I was not a fan of veggie burgers until I tried this recipe for Edamame Veggies burgers. They were excellent, filling and the most tasty of the all the bean burgers I have tried to make.

Topped with some spicy mustard or an good piece of white cheese, they are an awesome dinner. They also reheat well in the microwave for lunch.

http://www.southbeachrecipes.com/diet-recipes/edemame-veggie-burgers

I don't have an exact recipe, and these aren't vegan, but I mash black beans and rice together with some chopped onion and pepper, 1 beaten egg, a handful of cheese, and spices including S&P, cumin, chili powder, etc. Get it good and mixed, then cook in skillet until browned on both sides and hot all the way through. I have no idea where I got this method, but it is delicious and moist! I've never tried it on the grill, so I don't know if it'll hold together. Good luck Jen -- let us know when you find one you like!

Just in case it isn't obvious, you make the black bean mixture into patties before cooking.

My absolute favorite is still a tempeh burger. Trader Joe's even sells the stuff now! Hopefully you guys are just veggie, not vegan- because cooking the tempeh in a pan with a bit of butter is best, IMHO. Adds that bit of umami richness and salt that a good ole' moo burger has. (Although I suppose there are vegan margarines that would add that 'oomph' too-duh Lana)

With a lil chipotle mayo, some cheddar, and LTO?

Man. Is it dinnertime yet?

This lentil burger recipe from Heidi at 101cookbooks.com is amazing. I've made it several times (both in a skillet and on a grill) and it holds together beautifully. Crispy on the outside, meaty (not mushy!) on the inside. And SO filling.

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/vegetarian-lentil-burgers-recipe.html

If lentils aren't your thing she's got a chickpea version as well, which I'm sure is delicious.

i've made this burger a few times and it never fails. super easy, cheap, fast and tasty.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Homemade-Black-Bean-Veggie-Burgers/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

(dont look at the picture on the recipe - it isn't flattering. the result is really much prettier!)

I have to agree with SuperErin - the only way to achieve a truly firm burger (any recipe) is to add some egg - like a mini meat-less meat loaf. Also, try to bake them for a little while and just finish them on the grill for flavor... Finally, be sure to baste with something while on the grill to achieve proper moisture (we use italian dressing).

I have been veggie for some time and I have a non-veggie friend who gave me this recipe and I love it, my picky three other family members love it (or at least eat it with no complaints-- very rare for the healthy stuff ;-)), and I have served it to guests and had great reception (and they weren't vegetarian).
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/nut-burgers-vegetarian/detail.aspx
Enjoy!

I have spent years on this quest as well, and I think I finally figured it out. A few general tips:

I use this recipe: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/10327 It does include beets, but you don't taste them with all the other stuff in there. The recipe says it makes 8, but I always get at least 12 out of it. As others have recommended, I add an egg or two to help things stick together better. I also generally make a big batch of these and freeze them so they last through several summer BBQs.

Regardless of your recipe, a few grilling tips to keep homemade burgers from mushing down into the coals: I find it helps to freeze them first, then take them straight from the freezer to the grill (if there's no time for that, at least put the formed patties in the fridge for a while). Also, brush them very well with olive oil to keep them from sticking. And try using a grill basket to help hold them together too - much easier to flip!

My go-to veggie burger recipe is this one: http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2010/01/veggie-might-veggie-burgers-mighty-good.html which contains black and kidney beans, rice, and oats.

Very good question indeed. I'm still looking for the ultimate veggie burger recipe, really. So far, I've liked the mushroom-pecan burger from the Rebar Cookbook best.

I make these red lentil walnut burgers, which have a great flavor and texture. Red lentils, oats, walnuts and garlic, spiced with cumin, coriander and chili flakes. They're good with traditional burger fixings, or treated like a falafel, or (my favorite) dressed with kraut and thousand island dressing like a reuben. They freeze well, so I always make a double batch.

The best non-meat burger I've ever had was the veggie burger recipe from Cooks Illustrated. Unfortunately their site is subscription only, though this looks like the same recipe: http://ask.metafilter.com/69336/How-to-make-awesome-veggie-burgers (second recipe down). The combo of bulgur, lentils, cashews, mushrooms, onions, leeks, and panko give them a really great, firm texture and a satisfying, round flavor. I've served these to vegetarians and dedicated meat-eaters alike with raves from all.

You guys are the best! Now I have lots of recipes to try. I have been adding an egg, but I wonder if there just hasn't been enough bulk--thus the mushiness. I'm excited to try some of these next week!

Thanks!
Jen

I agree with the person who posted black bean veggie burgers from allrecipes.com. I put the ingredients in the cuisinart and add extra panko flakes in for body. I bake them for about 15 minutes on each side in the oven and they keep their shape. They can be reheated or grilled. We've even used the recipe as a great black bean dip. You can add any vegetables that you want as long as you keep the black bean panko components and sop the drippy veggies (tomatoes). Here's the link (again) in case the one I like is different:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Homemade-Black-Bean-Veggie-Burgers/Detail.aspx

I recently tried the "Ultimate Veggie Burgers" recipe from Cooks Illustrated, and it came out great! http://perfectlyedible.com/2010/04/ultimate-veggie-burgers/ It's not the simplest recipe, but I think it's worth the effort. It makes a good size batch and they freeze very well.

I've made a few veggie burgers that use quick cooking rolled outs and it seems to be the secret in holding the patties together. Here's a recipe from Meatless Burgers for North African sweet potato burgers:

2 cups baked or boiled and mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped peanuts or soynuts
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (leaves and stems)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt

Form into patties and bake in a 350 degree oven.

I have to agree with the poster about the Cook's Illustrated recipe. I make a variation on that recipe using some combination of proteins (beans/lentils with some mushrooms), nuts, and grain, usually bulgar. I usually spice mine with cilantro, jalepeno, cumin and a dash of soy sauce.

Adding an egg helps to bind everything, but you can add some breadcrumbs and refrigerate the patties before grilling.

One of the best veggie burgers I've ever made is the one from Chow.com.

http://www.chow.com/recipes/10988-chow-veggie-burger?tag=search_results;results_list

Its a project, though. So many ingredients with different prep times and techniques.

I've been doing a fair bit of research on this, since I'm serving about 40 omni's veggie burgers this weekend. In general, bean-based burgers will be soft, and grains and veggies will add bite and texture to the softness, and an egg will bind them together. These will often still result in softer burgers though- beans are soft! However, if you want a more meat-like veggie burger that has a texture closer to what you would expect from a ground meat burger, you need two things: tvp and gluten.

Tvp (texturized vegetable protein) takes on the texture of ground meat, and gluten flour binds things, adds density, and makes for a really realistic burger. Gluten flour is used to make most of the fake meat products you see, it's high in protein and makes a really true meaty texture- I use it to make veggie sandwich meat and it's indistinguishable from the animal kind. By controlling the ratio of these two ingredients, you can build any range of fake meat products, from sausage patties to meatballs to hot dogs and fake roast turkey.

This blogger does really excellent fake meats, and she measures both in wieght and cups, and I recommend going by weight for both tvp and gluten flour. There are a lot of ingredients, but many are for flavour, adjust as you see fit. Be sure to steam, and then fry or grill the burgers- the steaming sets the gluten. The ingredients may look strange and daunting, but I made these in 45 minutes on the very first try, having only worked with gluten flour in one recipe prior. It`s simple enough that I`m going to be making it at camp- so really simple :) I hope this is helpful, good luck!

http://thriftyliving.net/?p=943

I think part of my problem is over-processing--so I end up with mushy beans, rather than mostly-firm beans. I don't know if any of you are familiar with the small chain restaurant, Counter Burger, but they make a killer veggie burger. I can't figure out what the heck is in it, though.

Try using chickpeas then, in the food processor until flaked- not pureed.

CHeck out the recipe for chickpea cutlets from veganomicon, you can probably find it online. I use it as a quick and easy fake-fried-chicken filling for sammiches or as individual cutlets with gravy :) super tasty and easy. They are how I learned the wonders of gluten flour.

Check out www.101cookbooks.com I haven't tried any of her veggie burger recipes, but she has a few of them and all her other recipes have turned out great for me.

I love these tempeh burgers from Vegan Dad.

http://vegandad.blogspot.com/2008/02/perfect-tempeh-burgers.html

Kneading vital wheat gluten into the mix helps really hold the patties together, and adding tons of spices gives them a lot of flavor, whereas I find that most recipes, even with tons of veggies in them, are lacking flavor. These are so good with avocado and Vegenaise.

We haven't gone wrong with this recipe yet:

http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2008/08/ultimate-veggie-burger.html

We tend to add in 2 carrots and 2 cobbs worth of corn, it's so yummy~

I have several different recipes for veggie burgers. I use zucchini, carrots, potatoes, garlic, dill weed to taste,yellow squash grate or dice small or food processor. 1 egg and whole wheat flour to thicken till you get a consistency, for making patties. Fry in olive oil. Yummy or you can grate all this up and put it with a can of Salmon. It takes the fishy taste out of Salmon. I like to toy with different thing when putting food together.

Have tired with ground chickpeas also. All are great!!!