Smackin Veggie Burgers Recipes

SMOKY VEGGIE BURGERS

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the walnuts, shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and paprika and cook, tossing to coat, until reduced, about 10 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, microwave the sweet potato until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then peel and transfer to a large bowl. Add the quinoa and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until combined. Beat in the breadcrumbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Form into four 4-inch-wide patties and freeze until firm, 20 minutes.
• Preheat a grill to medium high. Oil the grates. Grill the patties until marked, about 3 minutes per side. Grill the buns. Serve the burgers on the buns with onion and sprouts.

THE ULTIMATE VEGGIE BURGER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Slice tofu into 1/4-inch-thick slabs and pat dry with paper towel. Arrange tofu on one half of a rimmed baking sheet; brush both sides with oil. Spread mushrooms on the other half of the baking sheet; toss with 2 tablespoons oil and salt and pepper.
• On a second rimmed baking sheet, toss beans and grated beet with 1 tablespoon oil and salt and pepper, then spread the mixture into one layer.
• Transfer both baking sheets to the oven. Roast bean-beet mixture, tossing occasionally, until beans begin to split and beets are tender and golden, about 15 minutes. Roast mushrooms and tofu until golden and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 25 minutes. Let everything cool.
• Place nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Add cooled bean-beet mixture, mushrooms, tofu, panko, cheese, eggs, mayonnaise, scallion, garlic, pimentón and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Pulse until ingredients are just combined. Pulse in tempeh and rice but do not overprocess. You want small chunks, not a smooth mixture. Scrape mixture into a bowl and chill at least 2 hours or up to 5 days (you can also freeze the burger mix).
• When you are ready to make the burgers, divide mixture into 6 equal portions and form each portion into a patty about 1 inch thick. Return to the fridge until just before grilling. They grill better when they start out cold.
• Heat the grill. Cook the burgers over a low fire until they are charred on both sides and firm when you press on them, 4 to 6 minutes per side. If they start to burn before they firm up, move them to the sides of the grill to finish cooking over indirect heat. Alternatively, you can cook these on a grill pan or in a skillet over low heat.

THE BEST VEGGIE BURGER (BETTER THAN STORE-BOUGHT)

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil, parchment paper or silicon baking mats.
• Using a damp paper towel, brush all dirt from mushrooms. Cut away and discard any hard stems. Roughly chop the mushrooms, carrot, broccoli and onion into 1/2-inch chunks. Toss vegetables into the bowl of a food processor. Add the garlic, olive oil, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper. Close the lid and pulse 10 to 20 times until coarsely ground.
• Spread the ground vegetables onto one of the lined baking sheets. Pat them down with a spatula until a very thin layer of vegetables covers the majority of the baking sheet. Roast the vegetables for 15 minutes. (If the veggies around the outer edges start to turn dark brown, stir and press them back down into a thin layer).
• Meanwhile, spread the drained black beans onto the second baking sheet in one layer. When the vegetables have roasted for 15 minutes, stir them and press into a thin layer once more. Transfer both baking sheets (vegetables and the black beans) to the oven. Roast until the beans begin to split and look dry and the vegetables look drier and toasted, about 15 minutes. Let everything cool.
• While the beans and vegetables roast, rinse the food processor bowl and pat dry.
• Place the walnuts, spinach and fresh herbs in it. Pulse until they are about the size of breadcrumbs.
• Add cooled beans and pulse 5 to 10 times until the beans look crumbly with large crumbs.
• Add the roasted vegetables, panko breadcrumbs, eggs and the tomato paste. Pulse until everything is just combined. You want to keep some texture, don't pulse until a smooth mixture.
• Scrape the mixture into a bowl and fold in the rice.
• Refrigerate the veggie burger mix up to 24 hours. Or make patties, cook them and freeze wrapped in foil up to 3 months.
• When you are ready to make the burgers, divide into 8 equal portions (about 3 1/4 ounces or 90 grams each). Form each portion into a 1/2-inch thick patty.
• Heat a skillet over medium-low heat, add oil, and then place patties in one layer. (We use about 1 tablespoon of oil to cook 4 burgers). Cook until heated through, firm and browned on both sides, about 4 to 6 minutes on each side. If any bits fall from the sides as you flip, press them back into the sides of the patty. Be careful when flipping so they stay together.
• For an outdoor grill, we recommend placing a cast iron pan or griddle over a low fire to cook the burgers.
• To reheat frozen cooked burgers: Bake in a 350 degree F oven until heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Or reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes on each side. We do not recommend microwaving the patties (they steam and become floppy).

VEGGIE BURGERS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over low heat, and cook the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until tender. Mix in the carrots, squash, and zucchini. Continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and mix in oats, cheese, and egg. Stir in soy sauce, transfer the mixture to a bowl, and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat the grill for high heat.
• Place the flour on a large plate. Form the vegetable mixture into eight 3 inch round patties. Drop each patty into the flour, lightly coating both sides.
• Oil the grill grate, and grill patties 5 minutes on each side, or until heated through and nicely browned.

SMASHED CABBAGE AND MUSHROOM VEGGIE BURGERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together egg, chickpea flour, water, soy sauce and garlic. Add onion, cabbage, mushrooms and sesame seeds; season with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Using your hands, massage the cabbage mixture to evenly coat with the chickpea batter. Cover and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Juices from the vegetables will leach out and make the batter slightly wetter.
• Divide the cabbage mixture into 6 portions (about 1 1/2 cups each).
• Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large cast-iron pan over medium-low heat. Cook 3 portions at a time, coaxing each patty together in the pan and compressing them with a flat spatula. Gently fry the patties, without disturbing them, until one side is golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until the golden brown and the vegetables are cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the patties from the pan onto a wire rack. Add remaining 1/4 cup oil to the pan and cook the remaining 3 portions.
• Place a slice of cheese on each cooked vegetable patty and allow the residual heat from the patties to melt the cheese. Serve sandwiched between buns, topping with mayonnaise, tomatoes, pickles and lettuce.