Veggie Burger Smackdown
Photo by Bush's® Beans
Summer is here and grilling season is well underway. In an effort to grill green, and satisfy my 6 year-old, self-proclaimed vegetarian daughter, I have been on the lookout for the world’s best vegetarian burger. To aide in my search, my family and I took on what we deemed, “The Great Veggie Burger Smackdown-2009.” We looked through recipes, scoured store shelves, and came up with our top 3 contenders: the Griller Prime by Morningstar Farms, the Burger Original by Boca Burger, and a homemade veggie burger that looked almost too good to eat. Here’s how they all fared:
Boca Burger’s Burger Original
Looks: Of the 3, the Boca Burger looked the least like an actual burger. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I respect a veggie burger that doesn’t try to be something it’s not.
Taste: I think my husband summed it up when he said, “I’d eat it, but I wouldn’t ask for it.” The Boca veggie burger didn’t taste like a burger, but rather like a veggie patty. And as I said, this is fine, if it’s a really yummy veggie patty. But overall I’d have to say the The Boca Burger is good in a pinch, but entirely unforgettable as a meal.
Morningstar Farms Griller Prime
Looks:
Somewhere in between a veggie burger and a meat burger, the Griller Prime is dark in color without any visible chunks of veggies. It looks tasty…not scrumptious…but definitely appetizing.
Taste: I could not believe my eyes when my picky 3 year old, who turns her nose up at ANYTHING she hasn’t seen before, not only ate this burger, but asked for more. Since the smackdown, she has asked for this burger several more times by saying…”I want a veggie burger…the one that I liked.” The Griller got equally rave reviews from the rest of the family.
The Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burger
Looks: I had high hopes for this burger. I mean, in the picture (the one shown above) it looks fantastic. And when you make it at home, it comes out looking just like this. So if you ever need to do a veggie burger photo shoot…I can wholeheartedly recommend this recipe.
Taste: Unfortunately, I can’t actually recommend eating this burger. My 6 year old described it as “gross” and my 3 year old (who actually does like black beans) took one bite, and then did not even acknowledge this burger on her plate. I have to agree. It turns out this burger actually did look too good to eat. This particular veggie burger recipe, while yummy looking, falls short in the taste department. It’s mealy, mushy, and well…gross.
And the winner is…
Hands down, the Griller Prime by Morningstar Farms is the veggie burger for my family. Although I’m still experimenting with homemade recipes, this is the burger I serve to my family when we want to go green on the grill.
Got a Favorite? Win a $25 Amazon GC
So let’s hear it. Got a favorite veggie burger recipe? I’d love to hear it. And I’d love to try it on my (as yet unsuspecting) family. I’ll give a $25 Amazon Gift Card to the best recipe (as judged by my clan.) To enter, post your recipe here AND tweet or blog about this contest. Include the link to your post or your twitter ID in your comment. Contest ends June 30th!
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My favorite is the Morningstar Farms Black Bean burger – maybe it’s called Spicy Black Bean or Southwestern Black Bean? I can’t remember. But it’s not that spicy, and my picky 3 y.o. loves it too.
GardenBurger was always our family favorite. It didn’t try to taste like a beef burger. Just a yummy blend of grains and veggies. But I can’t find it anymore in the stores
We never liked the wannabe Bocca Burgers.
Garden Burger brand was my favorite too. I need to find a good recipe. Can’t wait to see what entires you get and what makes the grade!
Tweeted!
PureMothersVeggie Burger Smackdown http://4a74b.th8.us Know a good veggie burger recipe? Enter to win a $25 Amazon Card from @thegreenparent
I am going to have to give that one a try. I am always on the lookout for a good veggie burger. Hopefully we have it in Canada.
I just found a great veggie burger that is gluten free and organic too! I have switched to a gluten free diet and was looking for a good veggie burger. I really like them – they have a good selection of flavors and taste great. They are called Sunshine Burgers and can be found at sunshineburger.com.
Thanks!
Dania Gustafson
Owner & Operator of http://www.whatwomenwand.com
Awaken Your Spirit, Radiate Bliss and Make Magic!
Now that my twins are 7 years old, I’ve changed our Broccoli Cheddar Nuggest recipe up to make it a “veggie burger”.
Ingredients:
1 16-oz package frozen broccoli, cooked, drained, and chopped
1 1/2 cup italian bread crumbs
1 ½ cups shredded tomato & basil cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup carrots – finely diced
3 large eggs
1/4 cup of Wheat Germ
dash of garlic powder, pepper, basil, oregano & rosemary (Premix up a large batch and have some to use for other meals!)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375 and lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. For kids, shape mixture into nuggets or fun shapes such as squares or squigglies etc.. and place on baking tray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turn nuggets over after 15 minutes. Serve warm
Make a cucumber yogurt dip to use as a spread or dip the “burgers” in – YUMMY
Original recipe at http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/Meals.htm
By far the best veggie burger I buy is Morning Stars Mushroom burger! I have been through most of them on the market and this one is fav of mine and my veggie friends.
My friend in Boston swears by the Hard Rock veggie burger but I can’t find them in my grocery store, so for those of you who can she says it “rocks”
By far the best veggie burger I buy is Morning Stars Mushroom burger! I have been through most of them on the market and this one is fav of mine and my veggie friends.
My friend in Boston swears by the Hard Rock veggie burger but I can’t find them in my grocery store, so for those of you who can she says it “rocks”
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