The Vegan Burger

This has been a real work in progress, and i am pretty sure i have nailed it. It holds it shape during cooking and eating.It has good smoky flavor too. As a vegan Burger goes this is pretty damn good.

SERVES:
6

Ingredients
Instructions

Ingredients

100g finely diced shallots

300g mushrooms I used portabellini but chestnut or shitake will work too. Roughly chopped.

1 tbsp. date syrup

1 tbsp. liquid smoke

1 tbsp. tamari or soy

1 tbsp. vegan Worcester sauce

1 tsp yeast extract

1 tbsp. smoked paprika

30g walnuts chopped

20g ground flaxseed

100g panko crumbs

1 tin black beans drained and rinsed

Salt and pepper

160g wholegrain rice freshly cooked or from a microwave bag

3 tbsp. chopped parsley

To serve

6 burger buns

Lettuce

Tomato

Condiments

Pickles

Pink pickled onion

Vegan cheese slices

Instructions

In a frying pan add 1 tbsp. light oil and add the shallots until starting to soften and caramelise. Add the mushrooms and cook until the juices are released and they are soft and sautéed.
Now add the date syrup, Worcester sauce, tamari/soy, yeast extract and liquid smoke, cook for a few minutes until the mixture is reduced and sticky, but not dry. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a food processor, add the panko crumbs, walnuts, flax, paprika, parsley, rice, salt and pepper and the mushroom mix. Pulse until just combined, add half the black beans and pulse again. You should be able to form into Patti shapes, but you do not want a mushy mixture. Place into a large bowl with the remaining black beans and stir till combined.
Form into 6 burgers and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
You can cook these on a BBQ, under the grill, in the oven, or on a griddle or frying pan. If griddling as I do, cook with a little light oil to grease the pan until nicely charred on each side and hot all the way through.
Serve with the usual burger a compliments.