Veggie Burgers

Originally published on September 8, 2014

Let’s be real for a minute. I’m a carnivore at heart. I love bacon and sausages, steak, and there’s little that I find as tasty as a really delicious burger. I’ve eaten veggie burgers too, but those are usually reserved for restaurants or the frozen food aisle at the grocery store. That was, until I thought, “I bet I could make my own veggie burgers.” Turns out, I can not only make them, I can knock them out of the park! And even this true carnivore would actually choose these over meat patties at any barbecue. Beware before you embark on this adventure, there is a lot more prep required than just throwing some meat together with some seasonings and egg, but I promise you, it is entirely worth it!

Ingredients:

2 cups button or cremini mushrooms, chopped in a very small dice 
1 cup cauliflower florets, processed to make a very basic cauliflower rice 
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped in a very small dice 
1 cup zucchini, grated 
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup rolled oats, processed until they are fine crumbs 
1 tablespoon paprika 
1 tablespoon garlic powder 
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon dried chili peppers
1 teaspoon mustard powder 
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 hamburger buns
4 leaves of lettuce (optional)
1 cup diced tomatoes (optional)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise, divided (optional)

Directions:

1.) Getting the moisture out of the vegetables is critical when making veggie burgers, otherwise the burgers will not hold together and they’ll be very mushy. For this reason, the grated zucchini needs to be placed in a colander in a clean sink. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt over top, toss the pieces to get the salt throughout and pull some of the moisture out of it. Let the zucchini sit for about 15 minutes, then place them all in a paper towel and squeeze to get rid of the excess moisture. Then place them back in the colander, this time over a bowl.

2.) Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When hot add mushrooms and stir to coat all pieces in the oil. Cook for five minutes before adding the yellow pepper, cauliflower, and zucchini. Stir to mix all ingredients. While veggies are cooking add the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, celery seed, dried chili peppers, mustard powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. Stir again and cook for just another minute to brighten the spices and seasoning and marry all the flavours together.

3.) Once the veggies and the seasoning has been cooked, turn heat off and place everything in a bowl to cool. It needs to be completely cooled down before adding anything else.

4.) As soon as the veggies are cooled down, add the egg and the rolled oats and combine thoroughly to completely mix all ingredients together. Divide the veggies into equal servings and then form into patties and place on a plate or platter. When all burgers are formed, place in the fridge, uncovered, and let them sit for 30 minutes. This will help the patties set up and become firmer, eliminating the chance of them simply falling apart when cooked.

5.) After patties have set up in the fridge, heat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium heat and brush with olive oil. (I made mine on an indoor grill and added more olive oil whenever the grill pan became too dry.) When grill is hot, place veggie burgers on and cook on one side for about 5 – 7 minutes until nice grill marks appear and that side is completely firm. Then flip and cook for another 5 – 7 minutes. Try to only turn the burgers once, as that will help hold their shape and keep them from falling apart.

6.) When burgers are completely cooked, remove them from the grill and place on hamburger buns. If using, top with mayonnaise, diced tomatoes, and lettuce.

7.) Serve and enjoy!