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What are the best vegan or vegetarian burger options out there?
I just had an "Impossible" burger here in Vegas. I honestly couldn't believe it wasn't meat.
I'm not vegan or Vegetarian, but I eat it from time to time.
Any other good recommendations out there for good meat substitutes?
I'm curious what's out there. I was very impressed with the Impossible Beef, and wanted to know what else was out there like it.
Chickpea salad is where it's at. It's like a straight upgrade to egg or potato salad.
I like those Morningstar nuggets more than real chicken nuggets. I don't know what kind of black magic goes into making them but they're tasty
Follow your heart has been my go to for a really long time, but have you had Daiya'e tapioca cheese? I don't know if it's new or what, but it's really good on pizza!
I have tried both the Impossible burger and the Beyond Meat burger. I prefer the Impossible burger but they were both excellent. I'd say that the Impossible burger is closer to a ground beef burger, while the Beyond Meat burger had a slightly unique (but enjoyable) taste that makes it fail the "beef Turing test."
I also prefer veggie options that are less like meat than meat knockoffs. It's nice that I can get impossible burgers at some restaurants, but since I mostly cook at home, I usually end up making chickpea or bean patties if I want a burger. I actually tried out a new recipe tonight that turned out great (with some modifications)!
Ooh can you share it? I'm always on the lookout for new recipes :)
Here you go! The only major change I made to it was to double the amount of beans (who can eat only a half can of beans?)
Not me, that's for sure! Thanks.
I've had a few Beyond burgers and been very impressed with them. They'd never fool anyone who'd ever eaten meat into thinking they were meat but they were very delicious. By far the best veggie burgers I've ever had, although that bar is incredibly low. They cost a fortune though, which is quite offputting.
I'd really like to try the Impossible v2 product but I don't think I can even get the first-gen ones in the UK yet, let alone the new one.
The impossible burger is really pretty good! I also really like Dr Praeger's in the freezer section, and if you're eating eggs the Morningstar Chik'n Patties are really good too. (They also might be vegan now, at least on the UK?!)
If you want to make your own at home, one of my favorite recipes is this one from Minimalist Baker, and they have a lot of other vegan recipes that are all delicious.
One tip on veggie burgers: if you go into them expecting a beef burger, you'll be disappointed. They aren't the same. I would argue that they are more flavorful, more versatile, and they make me feel better after I eat them. Sometimes the texture can be mushy, but with a little experimentation you can make a veggie burger that you absolutely love.
That is such good news, let me tell you! I will have to go get some this weekend or something.
I assume you aren't looking for burgers specifically? If so, check out your local Asian market. Buddhist monks can't eat meat, so they have some good alternative options made of gluten and soy. If it's a big enough market, they will have freshly made items in their deli section. I am a fan of the "chicken" personally.
Just keep in mind that they have the texture of meat but not the flavor, so your choice of sauce and seasoning is vital. Maybe go try them at a restaurant first.
I really like Aldi's flame grilled soy protein burgers, as well as Beyond Meat's patties. Past that I'm a sucker for a good black bean burger.
For other meat substitutes, I'm a big fan of Gardein and Morningstar brand ''meats''.
Maybe not what you're looking for, but make the black bean burgers from How It All Vegan. Wrap them in a tortilla and pan fry them (no oil) on both sides so it seals and gets nice and crunchy. Best vegan burger I've ever had. It's a great way to serve a vegan burger without mess. Plus the author is pretty cool and has a bunch of great cookbooks out.
I'm not really a big fan of processed food though, so I haven't tried a ton of fake meat options. We have Gardein, Boca and Morning Star around here, and I think they all taste weird.
We have lots of vegetarian burger options where I am. My staples are:
In cafes/restaurants:
In grocery stores there are tons of options. I've enjoyed many of them but haven't even gotten through half the options yet I think. My favorite has been the anamma brand: https://www.anamma.eu/products/formbar-fars/ - truly delicious! I also enjoy the Quorn burgers, though haven't had them in a while because anamma kept my attention.
I was just about to comment and say the beyond meat burger. Ive been pescatarian for about two years now and it is seriously amazing. It is much better than harvey's veggie burger.
I do not understand why vegan people like to do vegan version of food xxxx... Why don't eat just vegan original yyyy.... Without all restrictions....
For me personally, I grew up with hamburgers, so I have a nostalgia for eating them now. They're like a comfort food, but I don't want to harm animals when I eat them. So I have a veggie burger.
It's also interesting to see if we can mimic something really popular in a different way, which is done a lot anyway; see Choco Tacos, the taco-shaped ice cream. They just made ice cream that looked like a taco because it was fun.
One other reason might be to try to show non-vegans, "Look! Vegan food can look and taste very similar to the stuff you're already eating. It isn't scary or even that different. Try something vegan, you might like it!" Which is so important to get people to convert.
I don't think that's an effective way to go about it. It's better now that it is so much closer than it used to be, but if you are expecting to eat a specific thing and get something else, it is going to taste disgusting to them no matter how good it actually tastes. Visual presentation has a huge impact on our sense of taste. Imagine if you were served chocolate melted and spread on the inside of a diaper. You probably would be too repelled to take the first bite.
In my oppinion, the first thing you need to do is show a person that there are many delicious options that don't need meat. You need to show them options that taste savory and have meaty texture.
You have a valid point, but personally I have a ton of anecdotal evidence that the imitation strategy works for omnivores considering a vegan or less animal-based diet. Probably a dozen of my omnivore friends love things like the Beyond Burger and eat them regularly.
I absolutely agree with your second paragraph; I don't think these things have to be mutually exclusive.
I think different people react to different things. So both work just fine. The people who are grossed out by, say, a veggie burger can try a tofu stir fry, and come by it that way. The people who think tofu is too weird or different can come at it the burger way. It's all to get people eating less meat, right?
My other question is, where's the line between "original veggie" and "meat mockery?" Is a gyro made with seitan instead of gyro meat mockery, or, because seitan just happens to look like gyro meat, is it okay? How about a bean burger that really doesn't look like a ground beef burger? Is it okay because you can tell what it is, or is it not because it's a mockery of the original meat-based dish?
As someone who stopped eating meat when I was 18 and am now in my mid 30s, I do not even remotely miss meat, yet appreciate and value different textures and flavors. Same goes for cheese and eggs. I tried the Impossible once, and disliked it - but I am in love with the Beyond Burgers and sausages.
I suspect there are a lot of others like me, who don't care what a given food might be trying to imitate so long as they like what they're eating.
I was just talking to my sister (who's an omni) about Morningstar Chik'n nuggets, and she says she loves them, too! I love when omnis eat vegan food. After all, I'm the only one with a restricted diet!
We've developed flavor palettes as a species over millions of years, and each person has a refined palette based on their personal experience and preference. So it makes sense that we'd fit foods within them.
I'm not vegan, just offering a possible perspective.