Lena Burger patties are not exclusively made for burgers. Here’s a new and creative way to prepare them – Vegan Cheesy Burgers with Lemon Zoodles.
These Zoodles Burgers are incredibly flavorful, low-carb, and contain the perfect amount of spiciness. You only need one pan and 30 minutes to prepare them. This recipe is ideal for a quick lunch or dinner.
Plant-based food companies are as old as 35 years
The choice of plant-based burgers seems almost endless. For these Zoodle Burgers, I went with the “Sensational Burger” from Garden Gourmet.
Garden Gourmet makes products for flexitarians by developing plant-based meat alternatives that do not compromise the taste and texture of conventional animal products.
The company was founded in Israel in 1986. Nestlé invested in it from early on before acquiring it in 2017.
Nestlé’s investments in plant-based products confirm an upward for the plant-based food industry. Nowadays, an increasing number of larger companies include plant-based products in their product range.
Sriracha is most times vegan, but it's hard to tell when it's not
The good news is that most Sriracha brands are vegan. The bad news is that it is hard to tell when Sriracha is not vegan. This is not clear from the list of ingredients. The composition of the ingredients is not the problem, but how they were produced.
Sriracha is essentially made of sun-ripened chilies with sugar, garlic, salt, distilled vinegar, and other vegan-friendly ingredients.
However, in some countries, such as the USA, sugar is processed with bone char. Bone char is charcoal made by burning the bones of cattle and pigs. It is widely used in the sugar industry as a decolorizing filter, which gives the sugar cane the desired white color.
To be sure you are buying vegan Sriracha, look for a vegan label or inform yourself on the manufacturer’s website. The good news is that beet sugar and coconut sugar are never processed with bone char.
You can find more information about this topic on PETA’s website.
Let's get started
You can find steak seasoning in your everyday supermarket. But if you don’t, there are several recipes online, for example, from A SPICY PERSPECTIVE.
Some supermarkets also carry zoodles. However, they are more challenging to find. You can easily make them yourself as well. The best and easiest way is by using a spiralizer, but you can also take a peeler or mandoline.
For the Zoodles Burgers, you can use any (vegan) cheese you like for the cheese cubes as long as it is cut into 1 x 1 cm large cubes.
Vegan Cheesy Burgers with Lemon Zoodles
Ingredients
Seasoning:
- ½ vegetable stock cube crumbled
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp steak seasoning
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
Burgers:
- 2 plant-based burger patties
- 2 vegan cheese cubes 1 x 1 cm
- ½ tbsp vegan margarine
Zoodles:
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp parsley freshly chopped
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tsp Sriracha
Instructions
- Place the crumbled vegetable stock cube, red bell pepper flakes, steak seasoning, ground black pepper, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl and mix well with a spoon. That will be your seasoning.
- Place the burger patties on a plate and coat both sides of the burger patties well with the seasoning.
- Place the cheese cubes in the center of the patties and press them into the center of the patties until the cheese no longer sticks out.
- Melt the margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the burger patties for 5-6 min on each side, depending on the desired doneness. Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
- Sauté garlic, parsley, lemon juice, and Sriracha in the same pan in the remaining margarine.
- Add the zoodles and toss for 2-3 min to bring to a boil. Push the zoodles to one side of the pan and return the burger patties to the other side. Heat for 1-2 min more.
- Serve the Zoodles Burgers immediately with a slice of lemon.
Notes
- If you prepare the zoodles yourself, add salt and wait 30 minutes before frying them. This way, the salt can draw out the excess water, and the noodles will not become mushy.
- If you like the Zoodles Burgers a little spicier, add more red pepper flakes and Sriracha.
Nutrition
More info about Garden Gourmet: https://www.gardengourmet.com/
