Taste Test: Bounty Burgers - Soy Burger Patties (11 July 2011)

http://www.bountyburgers.com.au

Just as much protein as meat

Thanks to Loren from Bounty Burgers for providing me a few samples of their soy patties to taste test including a few bonus Sonoma buns. I first noticed this product at the Good Food & Wine Show 2011 which was a popular stand. Many avid vegetarians were part of my taste testing team which resulted in a mixed response. Most liked the product with some loving it and others didn’t like it due to finding it a bit bland. I prepared the product in a sandwich toaster without using any oil. My first test had the patties sticking to the surface but this was probably due to being an old sandwich toaster. If I coated the patties with oil it probably would have helped keep them non-stick. I served with pickles and tomato sauce to add some moisture and taste. The next day I tried cooking the patties using baking paper which worked a treat. I wanted to avoid using any extra oil although Bounty Burgers do recommend it needs it. I think by by adding some seasoning and tasty condiments you can pretty much avoid using oil keeping it even healthier.

I made a successfully tasty sandwich adding mustard, tomato sauce, tomato relish, beetroot chutney, pickles, caramelised onion, sliced beetroot and cheese which worked really out well and was all vegetarian. It was quite filling and the texture of the patty was a bit like real mince. I reckon some kids would have even thought it was meat due to the brown meat colour of the patties. As an alternative I think the Bounty Burgers could be chopped up and used quite successfully in a vegetarian pasta sauce. The packs come with four patties which apparently retail around $12.94 - $14.98. They’re not particularly cheap but I guess they might be better than other brands you know about already in terms of look and ingredients.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: High in protein (20.1%), Pretty low in fat, Suitable for vegetarians and vegans, Good texture although seems to crumble easily (oil might help next time), Looks quite like real mince meat, A versatile alternative to meat

CONS: Could be considered expensive, Might need to add oil or seasoning to help make it more palatable for your taste

MUST TRY: Making sure you add some seasoning and condiments to make it more tasty

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Bounty Burgers and Sonoma buns supplied for tasting

Nutritional information

Ingredients

Without using oil the patties sometimes stuck to the sandwich maker

When using baking paper it successfully didn't stick to the sandwich toaster

Some taste test condiments: Always Fresh Cucumbers ($3.05 ,520g), MasterFoods Tomato Sauce ($3, 500ml) from IGA

My taste test burger

Using Bounty Burger as a topping over a salad

Using Bounty Burger as a topping on a stir fry

Plain and simple Bounty Burger on a buttered white bread sandwich

Taste test results:

Don't Like It: 2 people

It's OK: 3 people

I Like It: 5 people

Love It: 2 people

At home sandwich making using white bread, butter, mustard, tomato sauce, tomato relish, beetroot chutney, caramelised onion, sliced beetroot and cheese

Patties heated using sandwich toasted and baking paper and then cheese added on top after

Sandwich with condiments

Add Bounty Burger with cheese

Final homemade Bounty Burger sandwich served with oven baked chips — all vegetarian and tasted pretty good