Recipe | Ultimate vegan burgers

Both vegans and meat lovers can rejoice – here is the answer to our burger prayers! Gently press the tofu for the full 20 minutes, lest too much liquid get into the patty mixture. Serve with vegan burger buns and coriander onions (both recipes below).

Makes 6 large burgers

VEGAN | Summer, Spring, Autumn, Winter

Hands-on time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Ultimate patties

200g extra firm tofu, drained

2 tsp fennel seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small red onion, finely chopped

4 portobello mushrooms (about125g total), stalks removed, roughly chopped into 5mm pieces

1 beetroot (about 200g), peeled and finely grated

35g walnuts, roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

400g can chickpeas, drained, aquafaba (liquid) reserved

½ tsp ground chilli

2 tbsp light soy sauce

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 tbsp finely chopped mintleaves

50g fine breadcrumbs

1 ½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp cracked black pepper

2 tbsp canola oil, for frying

Burger sauce

60ml reserved aquafaba

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp lemon juice

4 cloves garlic, finely grated

185ml canola oil

1 tsp ground paprika

½ tsp ground chilli, optional

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp cracked black pepper

To serve

6 burger buns (recipe below)

coriander onions (recipe below)

sliced dill pickles or gherkins

rocket leaves

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan-forced (or 180°C conventional). Line an oven tray with baking paper.

For the ultimate patties, pat the tofu dry with paper towel, then wrap in a tea towel and place on a plate. Place a weight (such as a cast iron frying pan, or couple of cans on top of another plate) on top of the wrapped tofu and set aside for 20 minutes for the excess moisture to be gently pressed out.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, toast the fennel, coriander and cumin seeds for a minute or two, until fragrant. Use a mortar and pestle to grind to a relatively fine powder; set aside. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the frying pan over medium heat and add the onion. Sauté for 5 minutes, until starting to soften. Add the remaining oil, mushroom, beetroot, walnuts and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until the mushroom is soft and the garlic and walnuts are golden. Remove from the heat and transfer to a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow some of the excess liquid to drain away (don’t press the mixture).

In a separate large bowl, mash the drained chickpeas with a fork to a slightly chunky paste. Add the ground spices, ground chilli, soy sauce, lemon zest, parsley, mint and the mushroom mixture, tossing to combine. Finely crumble the tofu and add to the bowl along with the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix until it all comes together (you may need an extra 1–2 tbsp of breadcrumbs, depending on how moist the mixture is) and adjust seasoning to taste. Form the mixture into 6 large patties (about 130g each, 2cm thick). Place the patties on the tray and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

For the burger sauce, place the aquafaba, mustard, lemon juice and garlic in a tall, narrow container. Using a stick blender, blitz for 20 seconds until the mixture is white and starting to become fluffy. While continuing to blend, gradually pour in the oil, little by little, moving the stick blender up and down to emulsify. Gradually it will form a thick mayonnaise-like consistency. Add the paprika, chilli, salt and pepper. Blitz until smooth and adjust seasoning to taste.

To cook the patties, heat the canola oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the patties for 4–5 minutes on each side, being careful as you flip them, until golden and crispy (you may need to cook them in two batches). Return to the oven tray and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and change the oven function to grill. Split open the burger buns with a bread knife and lightly toast the cut side of each bun half under the grill until golden.

To assemble the burgers, place a large spoonful of coriander onions onto the bottom half of each bun. Place the patties on top of the onions, followed by the rocket leaves. Spread some of the burger sauce onto each of the bun tops, add a few sliced gherkins, and carefully place on top of each burger. Devour.

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Additional recipes: Vegan burger buns + Coriander onions

Vegan burger buns

Makes 8 large buns

Hands-on time: 45 minutes

Total time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Tangzhong starter

25g high grade flour

85 ml cold water

Dough

250ml warm almond milk

12g active dried yeast

1 tbsp caster sugar

75g coconut oil

50g tahini

450g high grade flour

1 tbsp curry powder

finely grated zest of ½ lemon

10g sea salt 

‘Egg’ wash

2 tbsp almond milk

1 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp white sesame seeds

2 tbsp black sesame seeds

Method

A decent burger needs a decent bun. Tangzhong roux keeps the buns soft and fluffy, while coconut oil and tahini give a brioche-like quality. I add a little curry powder and lemon zest to give the dough a flavour lift. 

First make the tangzhong starter. Place the flour and water in a small saucepan and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until thickened to a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and leave to cool to room temperature.

For the dough, whisk the warm milk, yeast and caster sugar in a small bowl. Leave for 10–15 minutes in a warm place until the yeast is frothy. Heat the coconut oil and tahini in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until melted and combined. Set aside to cool slightly.

Whisk the flour, curry powder, lemon zest and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the yeast mixture, tahini mixture and tangzhong starter and gently mix to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Tip out onto a clean work surface and knead for 10 minutes, until the dough is soft, satiny and elastic. The dough will stick to your hands initially but avoid using any extra flour in the kneading process. Alternatively, you can mix and knead the dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment at medium speed. Form the dough into a large ball and return to the mixing bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place for about 1 ½ hours, or until doubled in size.

Push down the dough to deflate and divide into 8 pieces (about 100g each). On a clean work surface, roll each piece of dough into a ball, by lightly pushing and turning the dough with the palm of one hand, cupping it slightly to form a ball. Place onto 2 baking paper-lined oven trays, evenly spaced at least 5cm apart. Cover loosely with clingfilm (you want to leave space for the buns to rise) and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until risen and almost doubled in size.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160°C fan-forced (or 180°C conventional).

For the ‘egg’ wash, whisk the almond milk and maple syrup in a cup. In a separate cup, mix together the black and white sesame seeds.

Gently brush the buns evenly with the ‘egg’ wash and sprinkle generously with sesame seeds. Bake for 25–30 minutes, swapping the trays halfway through so they cook evenly, until golden brown and baked through (the bottom of a bun will sound hollow when tapped). Leave to cool to room temperature. Use straight away or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Warm before eating.

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Coriander onions

Makes 400g

Hands-on time: 10 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns

3 red onions, thinly sliced

185ml apple cider vinegar

50g soft brown sugar

½ lemon, cut in half

1 tsp sea salt 

Method

Pickled onions can bring an instant flavour lift to an otherwise ordinary dish. Coriander seeds have a wonderful citrus taste and aroma that shines through in these onions. 

Toast the coriander seeds and peppercorns in a saucepan over medium heat, for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the remaining ingredients, increase the heat to high and bring to the boil. Once bubbling rapidly, reduce the heat to medium, place a lid on the saucepan and simmer vigorously for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature. If serving immediately, remove the lemon and drain the excess liquid. Serve with your favourite meal. 

If making in advance, spoon the onions and any excess liquid into a storage container or jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

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Alby Hailes has always been passionate about delicious, flavourful food. In 2016 he published Scarfie Kitchen, a cookbook of affordable student eats inspired by his blog of the same name, and in 2021 he won the Great Kiwi Bakeoff. Since then he has developed recipes for all meals and occasions, with a focus on food that makes us feel good mentally as well as physically. Alby lives in Dunedin with his partner and their dog. He has recently launched BEAU Cakes.

Good Vibes is a celebration of food that makes you feel good. With veg-forward ingredients and knockout flavours, these are recipes to take your cooking to the next level. From nourishing breakfasts to impressive sharing plates, punchy weeknight meals, soul-warming slow-cooks, and delectable sweet treats, Alby Hailes shares his on-repeat recipes to Energise, Connect, Excite, Comfort and Delight.

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More recipes by Alby Hailes —

Lime, apple & poppy seed cake with caramelised coconut topping

Kūmara and tofu dumplings