synonymous with burgers. But for health reasons—both for ourselves and Mother Nature—it’s best not to go overboard with those big patties of grilled red meat. Thankfully, vegie burgers are ready to come to the rescue.

While meatless burgers have a reputation for being bland, if you infuse them with the right seasonings and layer on big flavours, you certainly won’t be left wondering, “Where’s the beef?” Best of all, plant-based burgers offer up plenty of nutritional perks. Primarily, those that incorporate beans, lentils and whole grains are fibre powerhouses. Research is promising that higher intakes of fibre can be protective against renal, breast and other cancers.

These sizzling vegie burgers are so tasty you’ll want to keep your barbecue fired up all year long.

Take them indoors

No barbecue? No problem. To prepare these burgers on the stovetop, simply heat 1 Tbsp (20 ml) oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook them as directed in the recipes. You can use your oven’s grill to prepare toppings such as roasted red capsicum and zucchini.

Recipes

• Asian Tofu Burgers with Chilli Lime Pineapple
• Lentil Goats’ Cheese Burgers with Spinach Pesto
• Quinoa Kale Burgers with Chipotle Yoghurt Sauce
• Black Bean Rice Burgers with Guacamole
• Stuffed Portobello Burgers with Caramelised Onions

Vegie madness

Follow these tips to get the most out of your meat-free burgers.

Hold the breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs are often called for in vegie burgers to help absorb moisture and improve consistency. You can get the same results but with a much larger dose of beneficial nutrients by using organic wheatgerm, oat bran or ground flaxseed instead of breadcrumbs. Try the latter if serving backyard guests who need to steer clear of gluten.

Smooth move

Most vegie burgers are better if they have some texture. You can accomplish this by mixing in cooked whole grains such as quinoa or brown rice. Nuts and seeds work too. Also, when mashing beans and lentils, leave them slightly chunky.

Oil slick

To avoid serving burger bits, lightly coating the patties (not the barbecue grate) with oil can go a long way towards keeping them from sticking to the barbecue. Grilling them on a cast iron griddle can also make flipping delicate vegie burgers less worrisome.

Chilling uncooked meat-free patties for about 30 minutes before barbecuing may also help them to keep their form.