A few months back we shared our go-to veggie burger recipe: the Basic Bean Burger. They are simple and quick to make. Another great thing about that recipe is that it is endlessly adaptable.
Here’s one version we dig: Black Beans + Beet + Mushrooms. The combo of these three ingredients creates a burger that looks and feels a bit like a beef patty– a great “gateway” to meatless burgers for the carnivores. Plus, the mushrooms and roasted beets give us a savory flavor, called umami (the fifth taste from the Japanese word meaning delicious ), that gives meat its “meatiness”. Adding umami to plant-based recipes gives your dishes the savory flavor of meat, making them more palatable to veg newbies. We smothered it in our Garlic Aioli.
- 2 cups cooked black beans, drained (or 2 cups canned beans, drained and rinsed)
- 1 large beet, diced
- 8 ounces mushrooms
- ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
- ½ cup quick oats
- ¼ block firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon cumin
- salt to taste
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Finely dice the beets, toss them in olive oil and roast for 30 mins or until fork tender
- Finely dice the mushrooms, toss them in olive oil and sautée until they lose their water
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor
- Pulse until mixture forms a slightly chunky dough
- Form mixture into 6 patties by hand and place each patty on an oiled cookie sheet
- Bake in oven for 20 minutes, flipping patties after 10 minutes
Here’s a few tricks of the veggie burger trade for perfect patties every time:
- When combining all the ingredients in the food processor, blend the onions and tofu into a paste first. This will help bind your patties. Once it’s all blended up, add in your other ingredients and pulse.
- Leave about 1/3 of your beans and veggies OUT of the food processor. This will give your patties great texture and variation.
- For moist, “juicy” burgers, don’t be afraid to tweak the dough a little. Stir in extra quick oats to soak up some water when your mixture feels too wet or add extra liquid like BBQ sauce or soy sauce if the dough is too dry. The dough should hold together, but feel wet enough to leave your hands messy.
- If you have the time, refrigerate the dough overnight before forming your patties. This will help them bind better!
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