Mushroom and Brown Rice Veggie Burgers
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 cups stemmed and finely chopped cremini mushrooms (about 1 pound)
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed (flax meal)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained well
- 3 Medjool dates, pitted
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2½ tablespoons tahini
- 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 2 cups cooked and cooled brown rice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats, as needed
- 4 large shallots, sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil
- 6 whole grain English muffins
- ¾ cup hummus
- 2 avocados, peeled and sliced
- 2 cups arugula
Instructions:
This burger goes great sandwiched between the halves of a thin, crisp English muffin or served open-faced with lots of peppery arugula on top.
- Melt the butter in a large sauté pan. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and a pinch of salt and sauté until the mushrooms are softened and the excess water has cooked off, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
- Combine the ground flaxseed, Parmesan, chickpeas, dates, parsley, egg, fennel seeds, tahini, tamari, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper in a food processor. Give the mixture a few pulses to combine well and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Once the mushrooms are at room temperature, add them, along with any juices in the pan, to the bowl along with the rice and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. At this point the mixture should be pretty moist, but if it seems too wet to form into a patty, stir in 1 to 2 table-spoons of oats to soak up some of the moisture. The recipe can be prepared to this point up to a day in advance.
- Arrange a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat the oven to 475°F.
- Form the mixture into 6 patties, each about 1 inch thick. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick silicone baking mat and arrange the patties on the baking sheet with space in between. Bake them in the oven until toasted on top, 14 to 18 minutes.
- While the burgers cook, prepare the shallots. Warm the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt and sauté until the edges begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside for assembly.
- After removing the patties from the oven, toast the English muffins while the burgers rest for a moment. Put a swipe of hummus on each muffin half and assemble the burgers by layering the patty, avocado slices, arugula, and the sautéed shallots. Serve immediately.