Customer Reviews

Veggie Burgers Every Which Way: Fresh, Flavorful and Healthy Vegan and Vegetarian Burgers - Plus Toppings, Sides, Buns and More

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let's face it - those frozen, boxed veggie burgers really aren't very good. They're filled with chemicals, taste bland and artificial, and have that lovely dry, cardboard texture. Fortunately, delicious and nutritious veggie burgers are easy to make at home, and Lukas Volger shows us how in his new book, Veggie Burgers Every Which Way.

Volger's book provides thirty unique veggie burger recipes, and the variety of styles ensures that there is something for every palette. All of the recipes are clearly-written and easy to follow, and many include directions for how busy cooks can prepare portions of the recipe ahead of time. Best of all, many of the recipes take thirty minutes or less of prep and cook time! Also included is a section on freezing your veggie burger mix for later use and the proper storage method for making your leftovers last, especially convenient for hectic schedules and small families.

Most of the recipes call for fresh ingredients readily available at any major supermarket. Those few ingredients that are less standard can be found in health food stores or asian markets, which most cities now have. The emphasis on fresh ingredients makes these burgers both more flavorful and more healthy than the alternatives provided in the (very few) other veggie burger cook books out there. More than half of the recipes are also vegan or gluten-free, and many others are easily modified for specialized diets.

The introduction to Veggie Burgers Every Which Way outlines the typical ingredients found in veggie burgers and the most common basic cooking methods for each, making this book easily accessible to fledgling cooks. For those who are looking to further amp their veggie burger experience, the section on condiments and toppings provides an eclectic mix of sauces, relishes, and other burger essentials. Definitely don't skip the homemade french fry section; these tasty fry recipes are surprisingly easy and varied, a great change from frozen french fries. Adventurous cooks should try the burger bun section, which includes standard, whole wheat, pretzel, corn, and gluten-free recipes for homemade burger buns.

The burger recipes are divided into three sections based on their primary ingredients: Bean, Grain, and Nut Burgers; Vegetable Burgers; and Tofu, Seitan, and TVP Burgers. The offerings range from basic burgers that anyone can love to adventurous flavors inspired by international cuisine. Don't be scared off by an unfamiliar ingredient or spice, though; Volger knows what he's doing, and every burger is perfectly balanced.

I have personally tasted four of the recipes included in this book. At the American Library Association Conference, Volger prepared small samples of the Mushroom Burgers with Barley; I have made the Thai Carrot Burgers, Ginger-Soy Tempeh Burgers, and Pub Grub Veggie Burgers in my own kitchen. All four have been straightforward, delicious, and satisfying to both vegetarian and omnivorous guests. My best friend, the burger man and grill master, has a great time making and eating these despite his love of meat burgers - this book is truly for everyone!

Veggie Burgers Every Which Way is a fantastic book. It is well-written, which makes the recipes a breeze to prepare, the flavor combinations are dynamic and interesting, and most importantly everything I've made from this book tastes positively delicious. My favorite recipes so far are the Pub-Grub Burger, The Tuscan White Bean Burger, the Tortilla-Crusted Stuffed Portobello Burgers, the Pretzel Rolls, the Black Olive and Roasted Potato Salad with Arugula, and the Quick Pickles.

Veggie Burgers Every Which Way is beautifully composed. It is clear from the mouthwatering recipes, the playful design/layout, the thoughtful writing, and the elegant photography that this was a labor of love. I'm looking forward to whatever Mr. Volger has next up his sleeve.

I am an unabashed and unashamed meat-eater. I bought this book because a good friend and frequent guest is a vegetarian and I thought "wouldn't it be nice to offer him something beyond double portions of the sides at our summer dinners..."but this book really appeals to me! I've marked at least a dozen recipes (corn burgers with sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese...how could that be anything but SPECTACULAR?) and some sides as well ( frizzled shallots has to happen TODAY )Best of all- the ingredients are grocery store available -- no special trips to strange smelling health food stores. This book would make the perfect house gift for summer weekends...

Like this book because it goes beyond black bean burgers which is prevalent everywhere. Has a section on baking your own rolls at well...
Great variety of burger types!

The recipes in Veggie Burgers Every Which Way are easy to prepare and delicious. You'll find ingredients are readily available from your local supermarket and won't break your food budget. The author has obviously spent considerable time testing each offering as measurements and preparation instructions are accurate and ensure success. Using spices has always been problematic for me, but you'll find the flavors here limit boredom while maximizing taste. Use the "burgers" to make meatballs and "veggie" loafs as well. You can't go wrong with this cookbook. It's a great place to start down the vegan/vegetarian path.

I really enjoy this book. I've had it for four months now, and have tried a number of recipes with every one of them turning out great. I like that there is a wide variety of recipes provided, but that variety is balanced so that it doesn't become overwhelming or redundant (like when cookbooks have 2 or 4 recipes for whole wheat buns or falafel and you're left wondering what the difference is or which one is better). I appreciate that Volger provides suggestions for appropriate buns, condiments, and sides to go with many of the burgers, and that there is an appealing, glossy photo of each recipe. I also think it's great that he tried to provide options for Vegans and people who want or need gluten-free recipes. Still, this is neither a vegan or gluten-free cookbook - only 15 of the 32 burger recipes are vegan, and only 10 of the 32 burgers are gluten free.

My only real complaints with Veggie Burgers Every Which Way is that a number of the recipes are a bit "fussy" in the preparation - that is requiring lots of steps. For example, many recipes require 1/2 or 1 cup of multiple ingredients be cooked separately before they're all mixed together in a bowl or food processor. I hate doing dishes, so occasionally I wish the recipes were a little more streamlined. You can't argue with the results, though, and it could be a good way to use leftovers if you plan ahead. Also, many of the burgers require pan-frying and then finishing the cooking in the oven, an extra step which can be annoying on a busy day when you just want to get supper on the table. That said, the recipes all have reasonably accurate prep and cooking times listed, so you know ahead of time if you're getting into a time consuming recipe (suggested times range from 20 minutes to 2 hours). Volger is a skillful cook, and he doesn't get you to do anything without a good reason. His techniques for making oven fries were a revelation, and I'm glad I got the book for that reason alone.

One last point of advice - I find the yields on the recipes to tend toward the large. Since there are only two of us in my household, I tend to halve the recipes, but even then it seems we get more burgers than the recipes call for (for example, when it will say the recipe makes 6 4-inch burgers, we'll halve it and end up with 4 burgers). It could be that Volger tends to make much larger burgers than I do, but I thought I should share my experience for those who get the book.

I was intrigued by this title, and it has a very reasonable price, so I ordered a copy. Not knowing the author or the publishing company, or having heard anything about the book, other than having it come up on an amazon random suggestion, I was wary. Well, it appeared in the mail, and I was immediately intrigued by many of the recipes. I paged through and wanted to immediately make almost all the burgers. I am sitting at my desk to an extraordinary lunch right now of a baked quinoa and spinach burger. [I topped it with melted cheddar.]

Let's face it. Veggie patties can be extraordinarily boring, but I've been striving to eat less meat at lunchtime and have been buying the pre-packaged frozen selections. This book is fantastic for making your very own, from-scratch burgers.

The variety is awesome! Lentils, beans, mushrooms, quinoa, spinach, veggies. Now I could eat veggie burgers every day and not feel like I'm eating the same old thing.

Seriously, this quinoa/spinach burger is so delicious. I'm going to stop writing this review and enjoy my lunch. Buy this book. It's awesome.

I think this is a great cookbook. The subject was in desparate need of exploration, and thank goodness Lukas Volger was up for the job. I liked reading it as well as I've liked making the recipes so far. I have successfully made the Easy Bean Burgers, the Seeded Edamame Burgers, the Curried Eggplant and Tomato Burgers (gluten free!), and the Tofu and Chard Burgers. The Tofu and Chard burgers did give me trouble though, and I wanted to put a couple cautions here so others don't do my same missteps.

My main mistake in making the recipe was using super-firm tofu (from Trader Joes). The super-firm, while I'm sure it is great for marinating and grilling as a cutlet, is just not wet enough to form a paste when half of it is blended up, and a patty will not hang together for cooking, though it still tasted good as a scrambly thing. I also ran across an earlier experimental version of this recipe on the internet, and it had 14 ounces of tofu rather than the 8 in the book. I think the recipe more honestly makes 6 patties with 14 ounces of tofu. The larger amount of tofu dilutes the breadcrumb flavor better too.

This is the first recipe book purchase I've made on my Kindle. Though I miss the glossy cookbook experience, I really like how the recipe "book" lays flat on the counter, is with me in the store, can read to me, has links to the recipes through the contents, and doesn't get lost. I'm really looking forward to making more recipes from this book, and I'm also looking forward to L. Volger's next book which I hope will come out real soon :)

okay so the first thing i made everyone LOVED and especially me! the beet and brown rice burger! ive never worked with beets before and it was just like he said - and his sauces are great! i cant wait to try more! i keep wanting to do other recipes but i keep making this one! and it's healthy! so wonderful!

and the great thing is he also has recipes to make your own buns from scratch! awesome flavor rich burgers and baking recipes and sauce recipes (every one was so tasty) and some sides?

just buy it already!!!!

Lukas Volger calls these veggie burgers for good reason -- it's not written as a vegan cookbook. However, _many_ of the recipes use strictly vegetable-based ingredients with exception of the obvious "corn burgers with goat cheese". Some of the recipes use eggs or egg whites as a binder, so I used EnerG Egg Replacer with good results for a vegan burger.

I've had this cookbook for several weeks and read it through a couple times to get a feel for the recipes. Vogler lists some good ideas on making and refrigerating/freezing the leftovers. I also found the recipes make either huge burgers or a couple more than the recipe recommends.

Last night I made the Armenian Lentil Burgers which have a soft, but firm texture -- somewhat like a burrito -- on the inside and crispy/crunchy on the outside, and lots of flavors that pop from the allspice, cinnamon and clove.

I found the recipes to take a bit of time to complete when making separate parts of the recipe to combine, plus browning and oven baking. I imagine that it will go easier after the initial run-through. I also found I couldn't get my burger to look like the picture in the cookbook, and the textures tend to be softer -- without alot of "chew." It's not for a meaty burger replacement.

In the end, I think the results are worth the effort in order to have a few really great veggie burger recipes in your repertoire.