Vegan burgers or other ideas

[bunyip]

We have a friend who is vegan purely for a medical condition and SWMBO has invited her and her other half over for a BBQ when it warms up a bit, meanwhile I get to cook something that resembles a meat burger so I tried one made with walnuts, oatmeal, black beans, onion, garlic, red wine vinegar, soy, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and cumin.
Looked good, cooked up well then I tried it, well, I am glad I am not a vegan, it was described as having a meaty flavour and texture, it didn't.
Anyone have any ideas on a burger type vegan thing I can present and actually eat and enjoy.
I have cooked with gluten flour which works for some dishes but I doubt it would work for this.

 

[Big Barn]

We have a friend who is vegan purely for a medical condition and SWMBO has invited her and her other half over for a BBQ when it warms up a bit, meanwhile I get to cook something that resembles a meat burger so I tried one made with walnuts, oatmeal, black beans, onion, garlic, red wine vinegar, soy, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and cumin.
Looked good, cooked up well then I tried it, well, I am glad I am not a vegan, it was described as having a meaty flavour and texture, it didn't.
Anyone have any ideas on a burger type vegan thing I can present and actually eat and enjoy.
I have cooked with gluten flour which works for some dishes but I doubt it would work for this.

Do you have an equivalent of Whole Foods?

Check out your grocery stores for frozen product. Here in Canada there’s a myriad of burgers that actually taste good. Read the labels though. Just because they’re vegan doesn’t necessarily mean they’re healthy.

 

[MossRoad]

Garden burgers aren't that bad. See of you can find them in your area.

Gardenburger(R) Veggie Burgers

 

[CalG]

Ask your guests if they enjoy portabello mushrooms.

A splash of oil dressing before grilling can make for a pretty nice "burger". I mean after the cheese, the tomato, onion, lettuce mayo pickles and catsup and mustard goes on, who can tell just what is in there? ;-)

 

[Big Barn]

Ask your guests if they enjoy portabello mushrooms.

A splash of oil dressing before grilling can make for a pretty nice "burger". I mean after the cheese, the tomato, onion, lettuce mayo pickles and catsup and mustard goes on, who can tell just what is in there? ;-)

And ditch the bun replacing it with lettuce or romaine leaves.

 

[dragoneggs]

Do you have an equivalent of Whole Foods?

Check out your grocery stores for frozen product. Here in Canada there’s a myriad of burgers that actually taste good. Read the labels though. Just because they’re vegan doesn’t necessarily mean they’re healthy.

Ain't that the truth... whenever I sample a veggie burger at Costco or Trader Joe's that I like, the label isn't as good.

Ask your guests if they enjoy portabello mushrooms.

A splash of oil dressing before grilling can make for a pretty nice "burger". I mean after the cheese, the tomato, onion, lettuce mayo pickles and catsup and mustard goes on, who can tell just what is in there? ;-)

I will second the portabello's... put them on the grill and cook them like a steak... longer. Proper seasoning and one can be fooled for thinking a tenderloin.

 

[goeduck]

I have no objection to some of the vegan food, it often tastes good. Not that I am going to give up beef, fish, shellfish, chicken and pork, but I keep an open mind.

 

[dragoneggs]

I have no objection to some of the vegan food, it often tastes good. Not that I am going to give up beef, fish, shellfish, chicken and pork, but I keep an open mind.

Can't live here without a love for shellfish!

 

[the old grind]

Not to wander too far OT, but there are more reasons than a vegan diet to consider meatless burgers. It seems that some tick bites cause a worse result than Lyme disease. My GF's oldest gets quite ill some hours after eating red meat. His symptoms mirror information on several, or a consensus of, these sites.

meat allergy tick - Google Search

I've eaten plenty of 'vegeburgers' in 45 years, and totally agree with CalG about the additions and condiments and IMO-requisite lettuce and tomato. Just add a slab of that orange, converted corn oil stuff passed off as cheese. That anyone can taste real meat through a coating of it on their tongue is a matter of claim, IMO like saying 'caffeine-free' tastes different or that 'real sugar' (cane/beet's 50% fructose vs corns syrup's 55%) is healthier.

btw: my brother can down a whopper quicker than I can finish a small order of fries. My neighbor can wolf a home-grilled burger in <2 minutes. I gotta wonder if they'd really know if they were eating real meat.

 

[ericm979]

It's very thoughtful of you to work on your own vegan burger recipe. But the safest thing is to ask the vegan guest what they prefer. There's a wide variety of veggieburgers. Some people love gardenburgers (which don't have a taste or texture like meat), other people like more meat like burger like Boca burgers. Some people are fine with a portobelo mushroom or slab of eggplant, other prefer a more substantial burger like thing. The brands in Australia are probably different but you get the idea.
Be sure to tell your guest that you tried to make a veggie burger and were not happy with it. They'll be impressed.