Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, Second Edition

Thank you so much to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my honest review. I am so excited about this cookbook. There are so many unique and delicious ideas to create a wide variety of veggie burgers. There are so many interesting ideas that I had never thought of but can’t get out of my head now. I have to try everything in this book! I love the easy to follow recipes and gorgeous pictures for most of the recipes in this book. There are even recipes for buns, side dishes, sauces, relishes, toppings, and salads. I also appreciate the dietary substitutions provided as well as recipes for some of the basic staples used in many of these recipes such as rice and beans. I am going to purchase this beautiful and unique cookbook as soon as possible. I can not wait to try these recipes. Thank you so much for this delicious cookbook.

This is an updated version of a book that is on my shelf along with all of Mr. VOlger's other vegetarian books. I love veggie burgers (but not the fake meat ones...the hundreds of ingredients kind of freak me out!)

There are many kinds of burgers in here that cover the gamut of tofu to beans to seitan and many are vegan as well. It is the SIDES that are the star of this book...I drooled so much that I almost electrocuted myself with my kindle!

This is an excellent book that I will be buying for myself and our library...I will recommend it far and wide, along with his other books as we head into the fresh product and grilling season.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cool book!

It's a very thorough dive into veggie burgers. The book has ingredients for making all sorts of veggie burgers as well as the buns and sides to go with them. Some of the recipes are a little time intensive and some of the recipe instructions are a bit high level when it comes to things like properly shaping patties and making sure they stay together, but it's helpful. There are also beautiful photos of the burgers which is nice to have in a recipe book.

This book goes beyond the standard black bean burger and has all sorts of good recipes!

This is excellent and very thorough, covering everything you need to know to make great food. It has a nice variety of ingredients, and includes bun and salad recipes. Great photography too. Recommended.

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!

Oh, this book will make you hungry. So many different kinds of veggie burgers from lentils and beans to cauliflower and beets. Plus, the photos make everything look amazing. I found myself wanting to make almost every recipe!

My favorites include the Spinach-Chickpea Burgers, Tofu & Chard Burgers, Carrot-Parsnip Burgers with Almonds, and the Tuscan White Bean Burgers. This book also includes homemade bun recipes, as well as sauces and sides. Ideal for Meatless Monday inspiration. Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC. This one is definitely where I'll rush out and get the published version.

Fun ideas to try! Everything from the burgers to the sides is in here. Who knew there were so many different ways to make veggie burgers.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I am not vegetarian but would like to try some of these veggie burger recipes as many looked easy to make and tasty.

I love this book. My family has been trying to incorporate more veggies into our lives and this book has helped with that a lot. I love the vibrant pictures too. Some of the recipes are more complex and a little more complicated, but I like the variety within this book. The edamame burger was the first we tried and it was great!
I will be buying a copy of this one!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

"Veggie Burgers Every Which Way" by Lukas Bolger is a great resource for anyone looking to delve into or expand their veggie burger repertoire. With few exceptions, the recipes are achievable and use common ingredients found in most local grocery stores. The book includes sections on condiments and sides and also includes information on how to adapt recipes for those with Gluten or Wheat dietary restrictions. A great addition to your burger recipe collection.

Thank you the NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about veggie burgers. I appreciate that they are becoming more ubiquitous in restaurants and grocery stores. But, I don’t like the current obsession with making them taste more like meat. That type is good for people who are transitioning off meat. However, the longer you are plant-based, the less you tend to want things that don’t highlight the flavor of vegetables.

That is the philosophy of this book.

“… I’ve never been very excited about a veggie burger that tastes like meat. My perspective in this book was, and continues to be, that veggie burgers should be creative expressions of vegetables.

….

In my view, vegetables should be the star player, and veggie burgers can be a vessel for the flavor of carrots, kale, or beets when they’re fresh and delicious, and be presented in a format that’s new and unexpected.”

About half of the burgers in this book are vegan. The rest use egg as a binder but there are instructions in the front of the book for several other types of binders that could be used.

I’m not going to list the recipes that I’m interested in trying because honestly, it is almost all of them. So far I’ve made the Mushroom Barley burger. I had to substitute farro because I couldn’t find barley alone when I went to the store that day. I also made the Black Bean and Butternut Squash burger because you can’t go wrong with that combination.

For such a common vegetarian food, I’ve had a hard time making veggie burgers that taste good in the past. This is a book that I see myself using as a reference for a long time. I got this copy from NetGalley but I imagine that I will buy myself a copy when it comes out.

I LOVED this book! I have wanted to get more veggie burger recipes, as I only have one. This book is chock full of information and recipes! It starts with the basics of veggie burger information. Then there are multiple recipes under the bean and grain burgers, vegetable burgers, tofu, seitan, tempeh, and TVP burgers. The book continues with even more recipes for burger buns, salads and fries, condiments and toppings. You can't go wrong with this book. I can't wait to start trying the recipes out. I am gluten-free and the burger buns are all made with wheat. The rest of the book gives me many options to pick and choose from.

Amazing book. I remember not so long ago when people would give me the side eye when I would order a veggie burger at a restaurant. Nice to know that now that they are now fairly mainstream and loved by many people. The recipes in this book give some good twists to some well known favorites. There are also enough original recipes which use pantry staples such as quinoa, rice, dried and canned beans. This book is also very timely as grocery prices continue to skyrocket and people are looking more and more to stretch their grocery bills. Really love the original but love this one even more!

Thanks you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. I was really excited to read this book because I mostly follow a plant based diet and I am always looking for new recipes especially burgers. I liked that the authors spoke about why eating prepacked highly processed burgers are not good for you even if they are plants. I am also glad the author stressed using cast iron skillets. I think these skillets have made a huge difference in my cooking. There is a good variety of burgers, some made from beans, quinoa, rice and a numerous vegetables. I will be buying this book once it is published!

Solid book of veggie burgers! Not just burgers, but also sides and recipes for burger buns. Lots of gorgeous pictures, a nice intro explaining what tools you will need, and recipes featuring beans, tofu, vegetables, and tempeh.

A must read if you are looking to expand your vegetable burger repertoire, or are curious about veggie burgers!

Thank you Netgalley and The Experiment the ARC!

This is a wonderful cookbook, I mean what could be better than burgers?! Homemade whole food, plant based burgers that’s what! This is not a vegan/fully plant based cookbook—there are many recipes throughout that are—but there is a section with options for substitutes.

This book is also more than just the burger aspect of the burgers, it includes sides, sauces, and even buns! I will be making quite a few of these recipes in the near future!

Veggie Burgers Every Which Way is an updated second edition of the classic veggie burger cookbook by Lukas Volger. Originally published in 2010, this reformat and re-release from The Experiment is due out 6th June 2023. It's 192 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a very versatile and adaptable cooking guide. The author does a good job of showing how to substitute and arrange ingredients to choose vegan or vegetarian, as well as giving lots of good tips for adapting to make recipes wheat-/gluten-free.

The recipes are arranged thematically by main base ingredient: basics/adaptations, bean/grain burgers, vegetable based burgers, tofu seitan tempeh TVP burgers, buns, sides (salads & fries), and condiments & toppings. Recipes are written with a description, headers including codes for vegan, gluten free, etc, ingredients in a bullet list, and step by step cooking directions.

Ingredient measures are given in imperial (American) measurements with metric measures in parentheses (yay!). Roughly 2/3rds of the recipes are accompanied by color photos. The food is very attractively styled and appetizing.

The author has also included an abbreviated bibliography/resources list, and an index.

Four stars. A good kitchen resource. The condiments chapter alone is full of versatile and tasty make-aheads to enhance more than just burgers.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The illustration of the book are beautiful! Like you want to eat just looking at them. It also gave me plenty of ideas for new veggie burgers and it included option if you can't eat gluten or eggs for example. The little down side is that there is a lot of text and it's not my favourite part in a cooking book. Otherwise I can't tell you if the recipes are really working because I always do cook my own way. But if you're looking for ideas and inspiration definitely go for it !

I wanted to look into this book with my husband because he's a vegetarian, and he misses burgers. We were both pleasantly surprised by the variety of recipes and how easy they all seem to make. Each recipe is detailed and explained very well, super easy to understand and follow. They also all sound pretty delicious. My husband told me I better buy this cookbook for him when it comes it because he wants to make all of these.

This is from the updated and revised version (2023) which tweaked some of the recipes and reformatted the look. The book is not meant to be vegan or vegetarian - recipes will include items like eggs or goat cheese. In the beginning, the author notes substitutions and leaves it up to you to decide which type of ingredients you prefer to create a vegan or vegetarian version. This is also not a book about making beans or tofu taste like meat. Rather, it s a book of recipes that will provide you a spectrum of new tastes and textures to explore.

The book breaks down as follows: Veggie Burger Basics (ingredients, what and gluten free, egg substitutes, cooking equipment, making burgers, leftovers), Bean and Grain Burgers, Vegetable Burgers, Tofu/Seitan/Tempeh, adn TVP Burgers, Sides: Salads and Fries, Condiments and toppings, Resources, Index. Recipes include: Tuscan white bean burgers, baked falafel burgers, pub grub veggie burgers, spinach-chickpea burgers, sweet potato burgers with lentils and kale, chipotle black bean burgers, smoked tofu burgers, ginger soy tempeh burgers with pineapple, basic burger buns, pretzel roll buns, roasted corn salad, cumin spiked roasted sweet potato fries, frizzled shallots, curried yoghurt, sweet sesame glaze, and many more.

This is very nicely laid out with a lot of photographs. Each recipe has an orange font title, serving size, paragraph introduction. Ingredients are in bold and italics on the left with numbered paragraph steps on the right. The steps are unfortunately bulky and could have been broken down into smaller and more easily readable steps. There is a 'do ahead' section at the bottom for items that can or must be done in advance. There is no nutrition information whatsoever.

About half the book features burger recipes and the rest is includes side dishes, condiments, and a nice section on different burger buns you can make yourself. So while there are about 70 or so recipes, only half of those are actual burgers. But then again, how many types of burger recipes do you really need? The recipes do include less healthy options such as oils/deep fat frying but for the most part, they are fairly healthy. Best of all, no rubbery textures and no chemical ingredients like store bought veggie burgers. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Yummm! And this is coming from a non-cook.
I appreciate the explanations behind the selection of various ingredients in order to make a delicious patty.
I agree with the author in that I don't need a veggie burger to mimic the flavor of meat. The gluten-free options were helpful.
The book provides a variety of recipes and offers equipment and cooking suggestions, too.

This book goes beyond veggie burger recipes adding recipes for sides (salad) and fries, and condiments. The ingredients are easy to find and the pictures are fantastic. Great suggestions for those wanting to incorporate more veggies and alternative proteins.

The weather is warming, which means the season has come when my body prepares for its amphibious transformation. Suddenly, I can survive mostly off foods that are really just water in disguise: watermelon, cucumbers, popsicles.

Occasionally, though, I do need a hearty meal even in summertime. Cue my very favorite summery meal: the veggie burger.

It took me a long time to figure out that I enjoy burgers—just not when they're made from beef. I'm not a vegetarian, but beef patties often taste yucky/make me feel sick. But I often find myself craving: the burger bun, the sliced cheese, the lettuce and tomato and all the wonderful fixings of that classic Americana meal. It’s only the beef that mars the burger.

Thank goodness that I love veggie burgers. My go-to recipe for the past couple of years has been this one from Inspired Taste. It has enough flexibility to accommodate whatever vegetables I happen to have in my fridge at the time, and it always tastes fantastic. The downside is the 1 hour and 40 minutes it takes to make. It's worth it on occasion, but very time- and labor-intensive. A rare treat.

So I put Veggie Burgers Every Which Way to the task: If it could offer me a recipe I enjoyed just as much as Inspired Taste's, but with half the labor/time, I'd consider it a success.

Gentle readers, this cookbook is a roaring success.

Inside the Book
It splits burgers by their main ingredients: grains, beans, vegetables, and tofu/tempeh. It has additional sections for baking your own buns and making sides and condiments.


Experiment #1: Goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and corn burgers
It is NOT easy to acquire goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes in rural Japan, but to be honest, I enjoyed the journey. I had to seek out a proper fromagerie and consult the cheesemonger there.

Once the ingredients had been collected, the recipe was fast and easy—and so, so delicious. Like really, wonderfully good.

Arbitrary grade: A+

Experiment #2: Chickpeas and spinach burgers
…with cumin seeds and lemon juice, oh la la. This one was cheaper to make, with fewer ingredients, and it tasted just as great. I literally made and ate these during my 45-minute lunch break from work. The leftovers kept well in the freezer, making it easy to keep healthy, quick meals on hand.

Arbitrary grade: A+

Experiment #3: Baked quinoa burgers
Here’s how versatile these recipes are: I used couscous instead of quinoa (absolutely, definitely not an accident) and they still turned out great. Which actually makes me wonder why, with all of these varied grain recipes, there isn’t a couscous burger in this book.

Arbitrary grade: deducting some points for the couscous, although I definitely intended to use couscous, and definitely didn’t make a mistake. But what the heck—A, A’s for everything, these recipes make the honor roll.

I’m looking forward to making more recipes. The summer salads look especially great. The presentations of the food were beautiful: minimal whitespace and maximum gorgeous photography on every page. The recipes were enhanced by extra tips—a favorite was the suggestion to turn burger patties into “sausage” links and eat them with scrambled eggs. For years I’ve loved Trader Joe’s soy sausages, and have also for years lived in a country with no Trader Joe’s. It never dawned on me that I could make something similar myself. Veggie sausages have become a new breakfast favorite of mine.

I think a cookbook truly succeeds when its recipes and cooking tips enter your daily meal routines. Veggie Burgers Every Which Way definitely passes that test for me; I’ll make these recipes again and again.

For me personally, cooking at its best is creative and spiritually nurturing. Volger’s book helped unlock my imagination in new ways. Instead of thinking there’s Only One Way to make good veggie burgers, I now have a plethora of recipes to use as inspiration while I improvise, tweak, and create my own.

I promise not every cookbook review I write will sound so simpering, but my first acquired ARC just so happens to be a really, really good one. Highly recommended.

Veggie Burgers Every Which Way comes out June 6th.

I love a veggie burger but I never thought to try and make them from scratch. This book has a ton of easy recipes. Most of the ingredients will be easy to find even in small town USA.

"Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, Second Edition" by Lukas Volger is a fresh and flavorful culinary gem that takes plant-based burgers to a whole new level. Packed with creative recipes, delightful toppings, and wholesome sides, this book is a must-have for anyone seeking healthy and delicious alternatives to traditional burgers.

This cookbook contains recipes for plant-based food patties (“veggie burgers”) and a selection of sides, buns, and toppings or condiments. While I did not read the first edition of this book, this re-issue is interesting in that it gives thoughtful suggestions for complete meals rather than, as the title might suggest, a more limited window into plant-based cuisine. I also like that there is a wide variety in vegetables featured in the recipes, and although a few seem fairly time-intensive to prepare, the majority of burgers are based around seasonal, easy-to-obtain veggies and involve relatively low time investment. Vegan and gluten-free options are available, as well as clear substitutions for those recipes that include non-vegan items, such as egg.

I personally am not vegan or vegetarian, I just like veggie burgers. I’ve been saddened and disappointed lately as so many restaurants take veggie burgers or black bean burgers off their menus in favor of “impossible meat” options – so this book hit me at just the right time! I definitely have my eye on the butternut squash and black bean burgers, as well as the corn burgers with sun-dried tomato and goat cheese. Or should I start with a pretty traditional chipotle black bean burger? We'll see!

This book is both a timely reissue in the face of more and more people trying out plant-based meals and refreshing in its approach. It will be fun to try my hand at making some veggie burgers and steering away from the overly processed meat substitutions that are currently all the rage! My thanks to Netgalley, "The Experiment" publishing group, and the author for the gift of this e-arc.

This cookbook of veggie and vegan burgers has it all! From beans and rice to tempeh and veggies, this second edition of Lukas Volger's veggies burger cookbook includes not only an abundance of recipes for the burgers themselves but also for buns, sides, and condiments. The variety would be overwhelming if I didn't want to cook my way through every recipe! There's something in here for everyone - I know you will enjoy!

Thanks to The Experiment and Net Gallery for an advance copy to review.

A cool reference book for vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians, and anyone curious about learning how to cook in a new way! Volger issues a deep-dive into veggie burgers, what makes a good one, what to serve with them, and includes interspersed, attention-grabbing "tips and tricks" sections with useful information (e.g., how to cook beans in a traditional vs. pressure cooker, using and drying fresh herbs, washing veggies, etc.). I like Volger's creativity with the use of different beans, grains, and vegetables, and the integration of different flavors of cuisine.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of recipes, but more of a quick reference if you're needing some culinary inspiration. In addition, the pictures in this cookbook are stunning. In my personal opinion, these recipes extend past veggie burgers, and you may use them to create delicious falafels, meatless meatballs, and skillet dinners with a little bit of experimentation. Happy cooking!

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!

Although this is a Second Edition of Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, this was a new book to me. I was impressed with the array of all natural burgers that this book included and loved that I could adapt these to my own dietary needs by easy making substitutions. Being able to use pantry staples in my kitchen without having to invest in specialty ingredients is a big plus for me and my pocketbook, and with the coming of summer and fresh produce I know that these burgers will not only be tasty, but cost conscious and nutritious. With recipes for the traditional and non-grain based ‘buns’ as well as condiments and toppings you have everything for a Vegan, Gluten Free, or even a Meatless Monday Grill here while even rounding out a meal with some tasty sides like salads, slaws, pickles and a choice between classic potato and broccoli or rutabaga “Fries”. Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, Second Edition, is sure to provide you with everything you need to entice anyone to give these recipes a try, and I found that together they can take something that is typically seen as a casual food item and transform it into a gourmet meal.

Sometimes I am lucky enough to get a book on Netgalley that I know I'll end up buying for my bookshelf, and this one made it quickly apparent that it will be a staple in my copious yet carefully curated cookbook collection (say that three times fast). Although it's not gluten free and vegan, which are my eating requirements, the book has interesting tips on how to convert veggie burgers that could certainly be applied to other recipes as well, increasing it's value. I'm looking forward to having this beautiful book in print and trying many of the enticing recipes, like the spiced lentil burgers!

This is a great resource for veggie burger fans! From methods to ingredients to how to store your patties, this cookbook has it all. Including some delicious looking recipes with quite enticing photographs!

Loved this exploration of the world of veggie burgers. As a vegetarian and cooking enthusiast I found this to be a wonderful and accessible guide. So many of the store bought veggie burgers have additives or ingredients that I am not looking for and so this practical and useful guide is very welcome! Highly recommend.