Tempeh Veggie Burgers

Freezer and crock pot meals have been a big game changer for me when it comes to meal prep and planning. I’m sure it’s the same with a lot of you. This year, it’s all about doing it better and changing up the recipes. We try to have a good stock of veggie burgers in the freezer at all times, but over the holidays our count dwindled to zero.

We bought a bulk slab of tempeh (two pounds!) at the Greenstar Coop the last time we were in Ithaca, and I’ve been waiting to do something amazing with it. When I thought to mix together my Freezer Veggie Burger recipe, I stopped myself short. A few pulses of the food processor later and this “meaty” burger was born.

TEMPEH VEGGIE BURGERS

Double this recipe to make 16-18 freezable* burgers.

What you’ll need . . .

• 1 pound tempeh, chopped
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 large bell pepper, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped (or 1 clove garlic)
• 2 tablespoons ACV
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup ground flax meal
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• salt, pepper
• other seasonings (optional)

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Alternatively, I used a special pan to form my burgers, which I’ll write more about in a minute.
2. Chop all ingredients and place in your food processor. It helps to pulse the veggies a little first. Then all the tempeh and continue pulsing with the wet ingredients. Then let blend for a few minutes until a wet dough forms.
3. Scoop heaping 1/4 cup of dough onto your sheet and form patties. Flatten slightly.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, until burgers feel a bit firm. Then it’s up to you. You can eat right out of the oven. If you want to eat them right away, I suggest heating some olive oil in a pan and browning both sides (I like the crispy texture). 
5. *To freeze: Cool burgers on a cooling rack and then place on wax paper on a baking sheet in the freezer until frozen. Put in an airtight container (zip bag is great). To re-heat, let thaw for around 30 minutes. Then heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and brown on both sides.

My mother-in-law bought me this Muffin Top Pan for Christmas, and I’ve made tons of stuff in it, just not muffins! I love the shape for cookies, burgers, and even baked egg dishes (more on that soon). So, if you think a sheet like this might have a million purposes in your kitchen, I wholeheartedly agree.

See? Perfect patties!


I’ve been eating my burgers open-faced on a slice of toasted Ezekiel bread lately. More flavor, a little less bread, and definitely saves money. (That bread is so expensive, which is why we usually make our own.) With a little cheese broiled on top, some sliced tomato, and BBQ sauce? Perfecto.

Stay warm today, friends!


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