{"id":58989,"date":"2022-08-25T16:07:25","date_gmt":"2022-08-25T20:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/?p=58989"},"modified":"2024-03-21T13:27:32","modified_gmt":"2024-03-21T17:27:32","slug":"make-your-own-veggie-burger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/make-your-own-veggie-burger\/","title":{"rendered":"Make Your Own Veggie Burger For A Better Patty"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"58989\" class=\"elementor elementor-58989\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-db4de70 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"db4de70\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fac1e70 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fac1e70\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">Frozen, packaged veggie burgers have long had a place in the freezer, taking up an almost nostalgic\u00a0 place in our rotation of easy vegetarian meals. But sometimes, it seems like nostalgia is all they&#8217;ve got going on because let&#8217;s face it: most veggie burgers are made with an indiscernible mix of ingredients, way too much salt, and frankly, a taste that could best be compared to cardboard. Veggies are meant to be fresh, vibrant, and flavorful, which is why there&#8217;s really only one way you can capture their personality in a patty: make your own.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8a08199 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"8a08199\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/veggie-burger-hand-jpg.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-58990\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/veggie-burger-hand-jpg.webp 720w, https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/veggie-burger-hand-jpg-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/veggie-burger-hand-jpg-260x260.webp 260w, https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/veggie-burger-hand-jpg-75x75.webp 75w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-585ed32 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"585ed32\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">That may sound like a lot of extra effort for what&#8217;s generally a casual meal\u2014and yes, you will need to put in some elbow grease\u2014but if you can mash potatoes and shape things into disc-like objects, you can make your own veggie burgers too. And it&#8217;s totally worth it for a final product that&#8217;ll make you feel like a master of meatless foods.\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Even better, DIY veggie burgers don&#8217;t really require a recipe. With a knowledge of the basic method, you can make them a thousand different ways and bring in your own flair. So let&#8217;s get into the 101 of patty perfection.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a1f2210 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a1f2210\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">1. Pick your base<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1935eab elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1935eab\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">Packaged veggie burgers usually consist of a long list of starches, stabilizers, and additives, leading you to wonder &#8220;where&#8217;s the veg in my veggie burger?&#8221; When you make your own, the ingredient list can even get shortened to just one. Any plant that holds together when mashed is a potential candidate for your burger. That means most root veggies, legumes, and firm squashes. Some of our favorites include:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c6e7b5d e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"c6e7b5d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f11cb56 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f11cb56\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li class=\"li1\"><p>Beets<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Butternut &amp; acorn squash<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Sweet potatoes<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Beans &amp; chickpeas<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Lentils<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Carrots<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Celeriac<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Plantains<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Yucca<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Cauliflower<\/p><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a352ec7 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"a352ec7\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-28182c6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"28182c6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">To start, you&#8217;ll want to fully cook your base so that it&#8217;s soft enough to mash\u2014in most cases, simple steaming or boiling will do. To save time, you can always use ingredients that are canned or pre-cooked, like these\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/browse.jsp?pageType=browse&amp;id=dai_snack_veg&amp;pageSize=30&amp;all=false&amp;activePage=1&amp;sortBy=Sort_CustomerFavoritesFirst&amp;orderAsc=false&amp;activeTab=product&amp;brandFilterGroup=bd_love_beets\"><span class=\"s1\">beets<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/pdp.jsp?productId=hmr_dssd_yms&amp;catId=meals_sides_potato\"><span class=\"s1\">prepared sweet potatoes<\/span><\/a>. Once that&#8217;s done, we recommend mashing them by hand with a potato masher\u00a0to a creamy consistency with some chunks, which gives you a pleasing rustic texture. You can pur\u00e9e them in a food processor, but proceed with caution because it&#8217;s very easy to overdo things this way, leading to a glue-y, dense heaviness that you don&#8217;t want.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-418b0ba elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"418b0ba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/cooked-quinoa-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><span style=\"font-family: circular-medium; font-size: 20px;\">2. Choose a binder<\/span><br \/>Although it is possible to skip this step, you&#8217;ll want to add something starchy to the mix to help hold everything together and absorb excess moisture. There&#8217;s no need to go overboard here\u2014in most cases, even just a tablespoon or two of a binder can make a difference. Simply fold it into your mashed base. Some possibilities include:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f665706 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f665706\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\u00a0<\/p><ul><li style=\"list-style-type: none;\"><ul><li class=\"li1\"><p>Flour (any type is fine, including gluten-free)<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Breadcrumbs<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><ul><li class=\"li1\"><p>Cooked grains (i.e. rice, quinoa, bulgur, oats)<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Eggs or egg substitutes<\/p><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f83cece elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f83cece\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">3. Add some mix-ins<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-108e670 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"108e670\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">While meat-based burgers can get away with a uniform texture, veggie burgers typically are best when they have a bit of variety to them\u2014you probably don&#8217;t want to feel like you&#8217;re eating a mashed potato sandwich. You can choose from whatever chopped vegetables fit your fancy, as long as they&#8217;re rather finely chopped (big pieces make it more likely that your burger will fall apart). Small seeds and nuts are great too to add a little crunch. Some ideas include:\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3e9f5be elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3e9f5be\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li class=\"li1\"><p>Diced onion<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Diced peppers<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Corn kernels<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Chopped tomato<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Sliced mushrooms<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Shredded leafy greens<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Diced celery<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Sliced scallions<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Flax, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, or chia seeds<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Crushed almonds or cashews<\/p><\/li><li class=\"li1\"><p>Crumbled tempeh<\/p><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0cff95c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0cff95c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default elementor-inline-editing pen\" style=\"font-family: Circular, sans-serif;\" data-elementor-setting-key=\"title\" data-pen-placeholder=\"Type Here...\"><span style=\"font-family: circular-medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Roboto Condensed'; font-size: 12pt;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-59004 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/ramekins-chopped-1-260x260.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"260\" height=\"260\" \/><\/span>4. Season it<\/span><\/h4><p class=\"p1\">A little bit of seasoning can make a big difference! Adding some spice or aromatics to the mix can mean the difference between a legitimate burger and a patty made of soggy vegetables. Think about what toppings or sides you&#8217;re ultimately going to add for inspiration. In the mood for something Tex-Mex-ish? Put in a few dashes of chili powder. Want a bit of Mediterranean flair? Blend in some pesto or a bit of za&#8217;atar. Love a smoky char-grilled flavor? Try a bit of smoked paprika. Any herbs or spices really will do here. And while we&#8217;re on the subject, don&#8217;t forget to season everything well with salt and pepper.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-acc36d6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"acc36d6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">5. Get cooking!<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b181494 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b181494\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">Once you&#8217;ve mixed all your ingredients together, make sure you&#8217;ve got a consistency that&#8217;s pliable but not stiff or loose and adjust as needed with more of your base or binder\u2014it should feel like soft clay in your hands. Scoop out individual portions and shape them into patties that are slightly wider than the buns you&#8217;ll be using (this will ensure the best fit and account for any shrinkage that happens during cooking). Each should be between 1\/2- to 1-inch thick: Any thinner and they&#8217;ll risk becoming overly-crisp fritters, any thicker and they&#8217;ll become unwieldy and unevenly cooked. After shaping, put them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow them to set. Tip:\u00a0At this point, you can freeze the uncooked patties for use another time.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">When you&#8217;re ready to cook, heat a saut\u00e9 pan with a layer of oil over medium-high heat\u2014you want to keep the heat on the higher side to quickly sear the outsides, which will help the burgers keep their shape. Add your chilled patties to the pan and cook on each side until nicely browned (try to flip them only once to lower the risk of falling apart).\u00a0And while we do love a grilled burger, grilling is generally not recommended for homemade patties because of their delicate nature, though a grill pan will do the trick.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70e5f20 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"70e5f20\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">6. Top it off<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ca567a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3ca567a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Roboto Condensed';\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-59007 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/veggie-burger-plate-260x260.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"260\" height=\"260\" \/><\/span><\/p><p class=\"p1\">What you put on top of your burger is just as important as what goes in it. The classic combo of lettuce, tomato, and onion will do, but in the same way that veggie burgers are a template for inventive ingredient and flavor combinations, so are the toppings. Because veggie burgers lean heavily on mashed, softened fillings, it&#8217;s a good idea to turn to crispy, highly textured items on top. We love a good, fresh cabbage slaw, sliced cucumbers, and tender-crisp greens. And to turn up the flavor factor and make up for any dryness, a healthy schmear of sauce will always help. Hummus or mayo is a reliable to go-to, although this is a great opportunity to play with a creative option like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/browse.jsp?pageType=browse&amp;id=gro_condi&amp;pageSize=30&amp;all=true&amp;activePage=1&amp;sortBy=Sort_CustomerFavoritesFirst&amp;orderAsc=false&amp;activeTab=product&amp;brandFilterGroup=bd_havens_kitchen\"><span class=\"s1\">Haven&#8217;s Kitchen fresh sauces.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ba56e51 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ba56e51\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\">Not in the mood to cook from scratch? See\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/browse.jsp?pageType=browse&amp;id=fro_meatl_burg&amp;pageSize=30&amp;all=false&amp;activePage=1&amp;sortBy=Sort_CustomerFavoritesFirst&amp;orderAsc=true&amp;activeTab=product\">FreshDirect&#8217;s selection of frozen veggie burgers here.\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d79d67c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"d79d67c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40ccd9d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"40ccd9d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-family: circular-bold; font-size: 22px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/section.jsp?id=sec_myo_veggie_burgers\">Shop veggie burger ingredients on FreshDirect<\/a><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Frozen, packaged veggie burgers have long had a place in the freezer, taking up an almost nostalgic\u00a0 place in our rotation of easy vegetarian meals. But sometimes, it seems like nostalgia is all they&#8217;ve got going on because let&#8217;s face it: most veggie burgers are made with an indiscernible mix of ingredients, way too much salt, and frankly, a taste that could best be compared to cardboard. Veggies are meant to be fresh, vibrant, and flavorful, which is why there&#8217;s really only one way you can capture their personality in a patty: make your own.\u00a0 That may sound like a lot of extra effort for what&#8217;s generally a casual meal\u2014and yes, you will need to put in some elbow grease\u2014but if you can mash potatoes and shape things into disc-like objects, you can make your own veggie burgers too. And it&#8217;s totally worth it for a final product that&#8217;ll make you feel like a master of meatless foods.\u00a0 Even better, DIY veggie burgers don&#8217;t really require a recipe. With a knowledge of the basic method, you can make them a thousand different ways and bring in your own flair. So let&#8217;s get into the 101 of patty perfection. 1. Pick your base Packaged veggie burgers usually consist of a long list of starches, stabilizers, and additives, leading you to wonder &#8220;where&#8217;s the veg in my veggie burger?&#8221; When you make your own, the ingredient list can even get shortened to just one. Any plant that holds together when mashed is a potential candidate for your burger. That means most root veggies, legumes, and firm squashes. Some of our favorites include: Beets Butternut &amp; acorn squash Sweet potatoes Beans &amp; chickpeas Lentils Carrots Celeriac Plantains Yucca Cauliflower To start, you&#8217;ll want to fully cook your base so that it&#8217;s soft enough to mash\u2014in most cases, simple steaming or boiling will do. To save time, you can always use ingredients that are canned or pre-cooked, like these\u00a0beets\u00a0or\u00a0prepared sweet potatoes. Once that&#8217;s done, we recommend mashing them by hand with a potato masher\u00a0to a creamy consistency with some chunks, which gives you a pleasing rustic texture. You can pur\u00e9e them in a food processor, but proceed with caution because it&#8217;s very easy to overdo things this way, leading to a glue-y, dense heaviness that you don&#8217;t want. 2. Choose a binderAlthough it is possible to skip this step, you&#8217;ll want to add something starchy to the mix to help hold everything together and absorb excess moisture. There&#8217;s no need to go overboard here\u2014in most cases, even just a tablespoon or two of a binder can make a difference. Simply fold it into your mashed base. Some possibilities include: \u00a0 Flour (any type is fine, including gluten-free) Breadcrumbs \u00a0 Cooked grains (i.e. rice, quinoa, bulgur, oats) Eggs or egg substitutes 3. Add some mix-ins While meat-based burgers can get away with a uniform texture, veggie burgers typically are best when they have a bit of variety to them\u2014you probably don&#8217;t want to feel like you&#8217;re eating a mashed potato sandwich. You can choose from whatever chopped vegetables fit your fancy, as long as they&#8217;re rather finely chopped (big pieces make it more likely that your burger will fall apart). Small seeds and nuts are great too to add a little crunch. Some ideas include:\u00a0 Diced onion Diced peppers Corn kernels Chopped tomato Sliced mushrooms Shredded leafy greens Diced celery Sliced scallions Flax, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, or chia seeds Crushed almonds or cashews Crumbled tempeh 4. Season it A little bit of seasoning can make a big difference! Adding some spice or aromatics to the mix can mean the difference between a legitimate burger and a patty made of soggy vegetables. Think about what toppings or sides you&#8217;re ultimately going to add for inspiration. In the mood for something Tex-Mex-ish? Put in a few dashes of chili powder. Want a bit of Mediterranean flair? Blend in some pesto or a bit of za&#8217;atar. Love a smoky char-grilled flavor? Try a bit of smoked paprika. Any herbs or spices really will do here. And while we&#8217;re on the subject, don&#8217;t forget to season everything well with salt and pepper. 5. Get cooking! Once you&#8217;ve mixed all your ingredients together, make sure you&#8217;ve got a consistency that&#8217;s pliable but not stiff or loose and adjust as needed with more of your base or binder\u2014it should feel like soft clay in your hands. Scoop out individual portions and shape them into patties that are slightly wider than the buns you&#8217;ll be using (this will ensure the best fit and account for any shrinkage that happens during cooking). Each should be between 1\/2- to 1-inch thick: Any thinner and they&#8217;ll risk becoming overly-crisp fritters, any thicker and they&#8217;ll become unwieldy and unevenly cooked. After shaping, put them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow them to set. Tip:\u00a0At this point, you can freeze the uncooked patties for use another time. When you&#8217;re ready to cook, heat a saut\u00e9 pan with a layer of oil over medium-high heat\u2014you want to keep the heat on the higher side to quickly sear the outsides, which will help the burgers keep their shape. Add your chilled patties to the pan and cook on each side until nicely browned (try to flip them only once to lower the risk of falling apart).\u00a0And while we do love a grilled burger, grilling is generally not recommended for homemade patties because of their delicate nature, though a grill pan will do the trick.\u00a0 6. Top it off What you put on top of your burger is just as important as what goes in it. The classic combo of lettuce, tomato, and onion will do, but in the same way that veggie burgers are a template for inventive ingredient and flavor combinations, so are the toppings. Because veggie burgers lean heavily on mashed, softened fillings, it&#8217;s a good idea to turn to crispy, highly textured items on top. We love a good, fresh cabbage slaw, sliced cucumbers, and tender-crisp greens. And to turn up the flavor factor and make up for any dryness, a healthy schmear of sauce will always help. Hummus or mayo is a reliable to go-to, although this is a great opportunity to play with a creative option like Haven&#8217;s Kitchen fresh sauces. Not in the mood to cook from scratch? See\u00a0FreshDirect&#8217;s selection of frozen veggie burgers here.\u00a0 Shop veggie burger ingredients on FreshDirect<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67951,"featured_media":58990,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2736,2737,3302,3297,2732],"tags":[3003],"class_list":["post-58989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dinner-recipes-2","category-lunch-recipes-2","category-pantry","category-produce","category-recipes","tag-veggie-burgers"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67951"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58989"}],"version-history":[{"count":51,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58989\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75507,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58989\/revisions\/75507"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freshdirect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}