5 Delicious Plant-Based Burger Ideas


It’s time to think outside the bun! These cooking tips and simple recipes from top vegan chefs and recipe developers will help you find endless inspiration for your favorite plant-based burger patty.


BY MEGHAN RABBIT

 
 

When you’re following a plant-based diet, it can be helpful to have a few go-to staples on hand in your fridge, freezer and pantry. For example, frozen fruit, nuts and seeds, and pre-cut veggies are all excellent choices. And when it comes to a staple that packs in both flavor and well-rounded nutrition, plant-based burgers are a great choice.

However, whether you’re trying to cut back on simple carbs or you’re tired of the same-old burger-on-a-roll meal, it’s time to think outside the bun, says award-winning vegan chef and founder of the Vegan Fusion Culinary Academy, Mark Reinfeld. “If you think of your meal as a template, you can easily find inspiration for different toppings, spreads and bun components,” he says.

Here, Reinfeld shares five simple ways to serve plant-based burgers that are sure to wow everyone at the table.

 
 

Plant-Based Burger Idea No. 1: Pita Time

Chop up your plant-based burger and serve instead of falafel in a pita bread, and top with sliced cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, hummus and tzatziki sauce.

Plant-Based Burger Idea No. 2: Up-Level Your Indian Take-Out

Next time you want to keep dinner super easy and order in, simply heat up your favorite plant-based burger patty, chop into squares and add to veggie-forward dishes like saag, aloo gobi and more.

Plant-Based Burger Idea No. 3: Cobb Salad, Minus the Chicken

Everyone loves a good cobb salad! Amp up the plant-based nutrition in your next bowl by swapping out the chicken for a plant-based burger—and don’t forget to top with vegan cheese, veggie bacon, cucumbers, tomatoes and your favorite ranch dressing.

 
 
 

Plant-Based Burger Idea No. 1: Pita Time

Chop up your plant-based burger and serve instead of falafel in a pita bread, and top with sliced cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, hummus and tzatziki sauce.

Plant-Based Burger Idea No. 2: Up-Level Your Indian Take-Out

Next time you want to keep dinner super easy and order in, simply heat up your favorite plant-based burger patty, chop into squares and add to veggie-forward dishes like saag, aloo gobi and more.

Plant-Based Burger Idea No. 3: Cobb Salad, Minus the Chicken

Everyone loves a good cobb salad! Amp up the plant-based nutrition in your next bowl by swapping out the chicken for a plant-based burger—and don’t forget to top with vegan cheese, veggie bacon, cucumbers, tomatoes and your favorite ranch dressing.

 
 

Plant-Based Burger Idea No. 4: Make it a Bowl

Chef Reinfeld likes to cut plant-based burgers into triangles and serve over rice, quinoa and loads of veggies. The beauty of making a bowl is that you can customize the flavor based on whatever theme you’ve chosen. “Use the patty and grains as the base of a regional cuisine and build on that with veggies and sauce from that region,” he says. To make it Mexican, you might add guacamole and pico de gallo; for a Southern twist, add BBQ sauce and vegan mac-n-cheese; for an Asian flavor, serve your plant-based burger over rice noodles and cabbage and drizzle with sweet-and-sour sauce.

Plant-Based Burger Idea No. 5: Try a Different Kind of Bun

You’ve seen lettuce leaves as a hamburger bun stand-in, but why not get even more creative than that? Cabbage leaves and portobello mushroom caps work just as well as a bun and pack in tons of nutrition. You can also use a tomato: Simply cut across the center, brown two slices on both sides and you’ve got a bun stand-in!

 
 

Plant-Based Burger Idea No. 4: Make it a Bowl

Chef Reinfeld likes to cut plant-based burgers into triangles and serve over rice, quinoa and loads of veggies. The beauty of making a bowl is that you can customize the flavor based on whatever theme you’ve chosen. “Use the patty and grains as the base of a regional cuisine and build on that with veggies and sauce from that region,” he says. To make it Mexican, you might add guacamole and pico de gallo; for a Southern twist, add BBQ sauce and vegan mac-n-cheese; for an Asian flavor, serve your plant-based burger over rice noodles and cabbage and drizzle with sweet-and-sour sauce.

Plant-Based Burger Idea No. 5: Try a Different Kind of Bun

You’ve seen lettuce leaves as a hamburger bun stand-in, but why not get even more creative than that? Cabbage leaves and portobello mushroom caps work just as well as a bun and pack in tons of nutrition. You can also use a tomato: Simply cut across the center, brown two slices on both sides and you’ve got a bun stand-in!

 
 

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