Gluten-Free Tofu Burger

MAKES 6 BURGERS

If your special diet permits soy but doesn’t include beef, here’s the burger for you. This delicious gluten-free vegan burger (no dairy, no eggs) has a robust, earthy flavor. If you want a more mellow-tasting burger, feel free to reduce the amount of dried herbs. Serve burgers with gluten-free buns and a side of fresh salad greens.

1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 package (12-15 ounces) extra firm tofu, drained
    and pressed
1 cup TVP granules*
1 cup gluten-free vegetable broth**
2 tablespoons minced garlic or 1 teaspoon asafoetida
2½ tablespoons ground flax seed mixed with 3 tablespoons water
¼ cup hulled sunflower seeds
¼ cup hulled pumpkin seeds
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. Grind the parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme into a fine powder. (A clean coffee grinder works well for this.)

3. In a mixing bowl, crumble the tofu and mix well with the spice mixture until the herbs are infused into the tofu. Let sit for the flavors to meld.

4. In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together the TVP granules and the vegetable broth. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave 5 to 6 minutes. Alternatively, bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan; pour over the TVP; cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

5. When cool enough to handle, add the TVP mixture to the tofu mixture. You may not need all the TVP mixture. Burger mixture should be thick enough to hold together. Then add the minced garlic, flax seed and water mixture, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix with your hands until all ingredients are very well incorporated. The mixture will be nice and smooth. (If burgers are too runny to hold together, add a little more ground flax seed to thicken.)

6. Shape mixture into 6 patties. Place patties on prepared baking sheet. (Refrigerate if not cooking right away.)

7. Cover patties with a tent foil and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes per side. Remove tent just before baking time is up so burgers get a golden-brown color. Watch closely so they don't burn.

Each burger contains 190 calories, 8g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 103 mg sodium, 13g carbohydrates, 6g fiber, 17g protein.

*TIP Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) is a soy granule used as meat replacement and also to thicken casseroles and other dishes. It’s available at most health food stores. Choose a gluten-free brand, such as Bob’s Red Mill, bobsredmill.com.

**TIP Make your own quick-and-easy vegetable broth by cooking a combination of veggies (try beans, corn, squash, peas, etc.) in water until very soft and then pulsing them, along with some of the cooking water, in a food processor until smooth.

This recipe (“Scarborough Fair Tofu Burgers”) reprinted with permission from The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet (Fair Winds Press), by Joni Marie Newman.