I’m going to be honest here. I didn’t think it would actually happen.
I have been on the hunt for “the one” veggie burger for years. Years. YEARS! Do you know how many beans, veggies, and other random mix-ins I’d rather not talk about have been wasted in this process? On second thought… don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.
You have to understand how big this is. It’s monumental really. LIke, seriously. They should erect a monument to this burger and I should be the one to cut the red ribbon.(I’ve always wanted to hold those big scissors!) This is big enough for me to say “like”. And I never say like. Except when I do. Which is not often. Like, really.
But there is a word I throw around even more seldom than like, and that word would be ultimate. I say it when I mean it. If a recipe doesn’t rock your socks off, I’m not going to call it ultimate. If I’m still wearing socks at the end of the meal, then I don’t call it ultimate! (Kids, don’t try this at home.)
You know the expression “when pigs fly”? Yeah, I haven’t used it. You know why? I’ve been using “when I find the ultimate veggie burger” instead because it was even less likely.
Folks, I am looking for a veggie burger that is vegan, gluten free, grain free, LOW CARB, and doesn’t taste like the socks it rocked off. And I found it.
Not only do these miraculous patties of joy meet all my criteria, they are also endlessly customizable to whatever you want. Add in different veggies, beans, flavors… you have no excuse not to make these because they adapt to whatever you have on hand. So actually… you should go make these now.
I used these fantastic peppers from TJ’s I had in the freezer. You definitely don’t need them, but I thought they were fantastic and can’t believe I haven’t found them sooner!
Wait, did I just see a pig fly by?
The Ultimate Veggie Burger (Vegan/Gluten Free/Grain Free/Low Carb)
Note: One of the great things about these veggie burgers is that they are completely customizable to what you want/like/ have on hand. This recipe calls for 3/4 cup of veggies, but the sky is the limit to what those could be. You can use veggies that are fresh or frozen and defrosted (measure after defrosting). You can also use a mixture of veggies totaling to 3/4 cup. Let your imagination (and your taste buds) run wild!
Adapted from Live, Laugh, Eat
Makes 2 burger (recipe can be easily doubled or tripled as needed)
Nutritional Comparison
Serving size: 2 patties
Calories: 220
Fat: 8 grams
vs.
The Ultimate Veggie Burger
(Calculated with the Low Calorie Beans method and egg replacer)
Serving size: 2 patties (entire recipe)
Calories: 125
Fat: ~1.5 grams
Ingredients
1/2 cup chickpeas prepared using the Low Calorie Beans Method (You can use canned beans instead. Perhaps another type of bean would work too?)
3/4 cup veggies, fresh or frozen and defrosted (see note above)
2 Tablespoons chickpea flour
1 egg white or 1 1/2 teaspoons egg replacer plus 2 Tablespoons water
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
In a food processor, combine all ingredients and pulse until blended (but not completely pureed; you still want the burgers to have some texture). Heat a greased or nonstick sprayed skillet over medium high heat. Spoon half the chickpea mixture onto the pan and spread it out with the back of a spoon to form a patty shape. Repeat with the other half of the chickpea mixture. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until golden, and flip. Cook on the other side for a few more minutes or until golden and beautiful then turn off the heat, transfer to a plate, and devour.
I have a feeling these patties and my homemade sandwich thins would be a perfect match. Just a suggestion.
Enjoy!
-Kelly M.
P.S. The winner of the Hemp seed giveaway is… Audrey! (Comment #21) Congratulations! You should be receiving an email shortly. Thank you so much to everyone who participated!
You May Also Like:
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
Your burgers look delicious! I love veggie burgers, but I’ve never tried making my own before. These look like they’ll be so much better and less expensive than the frozen ones. I can’t wait to try them. The ingredients are all things I usually have on hand, so I think I’ll make some for lunch today. Those peppers from Trader Joe’s are the best. I always have a supply of them in the freezer!
Yay! I hope you enjoy these burgers as much as I do, Kerry.
Yum, I just had a vegie burger for lunch. Although I’m not vegetarian, I love me some vegie patties! I’ll have to try these some time
OH MY GOSH A VEGGIE BURGER EATING OMNIVORE. Do you know how hard you people are to find? Thank you for being awesome!
I’m a veggie burger eating omnivore as well! I love anything that tastes good.
I cannot tell you how many beans and mushy lackluster burgers Ive either wasted or made in my quest for the perfect veggie burger, too! Yours sounds great and love that you didn’t just flippantly throw the title of ‘ultimate’ around. There can only be one ultimate and this one sounds like a winner!
Averie, it is always such a pleasure hearing from you. Thank you so very much for saying hello!
Ugh. There are just so many veggie burger recipes that simply are not worth the time/ingredients/heartache! I do hope this makes looking for “the” recipe to make easier.
These look so delicious and I love a good veggie burger! Pinning this now!
Aw. Thank you Kim!
I just made these patties for dinner tonight. I didn’t have any bread or buns to make burgers so I made them as a side dish with potatoes and they were so yummy! It was so nice to find a simple recipe that tasted so good. Thanks for sharing it with all of us.
-Holly
PS: I added sunflower seeds and whole chickpeas to my second batch and it tasted great
Yay! Thank you so much for trying the burgers, Holly, and I am so glad you enjoyed them!
These look so delicious! I found this link while searching “paleo” on Foodgawker. However, I must point out that the chickpeas are classified as a legume, and, sadly makes this recipe not paleo friendly.
Hi Chris, and I am so sorry for the confusion! You’re right and I’m wrong; legumes are not paleo. I do have to ask- are all beans not paleo? If not, then you could sub in a paleo-friendly bean and make this recipe paleo. Thanks!
I’m not even vegetarian but I have to try these! Approx how big is one patty?
Thank you! You certainly don’t have to be a veggie to enjoy veggie burgers. I’d say the patties about four to five inches, give or take. They’re a very decent size.
Is that 1/2 C cooked chickpeas, or 1/2 C dry chickpeas cooked using the low calorie method?
You measure the chickpeas after they’ve been cooked using the low calorie method. I hope this helps, Carmen!
These are not vegan because of the egg.
Hi Jessie. As stated in the recipe, you can use egg replacer instad of egg for a vegan option. Thanks, and I hope this helps!
Oh I thought egg replacer just meant like egg beaters or something. I didnt know there was such a thing. Still getting the hang of all this
thanks
Could you use any beans? I’m not the biggest fan of chickpeas except for in hummus
Can you use corn starch in place of the chickpea flour?
Hi Candice! I have not tried subbing in corn starch, but I imagine it would work. You can also make your own chickpea flour by using the recipe here. Hope this helps!
The vegan diet doesn’t allow for the eggwhites that are in the recipe. Anything you’d suggest? I was really wanting something vegan, and I thought this was!
Hi Meredith. In the recipe, I specify that you can substitute egg replacer for the egg whites for a vegan version. I use Ener-g brand. Hope this helps!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe! I am always on the look-out for low-carb, low-fat vegetarian protein options so was thrilled to try this. I doubled the batch and spooned it into a loaf pan–my batter was too goopy for forming into patties due to my veggies being on the watery side–baked 40 min at 400 degrees, then allowed it to cool in the pan before slicing. It was delicious. This is going to be my new favorite main course!
You ROCK. I love the idea of making it in a loaf pan! I’ll have to do that and dedicate it to you.