I’ve been trying to make a really good tofu burger for awhile now. The closest recipe I had in the past was aptly called the Near-Perfect Tofu Burger. I think we vegans deserve better than that, don’t you agree? That’s why I’m calling this recipe the Ultimate Tofu Burger! The trick is to buy a block of super firm tofu and freeze and de-frost it before using it. I know it sounds weird, but this extra step changes the texture of the tofu and makes it ideal for a burger.
So, you start with a one-pound block of extra or super-firm tofu from the refrigerator section of your grocery store. You don’t even need to take it out of its package, just stick it in the freezer for at least 12 hours or until it’s frozen solid. Then, put it in your fridge and let it de-frost for another 24 hours or until completely defrosted.
Next, you want to remove the packaging from the tofu and place it in a food processor. You then just add the other ingredients including nutritional yeast, sunflower seeds, cashews, curry powder, onion and tamari and process for a minute or so. This is what the mixture looks like:
It’s not super pretty, but it makes a mean burger, you just wait. You will then use your hands to make the “dough” into four patties. Last, just bake these babies at 375 degrees for 40 minutes total (flipping once) and you’re good to go. I served mine on top of some fresh romaine and with some Pesto Hemp Dressing, plus some lightly baked onions:
Here’s the recipe:
Ultimate Tofu Burger
4 servings
Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
½ onion
1 pound extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons flax meal
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup raw unsalted cashews
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon no-salt seasoning
1 teaspoon low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
Lettuce
Pesto Hemp Dressing, optional
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375° F and lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Chop onion and place in a food processor.
3. Remove tofu from package and add to onion. (See tip on freezing and defrosting tofu).
4. Add flax meal, yeast, sunflower seeds, cashews, curry powder, no-salt seasoning, and tamari. Process until combined.
5. Using your hands, form four patties and lay on baking sheet.
6. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping once during cooking. Serve on a bed of lettuce with Pesto Hemp Dressing, if desired.
I am so happy with the way these burgers turned out, the texture and flavor is really great. On a different note, I caught up with a friend of mine recently, she is a raw food chef! Check out these raw cannolis she sent me home with:
If you are trying to image what they tasted like, I can assure you they were as good as they looked. Besty just started a blog, you can find it here, and maybe you can beg her to post this recipe? 
I’ve been having my own fun with raw food lately, specifically, with raw buckwheat groats. I posted this recipe for Chocolate Buckwheat Brittle a few weeks ago, but since then I have found through trial and error that one must dehydrate buckwheat groats after soaking them to get a really nice texture (I went ahead and updated the Brittle recipe to reflect this change). I guess that’s why raw foodists call them Buckwheat Crispies, because that’s what they taste like. I’ve been putting some on top of my morning green smoothie and they make it all crunchy and yummy:
Even though I’d like to say that I’m leaning toward raw food, I haven’t quite gotten on board with the philosophy and the structure yet. In the meantime, I’ll stick to my favorite raw foods for now…salads! Here’s the one I had yesterday for lunch (these beans wouldn’t be considered raw because they were cooked):
Have a happy, healthy weekend! Are you into the raw food lifestyle? Why or why not?
{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
I am not a fan of a completely raw food diet, but I like to try different raw food recipes. Anything healthy.
Those cannolis look sooo delicious. I fell in love with cannolis in Boston at Mike’s Pastries (definitely not vegan!) and have yet to find any as good, but a vegan cannoli would be awesome!!
The burgers look really good. I love tofu
Thanks Robyn! I think I have only had a cannoli once in my life and I didn’t even like it that much. Too much cream…ick! But, these raw food ones were incredible!!!
I haven’t quite gotten into the raw food movement. I like to cook too much to do so, I think. Even my salads will contain cooked foods-roasted beets, cooked corn, peas and edamame, baked tofu, etc. I do like the idea of experimenting with different ways of preparing food though, so I think I am moving towards trying out new raw foods!
Hi Shelby! Agreed, I adore cooked foods on my salads and I don’t think I could live without beans. I mean, literally, I don’t think I could live without beans. I guess there are ways of preparing sprouted beans, though, but it sounds like a lot of work.
That tofu burger looks really good! Can’t wait to try it out. Luckily I already have a block of tofu in the freezer.
I don’t think I could ever go 100% or even 80% raw. Maybe through lunch but I love having something warm and comforting for dinner too much to give up cooked food! I love to read about what you have been experimenting with though. Have a good weekend
Hi Merrill! I’ll keep writing about my raw food experiments, although I haven’t gotten too far past juice, smoothies and salads.
I agree with you that it’s nice to have something hot for dinner, especially when it’s cold outside.
Love these burgers!! I’m making them for the third time tonight. They hold together better than any veggie burger I’ve made before. Thanks for the recipe
Awww, thanks for letting me know, Merrill!!!
Looks fabulous!
So you don’t press the tofu at any point? Not even after thawing? (I typically press tofu out of the package, freeze it, then thaw and use).
Hi JL! I don’t press the tofu for this recipe, I find the added moisture helps with the burger texture. Plus, it eliminates one step for this lazy cook.
Genius!
Thank you for the recipe re-do – I love your original tofu burger recipe, I will definitely try this one.
Raw food – It depends on the season. In the summer, I eat “high raw” (60-70% percent raw), but all Canadian winter, I eat less than 30% raw because it’s way too cold to be without baked potatoes or chili! I have a dehydrator though and that makes eating higher raw easier because you can create wraps and raw breads that make the perfect accompaniment to raw veggies and nut cheese.
I think the perfect balance is a bit of raw, a bit of cooked, but mainly whole food and lots of fruits and vegetables. Also there’s more and more research showing how some vegetables provide better access to nutrients via cooked or steamed methods as opposed to raw.
Hi Nadine, thanks for the comment! I love your take on the balance between raw and cooked foods, I agree with you 100%. Did you happen to read Victoria Boutenko’s new book, Raw & Beyond? I am just getting into it and finding it very, very interesting. Do you have a blog? I’d love to see some of your creations with the dehydrator!
Sorry it took me so long to respond – work and gardening have gotten in the way of my “fun computer time”. I spend a lot of the day working on other people’s websites, so by the time I am done, I don’t want to go near the computer!
I have her new book on my library book cue – I am looking forward to reading it especially as she was such a hardcore 100% raw fanatic and has now changed her tune. I am glad she has because I’ve witnessed too many people blindly following a 100% raw vegan diet without supplementation and it always ends in disaster.
I do have a blog, but it’s neglected right now – when it’s up and running again, I will let you know. Thanks
Cool, let me know what you think of the book when you get it.
hey, I’m just getting into raw too. I dabbled before but I took delivery of my dehydrator, now I am really embracing it. I too am ‘playing’ a lot in the kitchen and discovering the new ‘knowns’ in preparation and flavours so I can start creating my own recipes but I’ve a bit to learn yet! It’s a whole new world but I’ve been sticking ot mainly salads and raw nori rolls. Yum. ARe you juicing too?
Hi there! How exciting that you just got your dehydrator. I love mine. I need to make nori rolls more often, that sounds delicious. I have a juicer and really need to start using it more. I’m going to try having a green juice at least several times a week, I always feel so much healthier after I drink a glass of freshly-made veggie juice.
At the same time I was leaning into veganism I was learning about the raw food movement. Im very interested in it and want to eat as much raw food as is convenient but I am loving the beans right now. I went to an 8 hr raw food class in San Diego last year by Joan Jackson @ Iamlivingraw.com, saw a demonstration by Mimi Kirk who wrote Live Raw and ate at a delicious raw food restaurant in Costa Mesa called 118. So Im exploring but not convinced that I will or need to go 100%.
Thanks for the recommendations, Glenda! You’re lucky to have attended the class and demonstration. I am also not convinced about going 100% raw, but I’d like to incorporate more of the sprouting and dehydrated food items into my diet. It’s a challenge for me mainly because I am impatient and don’t want to wait 12-24 hours from the time I make something to eating it. My hope is that one day I will retire and spend all of my time making healthy foods! Until then, I’ll just have to squeeze it into my schedule whenever I can.
Beans are so important to my ETL food life, I don’t see the benefit of going all raw and giving those up. I think that being vegan and no salt/oil is good enough for now
I am very excited to try these burgers- your “almost perfect” tofu burgers have made the regular rotation, and are frequently requested by my toddler.
Hi Devon! Yep, I hear what you’re saying, following ETL is challenging enough, without trying to go raw on top of it. I think Dr. Fuhrman advocates a blend of cooked and raw foods for optimal health and that’s where I will probably always be. Have a great rest of your weekend!
In my opinion, the people who go 100% raw are there to point out to the rest of the world how lacking most diets are in raw food. We need the extremists, that 100% voice, in our society with any important issue to get the rest of us to wake from our sleep. But we don’t need to feel bad about not being able to or wanting to be 100% raw. We need to see it for what it is-a wake up to including a lot of raw food in our diet every day. Making time consuming, complicated, extremely calorie dense raw foods are not in most people’s best interests. But eating easy salads and green smoothies are, and that is what I believe the ultimate message of the raw food movement will be.
Agreed, Wendy!
Love your site and your recipes. Thank you so much for making being a healthy eater so tasty!
You’re welcome, Gd! Thanks for the comment.
Hi, Carrie! I’m just wondering what no-salt seasoning you used. Would Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute work? Thanks, and I’m looking forward to trying these out.
Hi Audrey! Yes, that is the one I use. Let me know how you like the burgers!
Thank you!!!
I made them today and I loved them! What a great recipe. Next time I’m going to do a double batch and freeze some.
Thank you!
You’re welcome, Audrey!
My husband and I recently discovered Eat to live and your blog is a new great resource for us. SO excited to try all these delicious recipes. My only question is do you think Tofu is good even though is seems processed??
Hi Ashly! I saw your email, but thought I would respond here so others can see. So, I believe Dr. Fuhrman puts tofu in the minimally processed category, although edamame, tempeh, and soy milk are even less processed. For that reason, I feel okay about having tofu about once a week or so. Thanks for the great question!
very tasty! i’m so proud of myself… this was my first attempt at a vegan meal other than a smoothie or a salad. thanks for making it so easy!
Yay!!! So glad you liked this Latoya, this is one of my favorite recipes.