Update: The Search for the Perfect Veggie Burgers

I wrote several years ago about how I had been searching for the perfect veggie burgers and was playing with ingredients to try and perfect my own. At the time, I had been vegetarian for about a year and hadn't eaten the many, many veggie burgers that I have today. Let's say I'm enthusiastic about them, k?

Now armed with the wisdom of a million burgers, I present to you my recommendations for best veggie burgers around. I've separated the list into several categories depending on whether you want fast food, portable BBQ burgers, or to make your own.

Portable (Grocery Store)
The best burgers I've had that I actually bought at a grocery store are undoubtedly the PC Mushroom Swiss Vegetarian Burgers. Though these are your standard soy-based patties, the mushroom and cheese addition make them far from bland.

Special Mention: I am definitely a fan of Licks' nature burger, but I've only had it in-store. They are sold frozen in some grocery stores though, so if you want they are probably worth a shot.

Restaurant

The trouble with getting veggie burgers at restaurants is 9 times out of ten it's on the menu just to pacify any vegetarians who happen to wander in. This means you are likely getting one of only a few varieties of frozen soy patties, not anything original or remotely inspiring. This said, there are still many honourable mentions in this category and I know I will omit some of my favourites. In particular, I had an absolutely dynamite mushroom based burger in Chicago, but for the life of me I can't remember what it's called. There is also VegOut in London, which puts forth a valiant effort and offers a solid vegan menu in general. Lastly, although I've never had a veggie burger at Toronto restaurant FRESH, everything else on their menu is so good, that you can't go wrong trying it. 

However, definitely my favourite veggie burger at the moment however is at Harper's Burger Bar in Kingston, ON. Aside from having a fairly well executed chickpea patty, what sets Harper's apart is that they really make the burger come alive with their toppings. Every single burger on their menu (my favourite is "the Delicious", with avocado, BBQ sauce, and an onion ring) is able to substitute the chickpea patty in, which means every time can be different and a new adventure. 

(Photo: Harpers in Kingston)

Recipe

So here is it, the piece de resistance. As a veggie burger enthusiast, I've tried a lot of different recipes to see what works: chickpeas, mushrooms, kidney beans, you name it. I've even tried every conceivable binding agent to keep things together, whether is was bread crumbs, oats, nuts, eggs...everything. Here's what I came up with.

After all my experimenting, what I found had (by far) the best outcome was adapting a recipe for chana masala (indian dish of chickpeas in a curry sauce) to suit my needs. This particular recipe used cream and ground almonds to make a really rich, creamy sauce. All I did was scrap the cream altogether and double the amount of almonds. What you want to go for is a substance that binds as much as possible (any fresh veggie burger will fall apart) and has great flavour - the almonds accomplish both of those goals. I wish I could give you an exact recipe but it's a little different every time.

My recommendation is this: learn how to make chana masala, and then pull back on the liquids and add almonds. Remember, this is all to your taste - as long as you have the foundation, you can't go wrong. Top with some raita (an indian yogurt dip) and fresh chopped cilantro. It'll be a big hit!