Cowbell was an amazing hidden gem in New Orleans that closed temporarily after COVID then re-opened for a brief time before closing permanently after Hurricane Ida.

I never had the beef burgers, but the veggie burger was hands down the best veggie burger I’ve ever had. Even the pickiest vegetarians I’ve ever known agreed it was incredible. This is the only image I could find online, and it really doesn’t do it justice: Cowbell’s Harvest Burger

I’ve attempted to replicate it on my own several times over the last few years, and this is probably the closest I’ve gotten so far. Still not anywhere near the original but it was pretty amazing.

Cowbell’s original ingredients I’m aware of: Red beans, brown rice, sweet potato, bell peppers, other seasonal vegetables, sweet soy sauce, and panko bread crumbs

This attempt:

• Batch of red beans cooked in 2 tbsp Better than bullion vegetable stock

• 1 cup Quinoa

• 2 sweet potatoes chopped and roasted

• 1 red onion chopped and sauteed

• Vegetables I had on hand (bell peppers, beets, artichoke hearts) sauteed with the onion

• Inch of fresh ginger chopped and sauteed with onion and vegetables ~5 mins

•Flaxseed egg substitute (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water)

•Stir everything together and cool/refrigerate for at least 30 mins

•Once cooled, briefly pulse in food processor

•Spoon mixture onto sheet of parchment paper and use panko breadcrumbs to form patties

•Cook on parchment paper at 375°F for 10 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for additional 5-10 minutes

Top with whatever you like but avocado is always a great choice