Better Burgers
We’ve all tried our fair share of veggie burger recipes leaving our enthusiasm, well, meh. I’ve decided there is no substitute that will achieve the texture of an all beef burger. That being said I had to decide what was more important texture or flavor. I chose flavor as I wanted something that held together for grilling and didn’t crumble out of my bun.
Yes, the texture is a bit mushy but the flavor is by far the best I’ve tasted so in my world, that’s mission accomplished!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3 tablespoons ground flax
1 1/2 cups cooked black forbidden rice or brown rice
1 cup ground walnuts
1 cup vegetable stock or water
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons liquid smoke
3 tablespoons low tamari, soy sauce or coconut aminos
1 tablespoon salt-free herb blend, such as Mrs. Dash
1 cup diced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups finely minced mushrooms
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup finely chopped kale
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a baking sheet with either a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Combine oats and ground walnuts in a bowl, set aside.
in a small saucepan, whisk together water, tamari, tomato paste, liquid smoke, and herb seasoning blend. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling. Pour over rolled oats and walnuts. Stir well and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons water in a large skillet and add onion and garlic. Saute until onion is translucent, adding additional water as needed to prevent sticking. Add mushrooms, basil, oregano, parsley, black pepper, and saute until mushrooms are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in cooked brown rice and finely chopped kale.
In a large bowl, combine mushroom mixture with rolled oats/walnut mixture, stirring well to combine. With wet hands, shape a scant 1/3 cup mixture into a well-formed burger, or use a burger form for consistently shaped burgers. Place on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining mixture, you may need to use an additional baking sheet depending on the size.
Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully turn flip burgers to bake the other side for another 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve with your favorite whole-grain buns or serve in a large lettuce leaf with your favorite toppings.
Makes 16 burgers
Adapted from Eat to Live Cookbook - Joel Fuhrman M.D.
