From the KFC vegan burger, to Burger King's meat-free Whopper, we thought it was about time we created our very own vegan burger. And we think we've cracked the recipe, after trying multiple variations to find a patty that stayed together, cooked well, and wasn't cloying.
Packed with gloriously purple beetroot, we use a mixture of mushrooms and lentils, too, to create a "meaty" yet totally meat-free burger. We also serve it alongside our very own vegan cheese sauce, which just requires blitzing and warming. Genius.
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Yields:
6
Prep Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 40 mins
Ingredients
500g
beetroot
1
clove garlic
2
sprigs thyme
15ml
olive oil
200g
Chestnut Mushroom, finely diced
1
onion finely diced
100ml
vegetable oil
2
cloves black garlic
1/2tsp.
garlic powder
1/2tsp.
onion powder
1/2
Dijon mustard
125g
cooked beluga lentils
11/2tsp.
salt
Grind of pepper
35g
roasted pumpkin seeds
120g
oats
6
brioche buns
2
little gem lettuce
2
plum tomatoes
For the vegan cheese sauce (optional)
340g
silken tofu
40g
nutritional yeast
2tsp.
onion powder
2tsp.
garlic powder
3
Dijon mustard
2tsp.
white wine vinegar
1tsp.
salt
1/2tsp.
turmeric
1/2tsp.
smoked paprika
Directions
Step 1Preheat your oven to 220ºC (200ºC Fan). Wash your beetroot and make a foil parcel for it to sit in. Add olive oil, thyme and garlic. Place the parcel on a baking tray and roast for approx. 1hr 25min or until easily pierced with a knife.
Step 2Meanwhile, in a heavy pan add 50ml vegetable oil and sweat off diced onion over a medium heat. After 5 minutes, add finely diced mushrooms and cook for another 6-7 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated off the mushrooms.
Step 3Warm another frying pan and toast pumpkin seeds over a medium heat for around 3-4min. Keep a careful eye on them as they can easily burn. In a food processor pulse oats until they resemble a flour-like consistency, remove to a bowl.
Step 4Once beetroot is cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before peeling. This should be easily done as the skins should just rub off. Remember to use gloves. Cut into rough chunks and add to food processor along with onion and mushroom mix, pumpkin seeds and the rest of the ingredients, except blitzed oats. Blitz until mixture comes together, then remove to a separate bowl. Add the oat ‘flour’ to the mix and then form the mixture into 6 patties.
Step 5Heat a frying pan over a medium heat with the remaining 50ml of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot add the patties and fry for 2-3 minutes each side. Remove to a baking tray and place in the oven for 15 minutes.
Step 6Toast your burger buns and add slices of tomato and little gem lettuce. Place the patty on top and then spoon vegan cheese sauce (optional).
To make the vegan cheese
Step 1Add all the ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth.
Matthew Lockwood is a professional chef and recipe developer with over 20 years of experience working in the hospitality and catering industry, both in the kitchen and out.
When Matthew isn't developing recipes, he's out running with his spaniel Pickle, and training for Hyrox.