Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
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Ingredients
450g sweet potatoes, (about 3 medium)
3 tbsp rapeseed or sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
½ red pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp smoky chipotle paste
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 x 380g carton black beans, rinsed and drained
125g cooked quinoa
2 tbsp chopped coriander
zest and juice of ½ lime
2 tbsp polenta or cornmeal
For the chipotle sauce
150g vegan mayo, oat fraiche or dairy-free yogurt
1 tsp smoky chipotle paste
½ tbsp agave or maple syrup
To serve
4 burger buns, split - use gluten-free if needed
Super slaw (see tip at the end of step 8)
1 ripe avocado, sliced
a handful of cress or sprouted seeds (optional)
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Step by step
Get ahead
Make the patties and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze.
Cook the sweet potatoes; pierce them with a fork and microwave on high, on a piece of kitchen paper, for 10-15 minutes until tender, turning half way. Split, scoop out the flesh, discard the skin; mash roughly and season. Or roughly chop, then steam them for about 15 minutes before mashing. Leave to cool.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick frying pan; fry the onion and pepper for 5-6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and the chipotle paste; cook for 1 minute more.
Mix the ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl and leave for 5 minutes, until it thickens and gels (this acts as an egg replacer – or use 1 medium egg if not vegan).
Crush the beans in a mixing bowl so that they are partly mashed, but there are still some whole beans showing. Add the quinoa, coriander, lime zest plus a good squeeze of lime juice. Mix in the sweet potato, the flax and the onion mixture; season well.
Shape into 4 burgers. The mixture will be sticky – using wet hands will help. Sprinkle half the polenta over one side of the burgers, then turn over and sprinkle with the rest. Chill on a tray; about 20 minutes in the freezer, or 45-60 minutes in the fridge.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl; add a squeeze of lime juice.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick frying pan. Fry the burgers for 3 minutes on a medium heat, or until golden. Add another tablespoon of oil, flip the burgers and cook for another 3 minutes or until crisp and hot.
Meanwhile, toast the cut sides of the burger buns. Top the base of each bun with some slaw (recipe below), then add a burger, some avocado, a spoonful of sauce and cress or sprouted seeds, if you like. Finish with the bun lids.
Tip
How to make super slaw to serve: Whisk the juice of 1⁄2 lime, 1 tbsp agave syrup or maple syrup, and 1 tbsp rapeseed oil with seasoning in a bowl. Toss in 2 tbsp chopped coriander, 2 large carrots, grated, 1⁄4 red cabbage, shredded, 20g rocket (optional) and mix well.
Change your burger flavour Go Mexican: switch the chipotle paste for 1⁄2 tsp each of ground cumin, smoked paprika and chilli powder; serve with dairy-free oat fraiche or soured cream mixed with lime juice.
Make it Middle Eastern: use 1⁄2 tsp each ground cumin, coriander and cinnamon instead of chipotle paste, lemon in place of the lime; add harissa-swirled dairy-free yogurt.
Head for the Med: leave out the chipotle paste and lime; swap basil for the coriander; add chopped sundried tomatoes and olives. Add vegan mayo mixed with vegan basil pesto.
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Eggs are the most common and effective binder, and egg replacers are an excellent alternative for vegan burgers. Other common binders include wheat germ, bread crumbs, oats, and ground flaxseeds.
The Original Dirty Vegan Burger with a spicy twist. A 1/4lb Moving Mountains® patty split and grilled as two patties for extra crispness, topped with 2 slices of melted vegan cheddar, pickled cucumber, and caramelised onions. Served with shredded lettuce and our homemade spicy sauce in a soft vegan bun.
Without a binder, your burger might completely crumble and fall apart the second it hits the grill or when you bite into it. → Follow this tip: Veggie burgers need a sturdy binder to hold everything together. This can be anything from eggs to a mixture of ground flax and water, wheat germ, breadcrumbs, or oats.
To replicate 1 large egg, mix 1 tablespoon flaxseed with 2 to 3 tablespoons water and let sit for a few minutes. Add to the veggie burger mix just as you would an egg.
Panko breadcrumbs: breadcrumbs help the burgers bind together and create a nice firm texture. You can use gluten free panko if needed! Regular or Italian-style is great. Flax: ground flaxseed is our egg substitute to help the patties stick together so they don't fall apart when you cook them.
McPlant® A vegan burger made with a juicy plant-based patty co-developed with Beyond Meat® featuring vegan sandwich sauce, ketchup, mustard, onion, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and a vegan alternative to cheese in a sesame seed bun.
While both options may contain veggies, the key difference between vegan burgers and veggie burgers is that vegan burgers are made from a protein and are made to mimic the flavor and texture of actual meat while veggie burgers are not meant to evoke meat properties at all.
The flour which you add will help to bind the burger together and dry it out. Some people will also add tapioca starch or cornflour which thicken when cooked, and again these will help bind the burger and give it some texture.
Short grain brown rice, panko bread crumbs, and ground flaxseed help these burgers hold together. DON'T use long-grain brown rice here. It's not as sticky as short grain rice, so it doesn't yield cohesive patties.
If you want to use a binder in your meat, but don't want to use egg, other alternatives are flour such as wheat flour, cracker crumbs, or even oatmeal. I do not use anything to bind ground meat for burgers. They are moist enough to stick together on their own.
Panko bread crumbs – They give the burgers their hearty texture. An egg – To bind everything together! And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop.
Typically, one egg can be replaced by a quarter of mashed avocado. Not only does it help as a binder, but it can also help to add and retain moisture. In addition, avocado is quite fatty and can help vegetable-based burgers to closer mimic the density of a meat patty.
Chia seeds are a popular vegan egg substitute for baking. To replace one large egg in a recipe, simply combine one tablespoon of chia seeds with two and a half tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit until it forms a jello-like texture. That's it!
Combine a tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water, stir to combine, and let stand for 5 minutes to thicken. Ground flaxseed emulates eggs' binding qualities in breads, cakes, muffins, cookies, burgers, and vegan meatballs.
Chia seeds act in the same way as flaxseeds in a recipe. They can help bind ingredients and are best used in recipes such as breads and wholemeal cookies. Mix 1 tablespoon of ground chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water, then leave to sit for around 20 minutes.
Introduction: My name is Saturnina Altenwerth DVM, I am a witty, perfect, combative, beautiful, determined, fancy, determined person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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