Gone are the days when vegetarians kept on driving past the drive-thru windows. These days, we’re in a golden era of plant-based options, which appear in increasing numbers on both low and high-brow menus. We’ve got Burger King’s Impossible Whopper, Taco Bell’s extensive vegan options, and vegan sliders at White Castle. You can even cobble together a vegan-friendly meal at Outback Steakhouse. One other chain joining the trend of veg-forward options is Carl’s Jr. This chain, owned by the same parent company as Hardees, offers fast and inexpensive burgers, fries, and now a new veggie burger option for diners who are moving away from meat.
Unlike so many others, this burger isn’t your standard faux-meat or even a burger made from grains and beans. This puts the veg in the veggie burger, with a fried zucchini option featuring thick battered and fried rounds of zucchini on a bun. This burger, called the Fried Zucchini Star, replaces the Beyond Burger option, which was sadly retired after several years on the menu as Carl’s Jr.’s sole fully vegan option.
Unfortunately for vegans, this zuke burger is not plant-based, as the batter contains both egg and milk, and the sandwich is served with egg-based mayo and dairy cheese. For vegetarians, though — or anyone who wants to steer clear of meat but isn’t a fan of the mock meat options — this unique veggie “burger” is a welcome addition.
Thinking beyond Beyond and Impossible patties
Carl’s Jr.’s zucchini burger option is a bit of an outlier in the American fast food landscape, where Beyond Burgers, Impossible Burgers, and other dupes aimed at closely mimicking the taste of meat reign supreme. However, there is no shortage of more innovative burgers on menus elsewhere.
The earliest commercial veggie burgers, as we know them today, were made in 1982, leaning on more recognizable ingredients — oats, seitan, soy, and sesame. Today, many freezer-aisle veggie burgers are dupes for meat. However, plenty of others make no attempt to pass for cow and, instead, are obviously made from whole foods like beans, peas, carrots, oats, and other non-meat additions like lentils (which add great texture). Chickpea burgers are another popular non-meat burger base, giving a nod to Middle Eastern falafel patties.
While the Carl’s Jr. zucchini option feels a little bit revolutionary in a sea of Beyond and Impossible patties, the zucchini “patty” isn’t necessarily the best substitution if protein and meaty texture is what you’re after, as it’s certainly lighter in both and essentially just a fried veggie. All the same, you can add this to the ever-growing list of vegetarian fast food options for satisfying meatless meals (though not necessarily vegan) beyond just a side salad.
