My dad (the BBQ king) stumbled across a few recipes for vegan burgers a few weeks back and sent them across to me. Having never made my own, I thought - no time like the present! I've taken inspo from the recipes he sent me to create my own concoction. For a first timer, I think I've absolutely nailed it. Let me know what you think!
These puppies can be made indoors in the oven, but can also handle a BBQ without falling apart. They've got a perfect smoky flavour, and are packed with protein and fiber to keep you full and nourished. Plus, guac. Need I say more?
Enjoy!
Recipea:
Makes 4 burgers
Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
Burgers:
4 burger buns or rolls
1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups baby portabello mushrooms, chopped or sliced
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 can black beans
1 tablespoon chopped jarred jalapeno + 1 1/2 tablespoon of the jalapeno juice
3 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
One vine ripe tomato, sliced
1 cup spinach
4 teaspoons vegan mayo
Guac:
1 avocado
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped tomato
1 big pinch of cilantro chopped
1 teaspoon jalapeno chopped
Squeeze of lime
Fresh ground salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F or preheat your BBQ to a medium high heat.
In a medium pan over medium heat, saute 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic and onions until the onions are tender.
Add mushrooms and cook for 5 mins or until tender. Add 1 tablespoon of water at the beginning if they need a little support cooking down. Once they're just tender, add the liquid smoke and continue cooking until the mushrooms have become a dark brown. Then add the black beans and cook for 5 more minutes until the beans are heated through. Add the mixture to a blender or food processor along with the jalapeno and jalapeno juice. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time depending on how strong your blender is (if it's weak like mine, you'll definitely need some water to get the ingredients moving around, but if you've got a super blender or processor, you may not need any at all). You want the mix to be sticky and the beans to be chopped but you don't want to make a paste. Keep some of the texture of the beans and shrooms.
Place this into a medium bowl and add the panko bread crumbs, cumin, salt, and pepper. Form into burger patty shapes and place on a greased baking sheet. Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and either place into the oven or onto a BBQ grill. Cook for 10 minutes, then flip and cook for the remaining 10 minutes.
While the patties are cooking, make your guac by throwing all the ingredients I listed in the guac section and mashing them all together (teamwork makes the dream work).
Slice your tomato into thin slices.
Assemble your burgers by adding a thin layer of mayo to the bottom, then a few leaves of spinach, then the tomato, then the burger patty, then a big ol' spoonful of guac, and the top bun.
Bask in the glory of a quick, delicious homemade burger that would turn even the head of those dreaded non-vegans (that's a joke people, stop being so sensitive).