MorningStar Farms Roasted Garlic and Quinoa Burger

I spotted these Roasted Garlic and Quinoa Burgers in the frozen food section at my local grocery store and thought I’d give them a try:



Unlike some of MorningStar’s products, these burgers are vegan! Since they are branded as “new” I wonder if this is a conscious effort on the brand’s part to make products that are accessible to more people.



They fried up well in my cast-iron pan with a bit of olive oil. The quinoa and rice seemed to really soak up the oil, so careful how much you fry the patty in if you don’t want it to get too oily! The quinoa and rice made for a rather soft patty, so although it held together just fine in the frying pan, I don’t imagine it would survive as well on a barbecue grill.



I kept my burger simple, serving it on a whole wheat bun topped with just a couple tomato slices and mayo. I wanted to be able to taste the patty without masking it with too many other flavors.



The taste was very pleasant – just a faint hint of garlic, not too strong (when “roasted garlic” is the first flavor listed, I worried it would be overpoweringly garlic-y, but that was not the case at all!). The quinoa and rice were the most prominent ingredients, but the peppers also stood out – as well as a few lentils scattered in the mix, much to my surprise! It was very light, not a super filling patty – you’d probably want a heartier one if you were really hungry, but for a light, healthy meal this would be perfect.

Overall, this is a nice addition to MorningStar’s line of products. It’s not a hearty, “meaty” burger like you might traditionally imagine, but it’s a tasty patty that would be just as good served on its own as on a bun, and a nice new option to have available in the vegetarian frozen food section.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

MorningStar Farms Roasted Garlic and Quinoa Burger
purchased at: Key Food in Queens, New York
price: $5.99 for a box of 4 patties

YumVeggieBurger review #146

Mugs Alehouse

I was meeting a friend for after-work drinks last month, and he suggested Mugs Alehouse as a good, low-key, not too crowded or too hipster-y spot in Williamsburg. I was skeptical, as it looked like the kind of generic sports bar that I usually avoid… And when my friend told me they had a veggie burger on the menu, I expected the kind of gross, bland, frozen veggie burger afterthought that most sports bars include on their menu.

But I was pleasantly surprised!



The veggie burger on the menu here is a homemade patty! Quinoa was the prominent ingredient, but there was also corn and some other bits of veggies mixed in with it. It was far better than I normally expect from a bar! More like a quinoa patty (I've had them served on their own like that at other restaurants) than a hearty burger patty, but still tasty.



Topped with arugula, tomato slices, and pickled red onions (my favorite!), as well as herbed mayo and an avocado spread beneath the patty, I was quite satisfied with my meal. The brioche bun was better than the kind of bun I would have expected too – a nice soft, sweet bread, grilled to a light toast.



I inquired about the ingredients, and was told that the patty contains eggs, and they were not sure about the bun (so if you are vegetarian but can’t/don’t eat dairy, I would err on the side of caution since many buns not made in-house contain milk or butter, unless the restaurant specifically states that they are vegan).

Cost: $10.00 (comes with a side of fries)
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Burger patty: 3       Bun: 3      Toppings: 4

Mugs Alehouse
125 Bedford Avenue
on the corner of North 10th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718.486.8232

YumVeggieBurger review #145