Luscious Veggie Burger - © BeforeAndAfterTV at YouTube

A Veggie Burger You Will Love!

 

It’s Burger Season and most of us look forward to a nice, juicy Beef Pattie piled high with the traditional garnishes. But some prefer to eat Vegetarian and still others are adamant Vegans. That calls for a really good, tender, flavourful Veggie Burger, which is a rare pleasure, indeed!

Veggie Burger - ohsheglows.comA juicy, plump, tasty Veggie Burger: Try convincing a Meat eater there’s no Meat in it!

Most folks don’t choose Veggie Burgers, given the choice between Veggie and Meaty. And Veggie fans are often stuck with dry, dense, woody tasting Veggie Burgers. And that’s a shame. Ought to be a crime! I’ve got a great recipe that makes Tofu take a back seat and emphasizes fresh, umami-ful ingredients!

What you’ll need

  • 1 cup / 250 ml sautéed Sweet Onion
  • 1 cup / 250 ml mashed cooked Black Beans
  • 1 cup / 250 ml well-cooked Brown Rice (White Rice is OK, in a pinch, but doesn’t have the same flavour!)
  • 1 cup / 250 ml Crushed Nuts (Walnuts, Pecans, Hazel Nuts, and Almonds are good; Walnuts have the most flavour.)
  • 1 cup finely chopped Portobello Mushrooms Caps
  • 1/2 cup / 125 ml Bread Crumbs
  • 1/4 cup / 65 ml Dark Soy Sauce
  • 1 tbsp. Paprika
  • 1 tsp. ground Coriander Seed
  • 1 tsp. ground Cumin Seed
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1 tsp. Pepper

You’ll want to experiment with the amounts of the spices and seasonings. The amounts suggested above are minimums. Try substituting balsamic Vinegar for Soy Sauce and adding Italian Herbs for a Mediterranean twist. The possibilities are endless! Remember that Soy Sauce, Balsamic and Worcester Sauce all contain a lot of Salt!

Mix all the spices together in a small bowl and combine thoroughly. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large large bowl, combining gently with your hands. ‘Gently’ is important, here, to ensure that you get nice texture in your burgers, not mush. Once everything is evenly distributed, add the dry ingredients and gently massage into the Veggies.

You should have a nice, moist, but not wet, mixture with a medium to dark brown colour and an aroma to die for. If the mixture is too dry, add a little cold Coffee diluted with water half and half. This will also help the flavour and colour! These guys make up best in a 1/4 pound patty. Use a 4 oz. ice cream scoop to portion and form the patty with your hands. Or use a moulding ring.

You can bake, pan fry or grill these moist, juicy Burgers, secure in the knowledge that the beans, Rice and Bread Crumbs will hold them together nicely. The raw burgers will freeze fairly well, too. lasting up to two months. Cook thawed ones immediately.

Top with your choice of goodies. Serve one to a dedicated Meat eater and try to convince him/her that there’s no Meat in it!

~ Maggie J.