A veggie burger is a peculiar thing. Sure, it comes in the form of a patty and it’s typically served on a bun, but it’s not really a burger. Well, let me walk that back a bit, a lot of veggie burgers aren’t really burgers. Some veggie burgers (often made with tofu or tempeh) do their darndest to approach the flavor and texture of meat. But most are made with black beans and chickpeas and sweet potatoes. They’re freaking delicious but you’re not liable to mistake them for ground beef. But still, we call them ‘burgers’ and by doing so we kind of set them up for failure.
Allow me to introduce you to my current reigning veggie sandwich. I’ve affectionately dubbed this sandwich the Ultimate Veggie Sandwich, which is a title that sounds like it has some weight and permanence. But the truth is this sandwich is my favorite for now. Sandwich loyalty isn’t something I’m known for. I’ve had many a sandwich in my day and most of them have been vegetarian. Cheese is really the main event for me when it comes to sandwiches. Growing up my ultimate sandwich was a toasted tomato sandwich, which is really just a BLT sans the B. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve branched out in terms of my sandwich repertoire.
It’s been a while since we’ve brunched on this blog. I still regret that I didn’t manage to work a holiday brunch into my content calendar this year, but I suppose that’s what next year is for. But enough about regret, let’s talk about today’s Huevos Rancheros Brunch Burger, a real looker if I do say so myself. What you’re looking at here is a refried bean and wild rice burger patty perched on top of a bun slathered with a simmered tomato salsa and blue corn tortilla chips topped with a sunny-side-up egg. There are some avocado and jalapeño slices in there as well for good measure. Sound good? Good! Let’s dive right in.
Veggie burgers can be a feat of culinary engineering. Protein powerhouses packed with every legume, lentil, and grain imaginable bound by egg or flaxseed meal or chickpea flour. But no matter how overthought and/or over-seasoned a veggie burger is, it’s still a source of stress the moment it hits the pan. Will the cooking oil interrupt its carefully thought-out structural integrity? What if it crumbles the instant I approach it with a spatula? Will I keep it together? In every instance, there’s a 50/50 chance it will and you won’t. But there are veggie burgers that are simple. Veggie burgers that stay together because of nature’s intelligent design. And these burgers are these Portobello Cheese Burgers with Grilled Radicchio.
A veggie burger is a peculiar thing. Sure, it comes in the form of a patty and it’s typically served on a bun, but it’s not really a burger. Well, let me walk that back a bit, a lot of veggie burgers aren’t really burgers. Some veggie burgers (often made with tofu or tempeh) do their darndest to approach the flavor and texture of meat. But most are made with black beans and chickpeas and sweet potatoes. They’re freaking delicious but you’re not liable to mistake them for ground beef. But still, we call them ‘burgers’ and by doing so we kind of set them up for failure.
