The Double-Double Burger, a vegan variation

Yes, we are going vegan today. Like with many dishes, I am not afraid to try different variations on the theme whether it be vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, or carnivorous versions. There are only a few burgers that I haven’t liked and that’s mainly due to culinary execution.  I’ve had the common beef, turkey, and salmon burgers in addition to boar, buffalo, elk and my favorite–Crazee Burger’s alligator burger with fruit & curry tapenade. So I’m always on the quest for a good burger, including the vegetarian or vegan ones. I grew up eating veggie burgers and have enjoyed them throughout the years, but this vegan double-double burger is my new favorite burger.

While watching cooking videos on YouTube, I found a recipe on The Official Hungry channel for a vegan double-double that looked too good to be true. I can tell that Chef Chloe Coscarelli (first vegan cupcake baker to win on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars) was inspired by In-N-Out‘s double-double. Practically everyone in  So-Cal has heard about In-N-Out (+ the secret menu) and how good the burgers, fries, and milk shakes are. Though I eat fast food a couple or so times a year, this is the one place that I would want to go to because they make an effort to use high quality, natural, and fresh ingredients. Famous chefs such as Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay, and Thomas Keller are fans of In-N-Out. Even Julia Child loved In-N-Out!

Sadly, it isn’t a perfect world and I can’t have In-N-Out everyday. But, I can make and eat this burger and still be satisfied, when the craving hits. Even if it is every week 🙂

The vegan version of the special spread is made out of soft tofu, garlic, ketchup, mustard, agave, pepper, salt, pickle relish, and dill. It  is pretty tasty. Like the In-N-Out spread, it is similar to a Thousand Island dressing. If you want, you can easily sub vegan or regular mayo for the soft tofu. You can make this 3 days ahead and store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

This patty concoction kind of looks like ground beef, but it’s made out of tempeh (similar to tofu but uses whole soybeans), lentils, flour, walnuts, onion, garlic, and some seasonings. It’s not as sticky as it looks. It’s actually a nice texture to get your hands in and shape some patties. I added soy sauce for more umami oomph. I got my tempeh from Trader Joe’s, though I’ve seen them in some grocery stores.

Buns in the oven. I didn’t want a big burger bun since this was going to be a double-double so I made my own custom-sized buns. About 3 ounces of bun dough was all it takes to make a burger bun in between the size of a normal-sized bun and a slider. You can make your own buns using your favorite recipe if you want or just buy some buns.

Browning the patties. A cast-iron skillet is my favorite way to pan-fry patties. Though I didn’t need to use much oil, about 1-2 tablespoons per batch.

Didn’t take too long to get a nice color on these patties, about 4 minutes per side. You can also make these patties in advance and keep it in the fridge for a couple of days or in the freezer for longer.

To serve, you need 2 bottom buns and a top bun + your favorite toppings. This is the first bottom bun, then the patty, then the spread and the lettuce, onion + tomato.

Put another bottom bun, then patty, then sauce and toppings. Then slap on the top bun.

Serve with fries (these were baked) and extra sauce 🙂

 Or do it protein style with lettuce as the bun. Whenever I go to In-N-Out, I always get protein style. It’s so good. I don’t miss the bun at all. I thoroughly enjoyed this vegan protein style burger too and I don’t feel sleepy after eating it. 😀

This is one tall burger. It’s fun to eat! My husband liked it too!

Vegan Double-Double Burgers

minimally adapted from Chef Chloe Coscarelli for The Official Hungry

serves ~4

Ingredients

Vegan Burger Patties

• 1 (8-ounce) package tempeh
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 15 ounces lentils, cooked
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• ½ cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (or parsley)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
•  Cooking oil

Spread

• 2/3 cup soft, silken tofu
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon mustard (regular yellow mustard or Dijon)
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon agave (or other liquid sweetener such as brown rice syrup)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• dash of pepper
• 2 tablespoons pickle relish
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (or 1/2 tablespoon dried dill)

• 4 burger buns + 4 bottom buns
• Toppings:  lettuce, onion, tomato, vegan cheese, jalapeños, etc.

1. Make the special spread:  Using a food processor or blender, combine the tofu, garlic, mustard, ketchup, agave, salt, and pepper. By hand, stir in the relish and dill.
2. Make the patties:  Prepare steamer and break the tempeh into smaller pieces to fit the steamer. Steam the tempeh for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat a skillet with the olive oil on medium-high. Sauté the onions until lightly browned and softened. Add garlic and cook for a minute or two longer.
4. In a food processor or blender, combine the tempeh, cooked onion-garlic mixture, lentils, walnuts, all-purpose flour, basil, salt, pepper, and soy sauce. You may have to do this in batches. Process until the walnuts are finely chopped and the mixture comes together. Transfer to a bowl and mash further if needed. Adjust for seasoning, if necessary.
5. Divided into 8 portions and form into 8 burger patties that are the about the same diameter of the bun that you are using.
6. Heat a cast-iron (or non-stick) skillet on medium high and pan-fry the patties with 1-2 tablespoons of oil until browned on both sides.
7. Assembly:  Layer the bun, burger patty, spread, lettuce, tomato, onion, other toppings, and another bottom bun. Repeat the layering of patty, spread, lettuce, tomato, onion + other toppings, and then the top bun.

Come on and try this burger! If you are a fan of lots of different types of burgers and veggie burgers like me, try it! Meat eaters would love this too!

Watch the video below for Chef Chloe’s demonstration and reactions from meat-eaters on this burger.

Related articles

• Chloe’s Vegan Desserts by Chloe Coscarelli – New Cookbook (thekitchn.com)
• McDonalds Sausage Double Beef Burger (neatorama.com)
• Burger Bun Recipe (harryscrumbs.wordpress.com)
• The McVegans Are Coming (timzimmermann.com)