The first time I made this smoked tofu burger, I was surprised at how well the patty held its form. There are many veggie burgers that crumble and fall apart, even with the egg. This burger however, does not.
The texture of this burger was much different than a traditional veggie burger, too. Most burgers made with beans and/or grains have a mushy texture, and we die-hard vegetarians choose to love them for what they are anyway. This burger, however, has a spongy texture that is broken up by the little pieces of nuts and seeds.
I often use smoked tofu as a bacon replacement, such as in these vegan BLTs or this blue cheese wedge salad. Therefore, using smoked tofu in a veggie burger made it feel like a bacon burger to me!
If the patties are feeling soft when you form them, give them a 15-minute rest in the fridge. This should help to firm them up and make them easier to handle in the skillet. I let them rest only as long as I need to toast the buns and they hold together nicely.
Variation to the Smoked Tofu Burger Recipe:
- Make it gluten free: Try using your favorite gluten free flour in place of panko. Mix in only 2 TBS at first, adding more if necessary.
- Make it vegan: Use a chia egg by mixing together 1 TBS chia seeds and 2 ½ TBS water. Wait for it to get thick and jelly-like, then stir it in. You could also try a flax egg.
- Nuts and Seeds: I used half cashews and half sunflower seeds in the pictures. Pecans are another favorite. Use ½ cup of whatever you have on hand, mixing and matching if you desire. You can use all sunflower seeds to make this recipe nut free.
- Make the burgers bigger: Form 3 patties instead of 4 if you want larger burgers, or if you have large artisan style buns to fill!
- Smoke your own tofu: Making homemade smoked tofu is totaly worth it! The flavor is so fresh and genuine, not like the packaged stuff, but my smoked tofu recipe does require a smoker!
- 8 oz smoked tofu
- ½ cup nuts and/or seeds (sunflower, cashews, walnuts, pecans, hemp seeds etc.)
- ¼ cup panko
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 TBS each: tomato paste and Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp each: cumin and paprika
- ¼ tsp each: salt and onion powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 TBS olive oil
- Combine smoked tofu, nuts/seeds, panko, garlic, tomato paste, Dijon, cumin, paprika, salt and onion powder in a food processor. Process until smooth-ish. There should be no large chunks remaining. Taste test and adjust seasonings. Add the egg and pulse until just combined, about 2-3 pulses.
- Form into 4 patties and let rest in the fridge while you toast the buns in the skillet (optional).
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the patties and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 12 minutes.
Recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks.
