Mushroom and Eggplant Veggie Burgers

I like a good beef burger and I also like to change the meat up and so lamb, turkey, and pork make frequent appearances. Another option that I have been increasingly seeing in restaurants and that I have been getting requests for is veggie burgers or burgers made with the primary ingredient being vegetables. If you are looking for a veggie burger that reminds you of a meat burger then you have to get the texture and the flavour right, which isn’t too difficult. The basic recipe for veggie burgers is vegetables, that are cooked before adding them to the patties to remove any excess moisture, beans, a grain and often a nut to build the texture of the burger and then some seasonings to build the flavour. One of my favourite combos for the veggies are mushrooms and eggplants which are both roasted to remove the moisture and to add flavour! The eggplant is then pureed along with chickpeas to form the base of the binder of the patty. The mushrooms, chickpeas, and cashew are chopped rather than pureed to give the burgers a nice texture and the barley adds to that texture so that when you bite into the burger it feels like there is something of substance there! I add dried mushrooms, parmesan cheese, miso paste, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and Montreal steak seasoning which provide a ton of umami flavour! The final ingredient is the breadcrumbs which is the last component of the binder that helps hold the patties together. These burgers take a bit of effort to make but they are well worth it! You can make the mixture the day before and add the breadcrumbs when ready and then it only takes a few minutes to form the patties and grill them! These mushroom and eggplant veggie burgers are such an amazing way to enjoy a burger!

I stuffed these burgers with feta, sprouts, avocado, onions, and gochujang mayo! Yum!

Nice and crispy golden brown!

Add cheese!

I went with onions, pickles, tomato, lettuce, and gochujang mayo in the bun for these melted cheddar veggie burgers!

Mushroom and Eggplant Veggie Burgers

Prep Time:20 minutes Cook Time:1 hour 20 minutes Total Time:1 hour 40 minutes Servings: 8

Tasty burgers made with mushrooms, eggplant, chickpeas, barley and cashews that are just packed with flavour and have an amazin texture.

ingredients

1 pound mushrooms, quartered
1 onion, sliced into 1/4 inch thick discs
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 small eggplant
3/4 cup dry pearl barley
1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and patted dry
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 ounce dried mushrooms, pulsed in food processor to form meal
1 tablespoon miso paste
1/4 cup parmesan, grated (omit for vegan)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (omit for vegetarian)
1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning (optional)
1 cup toasted cashews, pulsed in food process to form meal
1 1/2-cups panko breadcrumbs (or breadcrumbs) (gluten-free for gluten-free)

directions

Toss the mushrooms and onion in the oil, thyme, salt and pepper and place them on a baking sheet in a single layer along with the eggplant, pricked with a fork and wrapped in foil, before roasting in a preheated 425F/220C oven until the mushrooms and onions start to caramelize, about 20 minutes, flipping them half way through. Leave the eggplant in the oven until it is completely tender on the inside, about 40-60 minutes, before letting cool, scooping out the flesh and squeezing it to drain any excess liquid.
Cover the barley in 1 inch of water in a pot, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the barley is tender, about 20 minutes, before draining and transferring to a towel to drain.
Puree the eggplant, 1/2 of the chickpeas, all of the garlic, dried mushrooms, miso paste, parmesan, Worcestershire sauce and Montreal steak seasoning in a food processor until smooth before setting aside in a large bowl.
Pulse the mushrooms and onion until they form small meal with 1/16-1/8 inch pieces before adding to the bowl.
Pulse the remaining chickpeas until they form small meal with 1/16-1/8 inch pieces before adding to the bowl.
Pulse the cashews until they form small meal with 1/16-1/8 inch pieces before adding to the bowl.
Mix in the barley and breadcrumbs, form into patties and cook as desired; grill them in a skillet, on the grill, under the broiler, etc.

Note: You can make the mixture, minus the breadcrumbs, a day ahead, mix in the breadcrumbs when ready and continue to form the patties and cook the burgers!

Nutrition Facts: Calories 220, Fat 4.4g (Saturated 1g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 2mg, Sodium 216mg, Carbs 38.2g (Fiber 8.8g, Sugars 6.1g), Protein 9.9g

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