Perish the thought, veggie burgers! I blame Linda McCartney. But the truth is the real horror goes right back to the Sixties where along with nut loaf and hippies a lot of the world was hell. Free love? I’m not so sure. As for tie-dye and flared jeans? No thanks. And definitely no to veggie burgers.
But wait a minute? Think of the veggie burger not as a beef burger substitute, but as something inherently veggie. Making vegetables appear like meat is not a good idea but celebrate them for what they are and you are into a whole different ball park. Years ago a trip to Lebanon had me eating endless falafal burgers, the crispy nuggets encased in flat bread as I strolled beside the Mediterranean.
Chickpeas are certainly top of my list but what else can you put in a bun? Aubergines are surely the meatiest of vegetables, too often ruined by bad cooking but rendered soft and unctuous the umami qualities shine through. Mozzarella may seem obvious, but other cheeses work well too and when partnered with tomatoes and lettuce, mayo and pickles this is veggie heaven
So too with field mushrooms, these monsters may smell of little but rendered soft under a grill with oil or butter and combined with cheese, eggs, tahini, or yoghurt they are a steak in the making.
Sweet potato cakes can a delicious burger make, particularly when spiked with spices and herbs; leeks can be frittered to deliciousness and either partnered with mayonnaise or a yoghurt and cream based sauce heady with garlic and flecked with coriander and parsley.
Dried broad beans work as well as chickpeas (indeed in Egypt they are preferred) and spinach combined with potato will fritter to burger status with or without a generous dose of herbs.
So what does this mean for me?: An opportunity perhaps, to score!
Tell me what I should do: Nip out to a bookshop and grab a copy of Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty. Leaf through with a notebook to hand and rush back and order vegetables, lots of them.
