With summertime at its peak, we recently came at a crossroad: do a meaty bbq feast or go vegan for a whole day? Our team voted, and our meat lovers were outnumbered by those veggie-conscious ones! But we wanted to go a step further. If we’re going vegan, we might as well go gluten-free too! Finding gluten-free or vegan burgers can represent somewhat of a challenge. The surge in popularity of both diets has led to a smattering of food options on the market. But not burgers. Finding a combination of both was proving to be an impossibility. So we started to scratch our heads, and think of names. We wanted the top of the veggie game. That’s when we called onto our friends at Balance Bowl. Their squashed tahini burger proved to be an instant hit when we featured it last December, so we had great faith in them. And indeed they managed to deliver and create a vegan burger that’s extremely cheesy and also gluten-free! And it’s triumphantly called The Nutty Stack.
As the name dictates, the patty itself is made from walnuts, mushrooms and brown lentils, all seasoned with tamari sauce. Linseeds and flour powder are added and everything is blended into a patty, which is then baked. Frying is not an option here! This patty is suspiciously meaty without the need of plant-based meats. Lentils, mushrooms and walnuts provide a dense texture whilst the tamari, made from fermented soybeans, packs a flavourful punch. Tamari, which many know as a wheat-free soy sauce, is a byproduct of miso paste and has a richer flavour than standard soy sauce. It also tastes more balanced and less salty, so it does not kill the umami-ness of the mushrooms. Wise move! The walnuts are a great nut choice as they do not only provide a good crunch but a complex taste that’s earthy, fruity and even tarty.
The burger is flooded with vegan cheese made from carrots, potatoes, unsweetened soy milk, garlic powder, lemon juice and some other secret ingredients that truly make it unique. Vegan cheese is usually made with nuts, but not here. This one is akin spicy nacho cheddar but made out of vegetables. The look, creaminess and consistency are very similar. There are even two whole layers of cheese for good measure, and we love this cheeseburger likeness of the nutty stack. The burger is also sauced with satay which has a distinct peanut taste and packs some heat.
The standard nutty stack comes in a wholemeal bun, but we ordered a gluten-free one instead. This is filled with lettuce, onions, tomatoes and pickles to create one stack of a vegan burger like no other. All this vegetable goodness sums up to a burger that has the right balance between bold flavours and lightness. We love it when burger-makers take the time to make artisan burgers by hand and not succumb to beyond burgers or what have you. After eating it, we felt no calorie remorse, but all that comfort of biting into a chunky, flavorful, ultimately satisfying cheesy burger. This one has boosted us into the stratosphere of vegan enlightenment and awesomification in one go!
But that’s only half the story. We wanted a full immersive gluten-free meal experience, and we were going to get one hell of a one, by any ways and means! Being the only 100% vegan restaurant in Malta, Balance Bowl have a big responsibility on their shoulders. And it doesn’t come without hard work and much sweat. Founded by three passionate foodies that met in London, these Charlie’s Angels of the vegan world visited Malta regularly before deciding to give a new spin to their livelihood and set up shop here. Apart from burgers, the rest of the menu is filled with healthy vegetable options based on seasonally available fresh produce sourced from local farmers. Their unlimited nutrition bar is one such option that needs further exploration. Healthy food doesn’t have to be boring and indeed this buffet bar is filled with red lentils, peppers, beetroot, butter squash, cucumbers, apples, olives, radishes, rice, potatoes and a dozen other veggie bowls. All this veggie goodness in one place is a sight to behold, and it could seriously change your nutritional life and make you consider coming here for daily lunch! We wish we had a delicious buffet like this handy in every town. Whilst we were at it, we washed it all down with a super smoothie made from coconut cream, pineapple, banana and plant milk. If you’re more of a chocoholic try the protein punch with avocado, banana, peanuts, plant milk, and dark hot chocolate. This was the creamiest, dreamiest chocolate shake we tried out this year… and it just happens to be vegan! That’s some fruity overdose to our usual burger regime!
One last thing: We can’t leave the premises without dessert, can we? Choosing from what looks like unlimited options is a dangerous game. Every dessert looks a tad more enticing and taste-buds-provocative than the one next to it. We close our eyes and just point at random to the raw lemon cheesecake from Jo’s Delights and a Brownie from Theobroma. Is there anything better than cheesecake? That answer is yes, a mango cheesecake! This one has the flavours of lemon zest, ginger and mango and is also full of buckwheat, coconut flour, dates, cashews and vanilla extract. The mango brings all the freshness of the fruit, and is highlighted by the zing of the ginger and the tartness of the lemon… this is all the sweetness you need in one place. The brownie is made from gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, vanilla and is full of dark chocolate chips. It has that perfectly crisp crust that we truly love and a rich, indulgent chocolatey centre.
We have to thoroughly agree with Balance Bowl that vegan and healthy food doesn’t have to be boring and The Nutty Stack burger is the living proof of that. We have to acknowledge the purpose, labour, patience and love that has been put into making this burger a vegan winner like no other in Malta. As we love to say, if you’re only planning one burger meal this week, make it vegan and make sure that The Nutty Stack is it!
