Double Drive-Thru Veggie Burgers

(3)

Vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli is famous for her deliciously charred veggie burgers. For a “special sauce,” she swaps out mayo for silken-tofu mayonnaise to make a tangy-sweet vegan take on Thousand Island dressing. Slideshow:  More Vegan Recipes 

Veggie Burgers with lentils and tofu
Vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli is famous for her deliciously charred veggie burgers. For a "special sauce," she swaps out mayo for silken- tofu mayonnaise to make a tangy-sweet vegan take on Thousand Island dressing. Photo: DAVID CICCONI
Total Time:
45 mins
Yield:
4

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 6 ounces soft tofu, cubed

  • 3 tablespoons ketchup

  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard

  • 1 teaspoon agave

  • 1 garlic clove

  • 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

  • Kosher salt

BURGERS

  • 5 tablespoons canola oil

  • 1 onion, finely chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • Kosher salt

  • Pepper

  • 1 cup cooked brown rice

  • One 15-ounce can cooked lentils, rinsed and drained

  • 1 cup toasted walnuts

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon dried basil

  • 4 hamburger buns plus 4 bun bottoms, toasted

  • Tomato slices, dill pickle chips, lettuce and thinly sliced red onion, for topping

Directions

Make the sauce

  1. In a blender, puree the tofu with the ketchup, mustard, agave and garlic until smooth. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir in the pickle relish and dill; season with salt and refrigerate.

Make the burgers

  1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until lightly browned, 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until softened, 2 minutes; season with salt. Scrape the onion and garlic into a food processor. Add the rice, lentils, walnuts, flour and dried basil and pulse until the mixture just comes together and whole grains of rice are still visible; season with salt and pepper. Using lightly oiled hands, press 1/3 cup of the mixture into a 1/2-inch-thick patty; transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining mixture for a total of 8 patties.

  2. Wipe out the skillet and heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in it. Arrange 4 burger patties in the pan and cook over moderately high heat until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Flip the patties and continue cooking until browned and heated through, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the patties to a work surface. Repeat with the remaining oil and burger patties.

  3. Spread the sauce on 4 of the bun bottoms and top with 4 patties and half of the burger toppings; top with the remaining bun bottoms. Repeat the layering once more, with more sauce and the remaining patties, toppings and the bun tops; serve.

Make Ahead

The Special Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Suggested Pairing

Wine: Bright and spicy Zinfandel.

Related Articles