Veggie burger recipes to kick off grilling season

A veggie burger, basket of fries, glass of iced tea and metal napkin holder on a red-and-white checked paper placemat

By Ben MimsCooking Columnist

June 25, 2023 8 AM PT

This past Wednesday while sitting outside enjoying what seemed like the first sunny day this whole year, a friend mentioned that it was the summer solstice. I immediately felt like I had some catching up to do because I had all these plans for backyard barbecues, pool parties and beach picnics, and summer has already peaked! The rest of the day I made a plan for the next two months to get in as many summer activities as I could. And the first one was to get grilling.

Our team here at L.A. Times Food just put out an impressive package on grilling in Los Angeles. Laurie Ochoa writes about the joy of asada with Bricia Lopez; Bill Addison and Danielle Dorsey list the best barbecue spots in L.A.; and Jenn Harris profiles the owner of Garni Meat Market in Pasadena. For my part, I celebrate the veggie burgers from my pal Lukas Volger’s rerelease of his cookbook “Veggie Burgers Every Which Way,” originally published in 2010. Its second edition this year is prescient as more and more people I talk to are turning back toward veggie burgers with renewed interest. You could frame it almost as a pendulum swing against the popular fake-meat burgers of the past few years, but I see it as a return to the form with a higher awareness of how to transform real vegetables into great burgers that aren’t trying to mimic meat.

In “VBEWW,” Volger runs down how to bring out the best qualities from all types of veggies, beans and soy proteins to make the best burgers that cook up on the grill just as well as their vegan fake-meat counterparts, if not better. His Sesame Sweet Potato and Cabbage Burger is soft yet toothsome from shredded sweet potatoes and cabbage, and spiced perfectly with a pinch of cayenne, which cuts through the hearty veggies. And his Spinach-Chickpea Burger is packed with protein from chickpeas, which contribute a sturdier texture than shredded vegetables, and healthy, satisfying garlic-sautéed spinach.

If you love smashburgers and have always wanted to try a veggie riff on them, then make my Black Bean and Mushroom Burgers for your next cookout. The cooked mushrooms provide plenty of soft chewiness that works in tandem with the black beans to give the burger patties that characteristic crispness at the surface level that you want from a smashed burger patty. Pile two on top of each other with some American cheese on a bun and you’ve got a great veggie-packed dupe for the classic July 4th burger.

And if you’re still on the Impossible or Beyond Meat bandwagon, I have to say that they’re best when formed into thin patties and served on a bun with all the classic fast-food burger fixins, as in Genevieve Ko’s Impossible Burger With Spicy Special Sauce. Mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish and ketchup bring all that drive-thru flavor to these burgers that are crunchy with lettuce, tomato, onion and more pickle chips. It’s honestly one of the best ways to serve any burger, whether you’re sticking with meat, trying out the fake meats or giving veggie burgers — with all their complex textures and flavors — another shot.

Sesame Sweet Potato and Cabbage Burgers

These burgers are lively with cabbage, sweet potato and cayenne. Any variety of sweet potato will work — the purple ones lend the most distinctive color. Serve with yogurt, or simply drizzled with tahini, and some crisp vegetables like cucumber slices, sprouts or lettuce.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour.

Closeup of a Sesame Sweet Potato And Cabbage Burger, with fries and iced tea behind, on a red-and-white checked placemat

Spinach-Chickpea Burgers

Hearty chickpeas, fortifying spinach, a hint of nutty toasted cumin seeds and a finish of fresh lemon give these veggie burgers a classic appeal. As with most bean-based burgers, be sure to add the beans in two stages to create texture in the finished burger.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour.

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Black Bean and Mushroom Burgers

Treat these veggie patties as if they were beef patties and dress them with your favorite burger condiments. Smoked paprika adds a bit of smokiness to the patties, which helps bump up their umami when well-browned in a skillet, but if you don’t have it, use ground cumin; it lends the same savory edge.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes.

A paper-wrapped veggie burger, resting on its edge, against a red background.

Impossible Burger With Spicy Special Sauce

The toppings and condiments I call for here are for a classic burger with a spicy kick. You can put whatever you want on these burgers as long as you’re adding loads of flavor.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 20 minutes.