Can't decide between a burger and a salad? This Veggie Burger in a Bowl Recipe is the best of both worlds! Made with homemade veggie burgers and layered into a bowl with burger toppings, salad, and a vegan burger sauce, it's the perfect light meal while still packed with plant-based protein. Make this deconstructed bunless burger bowl for an easy lunch or dinner any day of the week!
Do you ever feel intimidated by a burger bun?
I mean, I'm not afraid of the bun by any stretch of the imagination. I'm a lover of carbs in all of their beautiful forms, but sometimes a burger + a bun + all the fixings = one hell of a daunting mouthful.
Also, for all the veg heads in the house, sometimes veggie burgers can be packed full of breadcrumbs or oats or other things to bind them together, so you're taking a kinda bready burger and putting it between more bread and it's just too much, ya know?
You want to know the solution? It's a Burger in a Bowl!
Can't decide between a burger and a salad? Make a burger bowl!
Don't eat gluten and want to skip the bun? This recipe is for you!!
In the mood for something light and fresh with lots of plant-based protein? Let's do this!
Seriously, this bunless burger is one of my favourite things to eat, and it takes only a few minutes to throw everything together for a simple, delicious, and healthy meal.
What do you need to make a burger in a bowl?
You need a burger, and you need a bowl. Beyond that it's up to you. Here's what I used to make my veggie burger bowl:
- Veggie burgers --> I used these Chipotle Black Bean Burgers.
- Lettuce --> I used classic iceberg lettuce here because I love the crunch, but you can use any green you want.
- Quinoa --> Just a little scoop to make my bowls more substantial.
- Tomatoes --> Baby plum tomatoes is how I roll.
- Pickles --> I used cornichons, because who doesn't love a tiny pickle? (<-- that's what she said!)
- Avocado --> Gotta love those healthy fats!
- Pickled red onions --> Taking it home with these Spicy Pickled Red Onions! I also love these Crispy Fried Onions for burger toppings.
- Vegan burger sauce --> A l'il tahini dill concoction we'll talk more about below.
How do you make a veggie burger bowl?
You guys, you guys. Here's what you do:
Step 1: Put the burger topping ingredients into the bowl.
Step 2: Add the burgers to the bowl.
Step 3: Drizzle with vegan burger sauce.
Step 4: Eat your bunless burger bowl!
What kind of burger is best for a burger bowl?
The best kind of burger is your favourite burger. These Chipotle Black Bean Burgers are my current fave, but if you don't have the time or desire to make a batch of veggie burgers from scratch, your favourite store-bought veggie burger is perfectly fine.
If your home, like mine, has a mix of vegetarians and meat eaters, let everyone top their bowl with their preferred burger type. Easy peasy.
Can you make burger bowls in advance?
You can definitely prep all of the components in advance, but I recommend assembling the bowls more or less at the last minute.
Having said that, I do think that these bowls makes a delicious packed lunch, and as long as you keep the wet ingredients (like pickled onions and burger sauce) off until it's time to serve, they'll last for a few days pre-packed in the fridge in an air-tight container.
Is this bunless burger healthy?
Totally depends on how you make your bowl, my friends. Make it with healthy ingredients then you will have a healthy burger bowl. It's as simple as that.
Other tasty recipes you might enjoy:
Vegan Sheet Pan Fajita Bowls
Roasted Cauliflower Hummus Bowls
Vegan Rice Noodle Bowls
How to Make a Meal Bowl Without a Recipe
Veggie Burger in a Bowl
Ingredients
Veggie Burger in a Bowl
- 4 cups shredded lettuce
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 large avocados diced
- 1 cup spicy pickled onions
- ½ cup cornichons chopped if you like
- 4 veggie burger patties diced up or crumbled
Vegan Burger Sauce
- ½ cup tahini paste
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- salt and pepper
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- To make vegan burger sauce, whisk together tahini, garlic, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper. Whisk in enough water to thin the sauce to a pourable consistency.
- To make Veggie Burger Bowls, layer burger fixings into individual salad bowls.
- Top with crumbled veggie burger patties, and drizzle with vegan burger sauce.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only and will change depending on type of veggie burger used.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published May 15, 2014 It was retested, rephotographed, and updated on July 18, 2019.
Heather
I love this idea, both for a veggie burger or a meat burger. I just can’t fit a burger with all the fixings in a bun inmy mouth and end up eating it with a knife and fork, skipping most of the bun anyway. Maybe a burger bowl and a small slice of really chewy heavy bread on the side will be my new thing.
Emma
Burger bowl, YES! All the burger-y taste without the sluggish feeling after. So happy I found this in your archives 🙂
Gingerbread Jenn
I really like the idea of the burger without all the stodgy bun, it looks so quick and simple to make too! Thank you for the inspo 🙂
themuffinmyth
Thanks Jenn! It's my favourite way to eat burgers these days. And that tomato vinaigrette is really delish 🙂
agentjustyna
okay, this is what genius looks like. simple and effective 😉
themuffinmyth
Why thank you! I think so too 🙂
kellie@foodtoglow
I do like this idea, Katie. So simple, but I'm betting it is the kind of thing that becomes a regular, espesh if slapping the burger between a bun is too much stodge. Certainly there are restaurants and burger chains that leave off the bun and give you more salad so you are bang on trend!
themuffinmyth
It's just so easy to throw together! And the burger can be warm or cold, so it literally takes no time, plus is such a canvass for adventure. I'm sure this won't be the last burger bowl to grace these pages!