Sometimes practice really does make perfect. I set out to make my ultimate version of a veggie burger- meaty, flavorful, tender but firm, and one that didn’t completely seep out of my burger bun when I took a bite. None of my experiments were total disasters, but it definitely took me three or four tries to get this burger exactly right. What can I say, I’m a bit of a perfectionist.

My first attempt had a totally wrong flavor profile and was far too wet. My next iteration was perfect in flavor but was still falling apart when cooking it. And let’s not even talk about trying to eat it in a bun. Super messy! My last attempt I decided to treat more like a science experiment, complete with post-its, and a control batch and everything! With a bit of tweaking I finally got it right. I can confidently say that this recipe is well tested and approved by my entire family, since they were my guinea pigs and had to eat them for almost a month straight- without complaint, I might add.

This burger is packed full of meaty roasted mushrooms, crispy kale, quinoa, oats, and beans. Plus a healthy dose of umami seasoning to really amp up the flavor, so you don’t feel like you’re eating a lame veggie burger. It’s the ultimate veggie burger! My ultimate veggie burger.

Ultimate Veggie Burger

Ingredients:

11 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed

8 oz cremini mushrooms

1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped

3 Tbsp + 1 tsp avocado oil

1 3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 bunch curly leaf kale

1 C canned chickpeas

1 C canned black beans

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

pepper

1 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari

1 Tbsp white miso paste

2 C quinoa, cooked

1 C rolled oats

1/4 C parmesan cheese

1 egg

canola oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a large cookie sheet coat shiitake mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, and onion with 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp avocado oil and 3/4 tsp salt. Roast in oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. The mushrooms should have released their water and started to get really brown and crisp around the edges.

On another large cookie sheet coat kale with 1 Tbsp of avocado oil and 1/2 tsp of salt. Roast for 10 minutes until the kale is crispy and browned in some spots.

In a large food processor, combine roasted mushrooms, onions, half of the roasted kale, chickpeas, black beans, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, a few grinds of pepper, soy sauce, and miso paste. Puree until a smooth paste forms. You may need to do this in two batches if you have a smaller food processor, as it’s quite a lot of filling.

Roughly chop the remaining half of roasted kale. In a large bowl, combine bean and mushroom puree, chopped kale, quinoa, oats, parmesan, and egg. Let sit for 15-20 minutes so the oats can hydrate a bit. Take a 1/2 cup of filling and form into a burger patty. Heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil in a non-stick pan over med-medium high heat. Cook burgers for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until a nice brown crust forms and they are heated through. Serve with all your favorite burger fixings.

Yields approximately 8 burgers