Product Review: Harmony Valley Vegetarian Hamburger Mix
Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 9:49AM 
I've tried just about every veggie burger on the market, and up until the release of Gardein's new Ultimate Beefless Burger I was more or less burned out on store-bought veggie burgers. However, when I was at the Natural Products Expo this year, one veggie burger sample stood out to me. Ironically enough, it was made from a veggie burger mix and didn't actually come pre-formed into patties. The kind people from Harmony Valley blessed me with a full package of their vegetarian hamburger mix to review, and here are the results.
The Harmony Valley vegetarian hamburger mix comes dry and must be rehydrated for 15 minutes in the refrigerator prior to use, somewhat like TVP (textured vegetable protein). Sure, it might look like dog food at that point, but don't let that deter you from the possibilities.
Once the rehydration is complete, it's time to form your patties. What's nice about using a mix like this is that you can make your burgers taste however you want them by adding different herbs, spices, vegetables, etc. Want an Indian spiced burger? No problem. Jalepeno cheddar burger? Add some Daiya and fresh peppers and you're good to go. Since this isn't a recipe site I'll just tell you I added some breadcrumbs, ketchup, A1, liquid smoke, garlic powder, chili powder, curry powder, cumin, salt and pepper. The mix sticks together well when formed into patties, and I decided to bake mine in the oven at about 375 degrees.
After about 8-10 minutes you have perfectly browned patties to be put into any burger with the toppings you favor most. While the burgers are crisp on the outside, they stay nicely moist on the inside, no dryness here. I went for a very traditional burger with lettuce, tomato, red onion, ketchup and mustard on an organic whole wheat bun.
These burgers turned out to be the perfect lunch on a sunny SoCal day and I can't wait to try some on the grill by the pool this summer. Thanks to Harmony Valley for the goods and for making a great customizable product! Look for a review of Harmony Valley's vegetarian sausage mix coming to VV soon.
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