Smoky TVP and seitan burgers
35 min · 30 g protein · 285 cals / serving
Proper, chewy, savoury burgers with a seared crust: soy mince soaked in a smoky broth and bound with vital wheat gluten, so they hold together in the pan and on the grill. Served in a soft bun with all the usual pickles, lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mustard.
Ingredients
Patties
- 1 cup textured vegetable protein (tvp), dry, dry soy mince (TVP granules)
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth, boiling
- 1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika, smoked
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp olive oil
To serve
- 4 light burger bun, toasted
- 4 leaves romaine lettuce
- 2 medium tomatoes, in 8 slices
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 8 slices reduced sodium dill pickles
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
Steps
- Stir the TVP, boiling broth and soy sauce together in a bowl and leave for 10 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed. Let it cool until you can handle it.
- Add the vital wheat gluten, tomato paste, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper and knead in the bowl for 2 minutes, until it turns springy and holds together. Shape into 4 patties about ½ inch thick and a little wider than your buns.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties for 4 minutes a side, until deeply browned, then add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan, cover and cook 3 minutes more so the middles cook through and turn firm rather than gummy.
- Toast the buns and build the burgers: lettuce, a patty, tomato, red onion and pickles, with ketchup and mustard.
Good to know
Can I grill them?
Yes, they are firm enough. Sear them in the pan first, then finish over a hot grill for a minute a side for the char.
Are they gluten-free?
No: vital wheat gluten is pure wheat protein, and it is what makes them chewy and keeps them together. For a gluten-free burger, the black bean burgers are the one to make.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 129
- Protein
- (42%)
- 14 g
- Fat
- (13%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (45%)
- 17 g
- of which sugar
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 250 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1139 kcal goes into the pot and 922 g of ingredients comes out as about 885 g of food: 129 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.