Shake Up Your Boring Recipes
If you’re bored with your diet and having a hard time toning lean muscle then these veggie burger recipes will do the trick. Healthy, satisfying, and low in fat, all 5 of these delicious recipes pack a pretty powerful nutritious punch.
The best part is that you don’t have to be a vegetarian or a full-on vegan to enjoy these burgers. It’s always a good health strategy to add more veggie and vegan options in your diet, in order to increase the plant-based foods you eat. They are a great way to switch things up and you may experience energy benefits as well since your body will expend energy to break down all that fiber.
VEGAN PROTEIN TIP: Before I get to the burger recipes, I want to address an important issue that comes up with vegan diets – protein. Many people think that getting enough protein to build muscle mass is difficult or impossible with a vegan diet. But that’s not the case.
In fact, if you’re smart about it, you can get the same results by eating very little or no animal-based protein. Eating more legumes, brown rice, nuts, and healthy-fat veggies like avocados is a good place to start. But you can also check out this amazing vegan protein for your protein smoothies – Gardenia All Natural Vegan Protein.
Now onto the recipes…
The 5 Best Veggie Burger Recipes
Some of these recipes are pure vegan (marked with a V), while others still contain animal by-products like cheese. For all burgers, you can grill them on a barbecue/indoor grill, or cook them in a frying pan on the stove top (just add a little olive oil).
1. Brown Rice & Mushroom Veggie Burger
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups of cooked brown rice
- 2 cups of baby white mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 cup of shredded carrots
- 1 cup of shredded zucchini
- 1 white onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup of whole wheat bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- Seasoning salt, salt, and pepper as desired
Directions: Boil carrots, zucchini, onion, and mushrooms until tender. Drain and cool for at least 1 hour in the fridge. Then combine with remaining ingredients, grill or pan-fry for about 6 minutes per side, and serve on a whole wheat bun with toppings of choice. Makes 4-6 burgers.
2. Mexican Veggie Burger (V)
Ingredients:
- 1 can of refried beans
- 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ of a whit onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup of canned corn
- ¼ cup of cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, de-seeded and diced
- ½ cup of oatmeal
- ½ cup of breadcrumbs
- Salt, pepper, and chili powder as desired
Directions: Combine all ingredients well in a large mixing bowl, and form into patties (using your hands or a small dish for consistency). Allow to cool in the fridge to hold form, overnight if possible. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, and serve on a whole wheat bun with tomato, avocado, and salsa. Makes 6-8 burgers.
3. Mediterranean Veggie Burger
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces of feta cheese (low fat works well)
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup of sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 cans of chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and mashed or put in the food processor for a few seconds
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- ½ cup of whole wheat bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions: Combine all ingredients well in a large mixing bowl, and form into patties (using your hands or a small dish for consistency). Allow to cool in the fridge to hold form, overnight if possible. Cook for about 6 minutes on each side, and serve on a whole wheat bun with tomato slices and red onion. Makes 4-5 burgers.
4. Sweet Potato & Quinoa Veggie Burger (V)
Ingredients:
- 1 medium-sized sweet potato, baked
- ½ cup of quinoa, cooked
- ½ cup of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons of parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- Salt, pepper, and seasoning salt as desired
Directions: Mash the sweet potato, and combine with remaining ingredients. Form into patties and cool for at least 1 hour in the fridge. Cook for about 6-7 minutes on each side, and serve on a whole wheat bun with roasted red peppers. Makes 6 burgers.
5. Garden Veggie Cheese Burger
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of grated zucchini
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup of Cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
- 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup of cooked brown rice
- 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs (your choice, parsley works well), finely chopped
- 1 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs
- 4 egg whites, whisked
- 1 cup of finely grated low-fat cheddar cheese
Directions: Grill veggies in a frying pan with a little olive oil until tender. Allow them to cool before combining with remaining ingredients (including the cheese). Form into patties, and cook for 6-7 minutes on each side. Makes 6 burgers.
For any of these recipes, you can easily bake your burgers for about 12-15 minutes at 375 degrees, flipping halfway through. Add your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
Have any questions or feedback about these Top 5 Veggie Burger Recipes? Please leave a comment below…