New American Veggie Cheeseburgers

Tired of dry, bland veggie burgers? We’ve got you. These homemade vegan cheeseburgers feature tasty veggie patties formed with a hearty combination of sautéed vegetables, quinoa, and bread crumbs, seasoned with savory vegan Worcestershire sauce and fresh herbs. Topped with a finger-licking-good potato-based “cheese” sauce and a tangy pepper-onion medley, you’ll want to make these open-faced beauties again and again. Serve with a side of coleslaw or baked french fries to really step up your burger game! There is no shortage of veggie burger recipes that you can try out!

By Darshana Thacker Wendel,

Ingredients

  • 2 cups finely chopped onions
  • 11 to 13 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large carrot, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 bell pepper (any color), cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 6 oz. green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 6 oz. fresh trumpet mushrooms, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 3 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa or millet
  • ½ cup whole wheat flour or brown rice flour
  • ½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 large red onion, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
  • 2 large green bell peppers, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
  • 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes
  • 1½ cups unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast
  • 5 whole grain burger buns

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.
  • In a large skillet combine chopped onions, minced garlic (reserving one clove for Cheese Sauce), and ¼ cup water. Cook over medium-low 5 to 7 minutes or until onion is translucent.
  • In a food processor combine the next five ingredients (through mushrooms). Pulse until vegetables are uniform ¼-inch bits. Transfer vegetables to skillet; add parsley, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of the vinegar, the thyme, paprika, and black pepper. Cook 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and most of the liquid is cooked off.
  • Add quinoa, flour, bread crumbs, and salt; mix well. Cook 5 minutes more. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes.
  • Place a 2 ½-inch round patty mold or cookie cutter on one of the prepared baking sheets. Fill the mold with about ½ cup of the vegetable mixture; press with the back of a spoon to compact. Carefully remove mold. Repeat to make a total of 10 patties on the baking sheet.
  • Bake burgers on middle rack in oven 20 minutes.
  • For toppings, in a bowl combine sliced red onion, sliced bell peppers, and 2 tablespoons vinegar; mix well. Arrange vegetables on the second baking sheet. Bake on top rack in oven 20 minutes.
  • For Cheese Sauce, peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place potatoes in a steamer basket in a large saucepan. Add water to pan to just below basket. Bring to boiling. Steam, covered, 10 to 15 minutes or until very tender. Transfer potatoes to a blender; cool. Add the plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, the remaining vinegar, and remaining minced garlic. Blend just until smooth. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer sauce to a saucepan; heat until thick and warmed through.
  • Split buns and warm them in a toaster or skillet. Top each bun half with a burger, onion-pepper mixture, and Cheese Sauce.
tags:

Comments (14)

(5 from 5 votes)

Recipe Rating

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tilahun

Good

Eva

Can Worcestershire sauce be replaced by something else?

Kathryn

Wow. A LOT of work for a so/so meal. I liked the 'cheese' sauce but the burger was just weird tasting.

J

Can you tell me what I could substitute to the mushrooms? Thank you.

Jessie Nichols

How do I make the bread crumbs? Just shred or also dry the oven?

Vivian

Make bread crumbs by grating dried-out bread on a box grater or give the bread a spin in a food processor. Use the food processor if you have one.

Melody

Ok why are the amounts sooo much?! Can I cut this in half plus I’ll use gf bread crumbs instead of cornflakes ?

Valerie

I am sure the burgers could be frozen but what about the onion-pepper mix & cheese sauce? This recipe sounds delicious but time consuming. I am a single household so if I go to the trouble of making this, I need to know how to preserve the onion-pepper mix & cheese sauce. Thank you!

Cindy

Any recommendations for substitutions for breadcrumbs. I wanted a wheat-free recipe.

DebbieDooz

You can use the same quantity of gluten-free bread and make it into crumbs.

Ms. Brown

I would substitute with oats.

Patsy

Can these be frozen and cooked later?

MMM312

Delicious. Every bit. But wow, this was labor intensive!

ian h.

These look so tasty—anything with cheese sauce and sauteed onions, and I'm there!

About the Author

Headshot of Darshana Thacker

About the Author

Darshana Thacker Wendel

Darshana Thacker Wendel is a whole-food, plant-based chef and former culinary projects manager for Forks Over Knives. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, she is the author of Forks Over Knives: Flavor! She created the recipes for Forks Over Knives Family and was a lead recipe contributor to the New York Times bestseller The Forks Over Knives Plan. Her recipes have been published in The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook, Forks Over Knives—The Cookbook, Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, and LA Yoga magazine online. Visit DarshanasKitchen.com and follow her on Instagram for more.
See More from this Author

Free Download

Free 5-day meal plan!

Get a taste for healthy, fuss-free meal planning with this free five-day meal plan from Forks Meal Planner!

By providing your email address, you consent to receive newsletter emails from Forks Over Knives. We value your privacy and will keep your email address safe. You may unsubscribe from our emails at any time.

Placeholder image

Join our mailing list

Get free recipes and the latest info on living a happy, healthy plant-based lifestyle.

By providing your email address, you consent to receive newsletter emails from Forks Over Knives. We value your privacy and will keep your email address safe. You may unsubscribe from our emails at any time.