We know, there are times when only a greasy, protein-heavy burger (with all the cheesy extras) will do. But even we couldn’t go past these tastebud-teasing vegan options from new book Hungry for More Crazy Good Vegan Food by Byron Bay-based chef Anthea Amore. Jam-packed with totally delish ingredients, we reckon even your fussiest eaters will be chowing down.
1 // Dukkah-crumbed tofu burger with turmeric cream cheese
Makes: 3 serves
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
½ cup Hazelnut dukkah (see my recipe or use bought dukkah)
500g tofu, cut into 6 x 1.5cm-thick slices
Cold-pressed olive oil, for frying
3 buns of your choice, cut in half
1 large avocado, sliced
1 large tomato, sliced
9 lettuce leaves of your choice
Quality salt & cracked black pepper, to season
Turmeric cream cheese
Makes: approx. ½ cup
½ cup cashews
1 small garlic clove
1 tablespoon cold-pressed olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2.5cm chunk fresh turmeric (or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric)
2 tablespoons savoury yeast flakes*
¼ cup filtered water
* You’ll find this ingredient at your local health-food store or online.
Directions
- Place dukkah on a small plate and press tofu into dukkah to coat well.
- Heat olive oil in a medium frying pan on a medium heat and fry tofu on each side until golden brown. Set aside.
Turmeric cream cheese
- Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Spoon the cream cheese into a clean jar or bowl until ready to use.
- Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
To assemble
- Cut each bun in half and stack a few slices of avocado and tomato on the base.
- Top with the cooked tofu, then the lettuce leaves and a generous dollop of turmeric cream cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the lid on the burgers, then grab with both hands and enjoy!
Tip: You might need a serviette while you eat this one!
2 // Tempeh burger with quick peanut satay
Makes: 4 serves
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
250g block unpasteurised tempeh*
1-2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil, for sautéing
2-4 tablespoons tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
8 slices bread of your choice, toasted or fresh
1 medium avocado, quartered
1 medium carrot, grated
1 medium beetroot, grated
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
12 cos lettuce leaves
Quick peanut satay
6 tablespoons natural peanut butter (sugar and salt free)
1 tablespoon tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
½ teaspoon ground hot cayenne or chilli powder
* You’ll find this ingredient at your local health-food store or online.
Directions
- Cut tempeh block in half, then slice each half to make 4 thin flat slabs. Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat and add the tempeh.
- Fry each side for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Add tamari, turning slices to ensure both sides are coated in the saltiness.
- Transfer tempeh to a heatproof plate until ready to assemble the burger.
Quick peanut satay
- Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Spoon sauce into a small bowl or jar and set aside until ready to serve.
- Keeps in a jar with a lid in the fridge for 5-7 days.
To assemble
- Place bread or toast on a flat work surface. Spread 4 slices with one-quarter of the avocado each and the remaining 4 slices with a generous spoonful of peanut sauce each.
- Top the avocado with a pile of carrot, then a generous serving of beetroot. Add 2-3 tomato slices next, followed by one piece of the tempeh and 3-4 lettuce leaves.
- Finish the sandwich with the bread or toast spread with peanut sauce. Repeat with the remaining 3 burgers! Eat with two hands!
3 // Crumbed eggplant burger with purple slaw & beetroot & fennel jam
Makes: 4 burgers
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
Beetroot & fennel jam
1 tablespoon cold-pressed olive oil
1 small onion, finely sliced into half moons
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1½ cups grated beetroot
¼ cup filtered water
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon quality salt
Purple slaw
2 cups purple cabbage, finely shredded
½ red onion, finely sliced into half moons
¼ cup finely chopped curly parsley
1 teaspoon quality salt
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Mayonnaise
½ cup cashews
1/3 cup unpasteurised apple cider vinegar*
2 tablespoons light agave* (or maple) syrup
1 teaspoon quality salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
½ cup cold-pressed olive oil
Crumbed eggplant
2 tablespoons arrowroot
1 tablespoon gluten-free flour, plus 2 tablespoons extra, for dusting
¼ cup milk of your choice
1 cup gluten-free rice crumbs
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, very finely chopped
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon quality salt
4 large (1.5-2cm-thick) slices eggplant
Cold-pressed olive oil, for shallow-frying
4 Turkish bread rolls or gluten-free bread rolls
2 large tomatoes, sliced
½ small cos lettuce, washed, drained
* You’ll find these ingredients at your local health-food store or online.
Directions
Beetroot & fennel seed jam
- Heat olive oil in a small saucepan on a medium heat and sauté the onion, fennel seeds and cracked pepper for 2-3 minutes or until onion is soft. Add the remaining jam ingredients and simmer, with the lid ajar, for 35-40 minutes or until mixture thickens.
- Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. If mixture looks dry, add a little more water. Meanwhile, prepare slaw, mayo and eggplant.
Purple slaw
- Combine the cabbage, red onion and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Season.
Mayonnaise
- Place cashews, vinegar, agave syrup, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. With blender motor running, slowly add all the olive oil and blend until smooth and luscious.
Crumbed eggplant
- Combine the arrowroot and 1 tablespoon of gluten-free flour in a small bowl and whisk in the milk. Set batter aside until ready to cook the eggplant.
- Combine the rice crumbs, parsley, pepper and salt in another small bowl.
- Dip each eggplant slice into the batter, then press into the crumbs to coat the sides and the edges. Arrange eggplant in a single layer on a tray lined with baking paper in the fridge until ready to cook.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat. Cook eggplant on one side for 2-3 minutes or until cooked and golden brown. Turn and cook the other side.
To assemble
- Stir mayo into the slaw until well combined.
- Halve bread rolls. Spoon a generous amount of warm beetroot & fennel jam on the base of each roll, then add a good pile of slaw, followed by 3 or 4 slices of tomato.
- Top with a crispy slice of crumbed eggplant and 2-3 cos lettuce leaves. Carefully add the lid and bite into this succulent, tasty burger with gusto. Pure indulgence.
4 // Beetroot & black bean burger with tahini aioli & kasundi
Makes: 6 patties
Soaking time: overnight or at least 8 hours
Preparation time: 20-25 minutes
Cooking time: 30-90 minutes (including 70 minutes if cooking beans from scratch)
Ingredients
1 cup dried black beans, soaked overnight in 3 cups filtered water (or tinned black beans, rinsed, drained), plus 3-4 cups extra filtered water, for cooking
1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil, plus extra, for frying
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
¼-½ teaspoon hot cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
2 cups grated beetroot (approx. 1 large beetroot)
1 cup rice crumbs
¼ cup white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons hulled tahini
¼ cup filtered water
2 teaspoons quality salt
Kasundi
Makes: approx. 600g
1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
¼ teaspoon hot cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 small garlic clove, finely diced
3 large tomatoes (approx. 500g), diced
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup coconut sugar
½ teaspoon quality salt, or to taste
Tahini aioli
Makes: approx. ½ cup
¼ cup hulled tahini
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon filtered water
½ teaspoon quality salt
1 small garlic clove, minced
Burger fillings
1 bun per person, halved
2 large kale leaves per person
½ medium avocado per person
Tomato, sliced
Red onion, finely sliced
Orange carrot, grated
Yellow carrot, grated
Lettuce of your choice
Directions
- Rinse soaked beans and place in a medium saucepan with the 3 cups filtered water and bring to the boil on a medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 55-70 minutes or until soft. Add more water if necessary to keep beans submerged in simmering water.
- Meanwhile prepare and cook the kasundi and tahini aioli.
- Drain cooked beans, then cool under cold running water. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, sauté the onion in a frying pan on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until onion is soft. Add the spices and sauté for another 1-2 minutes but be careful not to burn! Add the garlic and sauté for a further 1 minute. Turn heat off.
- Place the grated beetroot, rice crumbs, sesame seeds, cooked beans and the onion mixture in a medium bowl and stir to combine. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together to make a tahini ‘egg’ binder and add to the beetroot and beans mixture, stirring to combine (see Tip).
- Form mixture into 6 patties. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat and fry patties for 4-6 minutes on each side or until golden brown. You might need to do this in batches. Transfer cooked patties to a heatproof plate until you are ready to assemble your burgers.
- Fry red onion slices for the filling and place aside until ready to assemble.
Kasundi
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan on a medium heat and sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes or until onion is soft. Add the spices and sauté for another 1-2 minutes but be careful not to burn! Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until tomato has softened. Set aside to cool.
Tahini aioli
- Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into a bowl and set aside until you are ready to make the burgers.
To assemble
- Take your bun and begin to layer burger from the bottom up. Starting with kale, avocado, beetroot patty, kasundi, sliced tomato, cooked red onion, orange carrot, yellow carrot, lettuce of your choice and aioli. Top burger with the lid. Good luck! Enjoy!
Tip: If the patty mixture isn’t binding well, add an extra ½ cup rice crumbs and an extra ½ portion of a tahini ‘egg’ to bring it together.
HUNGRY for more crazy good vegan food by Anthea Amore, organicpassioncatering.com, RRP$39.95 (flexi cover) and RRP$49.95 (hard cover).
HUNGRY for more crazy good vegan food is the second recipe book from leading Byron Bay-based vegan chef Anthea Amore.
HUNGRY elevates vegan food to new heights with Anthea’s bold flavour combinations and ingenuity in the kitchen. All of the 150 recipes are 100% plant-based, cane sugar free and 95% gluten free.
You might also like Winter Warmer: Lentil and sweet potato curry recipe, Soul Food: Sweet potato and almond butter brownies, and NOURISH: 5-minute smoothie recipes for a nutrient boost.
