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Yields:
4 serving(s)
Prep Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 10 mins
We've eaten a LOT of veggie burgers in our day. The truth is, most of them suck. More often than not they’re super dense, mushy in the center, and almost always under seasoned. Our goal? A patty full of umami flavor, perfectly seasoned, and most important of all: NOT MUSHY.
Few foods in the vegetarian world contribute as much satisfying umami goodness as mushrooms. (In fact, that's exactly why we love these portobello mushroom burgers.) Our recipe uses two types: fresh shiitake mushrooms and dried porcini mushrooms. Together, they make up the flavorful foundation for our meatless patties.
These mushrooms, along with roasted onions (more umami!), red quinoa, and black lentils make up the bulk of the burger. (Bonus: you can hydrate the dried mushrooms and boil both the quinoa and lentils in the same pot! Life hack!) Add a dash of soy sauce (dare we say… more umami), an egg white to bind, and that’s about it!
To avoid the mush-factor, we opted for 2 thin, smaller patties rather than one large one. That way, you get that nice caramelization on the outside without a thick layer of uncooked patty in the center. Plus, double the patty means double the cheese. 😉 Topped with some crunchy lettuce and lots of brightly flavored special sauce, it’s sure to satisfy vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. See ya never, mushy veggie burgers. ✌️
Made it? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
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Ingredients
For burgers
- 3 oz.
shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stems in tact
- 1
medium onion, sliced thick
- 1 Tbsp.
extra virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup
black lentils
- 1/3 cup
red quinoa
- 6
dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 tsp.
low sodium soy sauce
- 1
egg white, beaten
slices Swiss cheese, optional
For sauce
- 1/4 cup
mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup
dijon mustard
- 1
garlic clove, grated
For serving
Potato buns
Sliced pickles
Butter lettuce
Directions
- Step 1Preheat oven to 350º. Tear shiitakes into medium pieces and place on medium baking sheet with sliced onions. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and just starting to brown, 33 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway through.
- Step 2Meanwhile, make lentils and quinoa: bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add black lentils and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then and quinoa and porcini mushrooms and continue to simmer 20 minutes more, until lentils and quinoa are cooked through. Drain through a fine mesh sieve and remove hydrated porcini mushrooms from lentils and quinoa.
- Step 3Into the bowl of a food processor, combine roasted shiitakes and roasted onions along with the hydrated porcini mushrooms, soy sauce, and egg white. Process until mostly smooth. Add cooked lentils and quinoa to the food processor and blend until mostly smooth. (There should still be some whole lentils and quinoa!)
- Step 4Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Form about 1/4 mixture into thin, round patties, about 4"-5" across. Add patties to pan as you form them and sear on each side until charred and crisp, 4 minutes. If using, add a slice of cheese as soon as your patties are flipped. Continue cooking patties until all mixture is used, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.
- Step 5Make sauce: in a medium bowl, whisk to combine mayonnaise, mustard, and grated garlic.
- Step 6To serve: spread bottom and top bun with sauce, then top bottom bun with lettuce, burger patty, pickles, more lettuce, and top bun.
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