The Ultimate Veggie Burger

If you have been reading my work and following my posts over the years you will know that I have been in search of the perfect veggie burger for a long, long  time. 

Guess what - I have found it!

Here it is, folks.

Unlike products such as Beyond Burger, for example, (which, I'm sorry to say, is no better for us than any other ultra processed food), these patties are packed with real, whole, natural food and nutrition   (The perils of the "plant-based" food industry is  a whole other conversation for another time.)

What I love about this recipe -- besides its taste and "meaty" texture" -- is that it is pretty versatile and forgiving.  When I made them today, I even added about a third of a cup of ground walnuts, which I had kicking around my fridge. These burgers hold up very well when cooking, even without the egg to bind them.   And the amount and type of seasonings used are up to you.   The woman I got this recipe from said she tripled the amount of seasoning!  In this recipe I doubled her original amount of sage.  Also, usually when I make these I add more dill than the recipe calls for.  This gives these burgers a flavour reminiscent of my late mother's  delicious chicken stuffing recipe. 

Now without any further ado...

The Ultimate Veggie Burger

Ingredients

1 lb. organic soft tofu, approximately  (A 300 gram package will suffice)

1 cup toasted sunflower seeds (ground)

1 cup grated carrots (1 -2 large carrots)

1 cup cooked rice, your choice   I've used Jasmine and I've used brown rice and both have worked out well.

1 large onion, diced and cooked in a small amount of oil until soft and slightly golden

1 cup rolled oats

1 - 4 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

2 Tbsp organic soy sauce, tamari sauce, or  perhaps even coconut liquid aminos

1 tsp. thyme

2 tsp. ground sage

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. dill, fresh or frozen is best

2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 - 2 eggs (optional).  Omit for a  vegan version of this recipe.  The egg adds additional protein and other nutrients, but these burgers will still hold together nicely without it. 

Directions

• Place raw sunflower seeds in a shallow baking sheet and toast in 350 degree oven until lightly golden (about 15 minutes, but watch carefully so that they don't burn.  Cool, then grind in food processor.
  
• While seeds are toasting, chop onion and cook until soft and golden.
• Place tofu into a large bowl and mash.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
• Shape into patties and cook in hot, oiled pan until browned  and burger-looking, about 6 minutes. Flip and cook on other side until done. 

Makes approximately 2 dozen medium-sized patties.