Egg Substitutes

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Veggie Burgers Every Which Way: Fresh, Flavorful, and Healthy Plant-Based Burgers

Published 2021

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Around a third of the recipes included here are egg- and dairy-free. Without eggs, some other kind of binder is needed to help hold the burgers together. That said, most veggie burgers, once they’re cooked, will firm up a bit as they cool, and this can be a helpful way to deal with a delicate burger. The following is an incomplete list of my favorite vegan veggie burger binders.

Steamed potato and potato starch: In veggie burgers, the combination of steamed potato and potato starch (or cornstarch or arrowroot) is one of my favorite egg substitutes because it contributes a pleasant flavor. But use caution: Steamed potato works as a binder but does not expand while it cooks as eggs do; if overused, potato can make the burgers wet and heavy. The addition of a small amount of potato starch helps to resolve the density problem by limiting the amount of cooked potato but making use of its binding properties.
I prefer to use Yukon Gold potatoes because I like the flavor. To steam, peel a small potato (about 2 ounces/28 g), cut it into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces, and place in a steaming basket. Bring a bit of water in a small saucepan to a simmer, add the basket, and cover. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the potato can be effortlessly pierced with a fork or skewer. (Alternatively, leftover roasted or boiled potatoes can be substituted.) Allow to cool slightly, then mash with a fork. Half a small potato plus 1 teaspoon potato starch is roughly the equivalent of an egg.

Most grocery stores carry potato starch, though cornstarch and arrowroot powder are interchangeable. My favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill.
Ground flaxseed: For the equivalent of a single egg, take 1 tablespoon flaxseed and grind to powder in a spice grinder. (Alternatively, use 2½ teaspoons ground flaxseed.) Whisk in 3 tablespoons water until it emulsifies. This isn’t the strongest binder, and flax has a distinctive, grainy-grassy flavor that isn’t exactly subtle. But in recipes like Seeded Edamame Burgers with Brown Rice and Apples, the additional flax flavor adds a terrific dimension.
Blended tofu: Firm or extra firm tofu, once it’s blended up in a food processor or blender to become a paste, has some strong binding properties, particularly when combined with a starch like potato starch, cornstarch, or arrowroot powder.
Egg replacer: There are a few brands of “egg replacer” on the market and a few of them are vegetarian only (usually because they contain gelatin or algae); be sure to check the label. Many vegan cooks swear by Ener-G Egg Replacer. I do not expressly call for egg replacer in any of the recipes here, but it is a viable alternative to eggs in the burgers.

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