Hal’s Soy Burgers ~ A great burger is the birthright of every American, and just because you aren’t eating meat doesn’t mean you have to miss out on one of summer’s great pleasures… these burgers made with soybeans are the best veggie burgers I’ve ever had.
I’ve never been a fan of any vegetarian food that pretends to be meat.
I just don’t see the point. But there’s something about the combination of these patties on a soft chewy wheat bun, slathered in mayo, topped with gooey melted cheese and crunchy sprouts that I can’t resist.
Soy burgers are one of the earliest plant based burger recipes
I discovered these at college, at the restaurant where I worked. Hal’s was the local hangout for students, professors, and townies in the know. Two brother’s, Don and John, (there was no Hal) owned it, and they served classic counter-culture cuisine…everything was homemade, from the bread to the yogurt to the granola. Sprouts of all kinds came on everything.
I didn’t work at the grill or wait tables, I was stationed in the basement kitchen making sure the vats of wholegrain pancake batter never ran dry, keeping huge jugs of sprouting sprouts watered, and making up vast numbers of these soybean patties. They were a customer favorite. But in true counter-culture fashion, one day Don and John just closed up shop. They moved on to other things, leaving behind devoted fans like me to pine endlessly for those lost meals.
This veggie burger recipe is simple but hits the spot!
I keep coming back to this recipe when I get the burger craving. If you want more of a punch you can serve them with a spicy chipotle mayonnaise, or any other burger topping you like.
what you’ll need for soy burgers:
- cooked soybeans
- breadcrumbs
- egg
- red onion
- garlic
- cumin
- flour
- salt and pepper
more plant based burgers to love
- Chickpea Veggie Burgers
- Red Quinoa and Black Bean Veggie Burgers
- Falafel Burger Recipe (copycat McFalafel)
- The Ultimate Veggie Burger
- The Ultimate Plant Based Burger Taste-Off!
Hal’s Soy Burgers
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked soybeans
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1/2 small red onion, minced
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp flour, whole wheat if you have it
- salt
- black pepper
serve with
- 4 soft wheat buns
- 4 slices of Swiss cheese
- sprouts
- mayonnaise
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in a processor and pulse just a few times until the mixture holds together when you press it together with your fingers. If the mixture seems too wet, add a little more flour. Don’t process too much or you’ll get paste; you want some texture.
- Using a 1/2 cup measure, form into 4 patties, and put them between waxed paper.
- Chill until you are ready to cook.
- To cook the burgers, fry them over medium high heat in a pat of butter. When one side is golden brown flip and cook the other side till golden. Add the cheese to the burgers at the end of cooking.
- Serve on the wheat buns with mayo and sprouts.
If you don’t miss the meat in your burger, then it’s got to be good. I think these soybean burgers rank. Love it!!
Velva
yummmm now i just have to get my hands on some soya beans!!! i am looking for a good veggie burger recipe…i usually just mash chickpeas up…so this is perfect (and i love soya) especially slathered in mayo! thanks 🙂
Oh Wow, these look awesome! Haven’t tried a soy version at home before. I love it. Will definitely give these a whirl. Great pictures!
Your photos are wonderful and convinced me to try your soy burger this weekend. The burger looks delicious. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
These look so great! I eat vegetarian 90% of the time so I’m always on the lookout for good veggie recipes!
These look so wonderful. I agree with you that burgers that pretend to be meat aren’t my favorites, but there’s nothing wrong with some beans or grains in a burger form. I have not done much cooking with soybeans before, but this recipe looks like a great place to start.
I miss these so much! They look so good! I always thought the toppings were so perfect, too. that combo of the mayo and the sprouts with the soyburger is just perfect. making me hungry!!
Maris—thanks!
Cathy—with a few different spices and more grinding,and more oil for frying…yes!
These burgers look terrific. Your picture tutorial is excellent and very helpful.
If you substituted chick peas for the soy beans would that make falaffel?
Check out my falafel burger recipe!