Vegetarian Burgers for Delivery or Pickup

A vegetarian burger, also known as a veggie burger, contains no meat yet comes shaped like a burger patty and is served in the same way as a meat burger. Most veggie burgers contain plant-based ingredients, like soybeans and tofu. Other elements, like nuts, seeds, fungi, and grains, are added for filler and flavor.

The vegetarian burger has been around a lot longer than most people realize. For hundreds of years, the patties we call veggie burgers were enjoyed by various Eurasian countries. Take the kofta, for instance. Koftas are a staple food in the Middle East and India, made from meat or vegetable-based ingredients. The vegetarian versions take the ground-up ingredients and form them into patties, meatballs, or form them around skewers and then grill or fry them. 

In America, the origin of the veggie burger traces back to the early 1980s. In 1981, Paul Wenner, owner of the vegetarian restaurant The Gardenhouse in Oregon, created his own Gardenburger. Gregory Sams of London created his own VegeBurger for his natural food restaurant in Paddington in 1982. Both men may have been inspired by a 1948 episode of Let George Do It, which mentions a vegeburger made of nuts and legumes.

The making of veggie burgers begins with thoroughly washing the grains and vegetables using specialized sprayers, conveyor belts, and drums. Once clean, the grain is added to a steam-heated mixer to cook in oil, usually safflower oil. The grains are gradually added into the simmering oil, and blades mix them while they are steamed, leaving a grain puree. Any vegetables added are sliced into small pieces for easier cooking. The vegetables cook in the grain mixture. Each company has its unique blend of vegetables and grains, resulting in different textures and tastes.

While the vegetables cook, their natural sugars release and caramelize. The next step moves this mixture into another mixing tub with other ingredients, like nuts, potato flakes, oats, and more. The resulting mix clumps together similar to cookie dough and helps the ingredients retain their shape when run through a patty-making machine. At this point, the patties are baked and quick-frozen to lock in nutrients. Finally, the patties are packaged and sent out to market.

The ingredients of veggie burgers all serve a purpose. Grains provide carbohydrates and protein, as well as taste and texture. Vegetables provide nutrients and vitamins, which drastically differentiates a vegetarian burger from a meat burger. Vegetables also add flavor and texture and provide a source of moisture while cooking that helps the patties maintain form.

The addition of dry ingredients, like oats, nuts, and flour, absorbs the moisture, helps the patties maintain their shape, and adds more flavor. Some companies use stabilizers to help hold the ingredients together, like tapioca starch.

Vegetarian burgers come to the grocery store frozen. You probably enjoy your burger hot, and what better way to heat your veggie burger than on the grill? You don't have to worry about rare or well-done designations. The vegetarian burger is done when it's hot. Put it on a bun with your favorite toppings and enjoy.

You can save time buying vegetarian burgers by shopping for them on the Instacart app. Add vegetarian burgers to your cart, and when you've checked out, an Instacart shopper will prepare your order. Your vegetarian burgers will be ready in as little as 2 hours or may even qualify for same-day delivery!