We all know the appeal, or at least the concession, of a vegetable sandwich. It is as simple as ordering what you always, except without the meat. Sometimes Subway offers avocado to add to the sandwich for the extra … heft? Don’t get me wrong, I have eaten my fair share of veggie sandwiches with Jalapeños and extra mayo from subway but I am going to be honest. A sandwich without meat always leaves me wanting.
I say top-secret because it doesn’t appear anywhere on the menu in the store. You would think right under the Veggie Delight they would have a little asterisk that says “Try our delicious veggie patty.” There is no such asterisk. I spent a fair amount of time trying to find this item on Subway’s online menu, and although I did find it (along with a very impressive variety of vegetarian protein options) on the Indian Subway website it doesn’t seem to appear on the US side. Maybe it is a new item still in testing?
I hope not because the patty was excellent.
The patty is in the shape of a rounded rectangle, and seems to be made specifically for 6″ subway sandwiches. It tastes very much like the Morning Star patty found at Burger King but I can’t be sure if it actually is a Morning Star brand because it seemingly has no documentation. From my personal impression it is a patty made of compressed vegetables rather than a soy compound. There probably are beans involved but it is certainly not a “bean patty.” I am not sure if it is vegan friendly, you could try asking … if the workers even know they have it.
If you have a SubWay near you, ask them if they have veggie patties in stock. The addition of a hot and chewy patty really completes the sandwich experience. Just for fun, take a look at what the 400 Subways in India serve!
A co-worker informed me, when I revealed my new vegetarian lifestyle, that Burger King has an often-forgotten veggie patty on the menu. I was always more of a McDonalds, but i had to check it out.
It is clear that the Burger King staff is not used to selling these things, at least in the Minnesota BK I patronized. My request was met with some confusion, and the employee needed help locating the correct button. I guess it figures… How many vegetarians are going to Burger King?
The confusion continues…
I was initially under the impression that I can simply substitute a veggie patty in ANY burger. Although that is possible, that is not the workflow Burger King seems to have intended. It turns out they have an official “Veggie Burger” and an associated value meal in the system, but not on the menu. I attempted to order a veggie Whopper and they clumsily tried to corral me into ordering the Veggie Burger instead.
For research I did order the veggie burger, and also a Whopper with a veggie patty. I am actually not sure what the difference is aside from the bun. The veggie burger came on some kind of strange bun without any sesame seeds on it. Otherwise the burgers seemed identical, although I might be forgetting something.
When it comes to burgers, I am far from a minimalist. You won’t see me having a burger with nothing but a slice of cheese. I am obsessed with garnishes, condiments, vegetables, and whatever else goes on it. Pile it high! I want my burger to be an experience. Because of this mentality the actual “meat” of the burger ends up being only a small portion of the flavor. The most important element is the texture. Meat has that heavy, hearty texture that gives the burger body. The Morning Star patty delivers.
Yes I said Morning Star patty. Most vegetarians will already be familiar with this popular brand, and the flavor of the patties. The patty is bean-based and has other diced vegetables in the mix. Unfortunately there are dairy products in the mix as well so they are not vegan friendly. At least the BK patty, I am not sure if the Morning Star brand offers a vegan patty.
I have always been a big fan, and advocate, of veggie burgers even when I was a meat eater. When I worked at Green Mill I ate them often to avoid all the fat of real beef and I didn’t mind at all. The same thing is happening at Burger King! The this patty is flavorful and filling. The other ingredients of the burger shine in their own usual way, and the fries, of course, are unchanged. It turns out that I can still get the fast-food burger experience even as a vegetarians thanks to Burger King.
