My quest to construct the perfect veggie burger has been nothing short of a long and difficult process. Maybe I am a bit picky, but I have several requirements that I feel are necessary for a veggie burger to be done correctly.
Those requirements include:
- The vegetable patty itself cannot be mushy or without texture. On the flip side, it can’t be dry and crumbly either
- The flavor of the patty has to be able to stand on its’ own
- The patty needs to have a crispy exterior without being drenched in oil
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Doesn’t seem like too much to ask, but take my word for it when I tell you that achieving these requirements hasn’t been an easy task. Of the ten different recipes I have attempted over the past month, nine of them have been total failures, with the majority falling victim to the dreaded, mushy texture I despise.
Thankfully, I only needed one recipe to work out of the bunch, and I guess I can truthfully say that I saved the best for the last. Without a doubt, the 10th recipe I created reigned supreme. This recipe fit every requirement I had while easily exceeding my expectations. Crisp exterior, amazing texture and overall, amazing flavor. This veggie burger is truly delicious in every way, hence its’ title as the Ultimate Tri-Bean Veggie Burger.
What really made this burger incredible was the literal garden variety of toppings. None of these toppings are particularly unique on their own, but when paired together with this vegetable patty, the combination they created was absolute perfection. The horseradish dijon mustard spread only made it all the better, turning this vibrantly fresh veggie burger into a truly mouthwatering meal.
- **Veggie Patties (makes 6):
- 1 (15 oz) can of organic tri-bean blend; rinsed and drained
- 2 cups cooked short grain brown rice; do not use regular brown rice as it does not have the same sticky texture
- 1/2 tsp. liquid aminos
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp. hemp seeds
- 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 2 Tbsp. of smoked chili seasoning blend – 1 tsp. turmeric, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. chili powder, 2 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp. kosher sea salt, a dash of cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper; chopped
- 1/4 cup corn
- 1/2 a small jalapeño; seeded, finely chopped
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (I used Ian’s brand panko gluten-free breadcrumbs)
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro; chopped
- 3 cloves garlic; minced
- Crushed black pepper and salt to taste
- Chipotle pepper seasoning blend to taste (optional)
- 1 flax ‘egg’ – 1 Tbsp. ground flax + 3 Tbsp. water whisked together = 1 ‘egg’
- 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 6 Tbsp. dijon mustard
- 1.5 tsp. organic horseradish
- **Toppings:
- Gluten free sesame seed bun; lightly toasted
- Fresh, organic sprouts; rinsed and dried
- Red onion slices
- Organic romaine lettuce
- Organic Tomato slices
- Avocado slices, drizzled with lemon juice and freshly cracked pepper
- In a small bowl, whisk together flax ‘egg’ and set aside in refrigerator to allow it time to thicken up.
- In a medium sized pot, bring 1 cup short grain brown rice and 2 cups water to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 45-50 minutes, or until all water is absorbed. Remove cover and remove from heat, letting rice cool for about 10-15 minutes. Rice can be made in advance, just reheat slightly with a little bit of water in a microwave safe dish before using. Don’t use regular brown rice as it won’t be as sticky.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in tri-bean blend and lightly mash with a potato masher or back of a fork. Add in rice and mix thoroughly together.
- Add in peppers, onion, corn, garlic and cilantro, along with seasonings, nutritional yeast, liquid aminos and seeds. Thoroughly blend all ingredients together and add additional seasoning if needed.
- Once ingredients are mixed and you are happy with the seasoning, add in finished flax ‘egg’ and 1 tsp. of olive oil. Mix thoroughly.
- Add in gluten-free bread crumbs and mix completely. Mixture should be only slightly sticky. If too sticky, add in more bread crumbs, but only a small amount at a time.
- Lay down a piece of parchment paper or a plate and start to form patties. Grab a little more than the size of a tennis ball for each one, gently flattening and rounding out with your hands. Set finished patties on parchment paper or plate.
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone silpat mat.
- If you have a non-stick pan, lightly brown each patty for about 30 seconds a side and transfer to cookie sheet. If you do not have a non-stick pan, skip this step and place vegetable patties directly onto lined cookie sheet.
- Bake vegetable patties for approximately 10 minutes.
- At 10 minutes, carefully flip veggie patties over and cook for another 10 minutes.
- When veggie patties are done, they will be mostly firm and lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Toast gluten free bun and prepare your toppings.
- In a small dish, combine dijon mustard and horseradish. Mix well.
- Take the lightly toasted bottom half of the bun and spread horseradish mustard over top. Lay down veggie burger, then top with sprouts, lettuce, tomato, and onion, finishing off with avocado slices.