Taste test: the best veggie burgers

Which veggie burgers are the best? We put eight brands head-to-head in our latest lovefood taste test.

Following my recent attempt to beat the supermarkets with homemade patties in our beef burger taste test, we decided it was only fair to give the vegetarian versions a whirl, too.

So we got hold of eight different types of burger, and let our colleagues loose in the kitchen with forks and pens. Which did they rate the highest?

#7: Amy’s Kitchen – 5.1/10

Amy’s Kitchen’s accrued an unremarkable score. Their Manhattan Veggie Burger is a gluten-free affair, made with veg, walnuts and quinoa... from the ingredients list, it sounds like they should be really good for us.

But our testers weren’t too keen, saying that it tasted too salty and that the quinoa’s grainy texture was off-putting.

#6: Linda McCartney (frozen) – 5.3/10

These mozzarella burgers are mostly made from soya protein, onions and mozzarella, and were praised for the inclusion of cheese by some. What seemed to be the problem for our vegetarian testers (of which we had two) was that the product ‘tries too hard’ to look like, and resemble the texture of, meat.

A lot of people thought, when tasting it, that this one contained mushrooms – but oddly, there aren’t any in the ingredients list; it’s just the texture of the soya.

#5: Waitrose – 6/10

In a noticeable step up in quality, Waitrose is the first supermarket on our list. Its burgers got a decent score, but nearly everyone commented that they were mostly potato, and some said it was stodgy, or that they might as well eat a jacket potato!

However, the “subtle flavours” won points with others, though the patties could apparently do with a bit of salt and pepper.

#4: Good Life – 6.1/10        

These bean-based quarter pounders narrowly beat Waitrose’s own brand with their “rich flavour” and “nice hint of spice”. Some were fans of the sweetcorn and the crunch, but a couple of participants were less keen, and said the patties were fairly flavourless. Interestingly, one of our two vegetarian tasters marked this burger as their favourite of the bunch, giving it 8/10. 

#3: Tesco and Sainsbury’s – 6.3/10

Two of the heavy-hitting retailers share the bronze medal for their versions of spicy bean burgers. Certain similarities between the burgers were pointed out by quite a few people. Tesco’s was popular for its seasoning, Sainsbury’s for its crunchy exterior and spicy kick.

#2: Linda McCartney (fresh) – 6.4/10

Linda McCartney’s chana masala vegetarian cakes did a lot better than their frozen counterparts, taking second place with their complex flavour. The only negative comment was that some found them a little dry, but people liked the subtle Indian spices – one compared them to a samosa, and another to chai tea!

#1: Quorn – 6.7/10

The king of the bunch was Quorn – we used the Southern Fried Chicken Burgers. It was rated well by both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, for its “top-notch” texture. It was said to be a bit dry on its own though, and really needed ketchup and a burger bun to taste the best. One of our two vegetarian tasters marked this burger as their favourite, giving it an impressive 9/10. 

We powered our way through a fair few veggie burgers trying to find the best, but it's notable that veggie burgers vary in ingredients and flavour a lot more than their meaty cousins. The range we tested was a mix of everything from soya and lentils to mycoprotein, with a fair few bean-based burgers in the middle. So while we hope our test is a handy guide to opinion, personal tastes always enter into it!

As always, if you'd like to recommend some burgers that we couldn't fit into our test, or tell us about a great recipe you know, please post in the comments below.

Five veggie burger recipes

If you don’t fancy any of the above and want to have a stab at making your own, here are some to get your teeth into.

Veggie burgers with melting cheese recipe
These aduki bean and mixed nut burgers only take 15 minutes to prepare, so they're a fresh, quick and simple solution for a vegetarian weekday meal. Top it off with a slice of Gruyère or Emmental cheese.
Note that this recipe includes Worcestershire Sauce, which contains anchovies. Simply leave this out if you don't want it, or substitute for mushroom ketchup.

Annabel Karmel's vegetable burgers
Toast moreish cashew nuts and pound them together with rice, onion, carrot, leek, mushrooms and fresh herbs. Then roll up your patties and refrigerate before the main event.
This one takes a little prep time, so it would make a good weekend treat with really fresh flavours. 

Jo Pratt's Tenderstem, chilli and chickpea bites
Although intended as bitesize canapés, you can make these larger and serve them in a burger bun for a full meal. Temper the bite of the chilli with a squeeze of lemon and smooth, filling chickpea paste. Tenderstem broccoli is a brilliantly versatile ingredient; here, the stems are blended with the chickpeas for the paste, while the tops are then added to create a beautiful texture.

Southwest red bean burger
Nutritious and delicious, Paul Gayler's red bean and Portobello mushroom burgers bring a spicy Southern kick to the table, and some exciting twists on the classic burger accompaniments mayonnaise and fried onions. Increase the heat with green chilli mayo, and serve with a fresh three-onion ceviche (with extra lime to taste).

Mile-high chickpea burgers
Make a big impression with these chickpea burgers stuffed with Indian purple coleslaw and salad. Garam masala, chilli, cumin and coriander give these patties a wonderfully balanced spicy flavour.
Want a little luxury? Use dried pomegranate powder to add an extra fruity edge.

What do you make of our test? What's your favourite veggie burger? Let us know in the comments below.

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