Garden burger

Burger Showdown!

The true test of a good vegetarian burger is to have a meat eater take a bite and not realize there’s no meat in it; this burger has met and passed that challenge. Not only does it fool the eye, it has so many layers of flavors that it also tricks the palette.  

The patty itself is very hearty and filling, I attribute that to the combination of mushrooms and black beans. Especially the black beans they work as a binder as well as for flavor and texture. A vegan could possibly eliminate the eggs and make the patties with the remaining ingredients. 

The star of the show for me is the plantain salsa. Plantain have been no strangers to sandwiches in my family, however I can’t recall ever putting them on a burger. Over the emancipation holiday we were in Portland and unfortunately did not get a chance to sample the burgers at Woody’s low bridge restaurant. However upon inspecting the menu I saw a vegan plantain burger and it sparked the idea to add plantain to my garden burger that I would be making the following week. My initial idea was to glaze them in balsamic vinegar and bake them but that evolved into the salsa and it was a good call.

Ingredients(printable recipe)
makes 4 burgers

For the patties

1 ½ lb mushrooms chopped

1 small onion finely chopped

3 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon oil

¼ teaspoon salt

2 cloves shredded garlic

1 ½ cup panko breadcrumbs

1 cup shredded carrots

1 can Black bean puree

2 eggs

1 tablespoon coconut oil

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon oil (for frying)

Balsamic plantain salsa

½ Ripe plantain baked

1 tablespoon minced shallot

2 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar

1 ½  tablespoon Honey

Toppings

Smoked gouda

Watercress

Toasted buns

Instructions

For the salsa

• Bake or fry your plantain until brown and crispy on the edges
• Cut the plantains into fine cubes
• Dice the shallots into very fine cubes
• In a small bowl whisk together the honey, balsamic vinegar and shallots to form a dressing
• Pour this over the chopped plantains and allow it to marinate until you’re ready to assemble the burgers

For the burger

• Melt the butter in the oil and sauté the mushrooms and onions
• Once they begin to soften and the mushrooms will reduce in size
• Add the salt and garlic
• After about a minute more of cooking remove from heat and set aside
• Strain one can of black beans removing all the water
• Blend in a food processor to make a paste (if some chunks remain that’s ok)
• In a bowl combine, the sauté mushrooms, black bean paste, shredded carrots, panko breadcrumbs, eggs, coconut oil, salt, black pepper, allspice, and smoked paprika
• Once combined form into patty shapes and place in the freezer for 10 minutes
• Heat some oil or butter in a skillet and cook the patties until golden brown and crispy on both sides (apx 3 minutes per side)
• When the patty is flipped add the smoked gouda to melt
• Assemble the burger with toasted bun, veggie patty and cheese, plantain salsa and top with watercress 

  

Xoxo Greedygirl