Happy Summer! And to all our American friends, Happy Independence Day!

Let’s take this day to celebrate independence for ALL Americans—no matter what color, religion, or background.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to celebrate with a small group of friends or family, even if it’s in your own back yard! We’ll be happily eating these burgers in our Manhattan apartment and then going out to enjoy the sunshine at Central Park. Above all, remember to stay safe and wear your masks!

Now, let’s talk about this burger.

 

 

It’s the perfect blend of heartiness and spice… Basically, it just might be the best damn veggie burger you’ve ever had. Heck, it’ll probably impress your non-vegan friends and family too.

What makes it so great? Brown rice, creamy kidney beans, and umami mushrooms—oof. It’s the perfect combo.

What makes it even better is when you pair it with the other components: the scallion pesto and sweet potato walnut cream. Add some sliced tomato, fresh lettuce, and cucumbers and BAM – 10/10 burger experience.

Plus, the burgers themselves are super sturdy, easy to handle, and won’t fall apart when you slap them on the grill. Make them the same day or make them in advance. You can even freeze them to save for a rainy day when you’re missing the July sunshine!

 

 

4th July Mushroom Bean Burger

Makes 5 106g patties

 

BEANs

1 cup | 150g kidney beans, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed

1 3X3” piece kombu seaweed

1/2 cup | 74g chopped onion,

3 cloves | 15g garlic, minced

4 cups | 800ml water

2 tsp | 10g salt

1. Combine all ingredients except salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook for 60 minutes or until beans are soft and cooked through. Remove from heat and add salt.

 

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PATTIES

4 tbsp | 40ml extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup | 74g onion, chopped

1 1/3 cup | 125g cremini mushrooms

2 tbsp | 30g garlic, minced

2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked

2 pinches ground cumin,

2 pinches ground coriander

3 pinches ground cayenne pepper

1 tbsp | 10g tomato paste

2 tbsp | 20g dijon mustard

1 1/3 cups | 244g cooked kidney beans (see above)

1/3 cup | 35g rolled oats, ground in a blender or spice grinder

1 1/2 cups | 238g cooked short-grain brown rice (about 1 cup raw rice)

1 tsp | 5g sea salt

1/2 cup | 14g fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

2 tsp | 20ml coconut oil, for grilling

Heat olive oil in a medium pot. Add onion and mushrooms, and cook on medium-high heat until golden. Add garlic and cook for 3 more minutes. Add thyme, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, tomato paste, and mustard. Stir to combine and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Now add beans and, using a potato masher or fork, smash the mixture until there are no more whole beans. Add oats and rice, and smash again to incorporate. Add parsley and season with salt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

When mixture is cool enough to handle, form even balls with your hands, each should weigh 106g. Gently squeeze them to form patties about 1-inch thick. Set aside.

Heat a barbacue grill or a grill pan on high heat. Brush the grill with coconut oil and add patties. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden and grill marks form on the bottom. Repeat with rest of patties. Remove from heat and set aside.

 

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SWEET POTATO WALNUT CREAM

1 1/3 cups | 155g raw walnuts, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed

1 1/2 cup | 237g sweet potato, diced small

1/2 tsp | 1g ground turmeric

2 pinches ground all-spice

2 tsp | 18g green peppercorns

2 1/2 tbsp | 15g nutritional yeast

3 tbsp | 36ml apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup | 120ml water

1 tsp | 5g sea salt

Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. Add diced sweet potato to a lined baking sheet and cover with a sheet of aluminum foil. Roast in the oven for 18 minutes, or until completely cooked through.

Place sweet potato in blender along with all other ingredients and blend on high until completely smooth. Set aside to cool, or cool quickly by popping it in the fridge for 15 minutes.

 

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SCALLION PESTO

1 cup | 95g scallions, roughly chopped

2 cloves | 9g garlic, roughly chopped

1 tbsp | 12g serrano pepper, roughly chopped

1 1/2 cup | 63g kale, roughly chopped

1/2 cup | 100ml extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 cup | 22g cilantro leaves and stem, roughly chopped

1 tsp | 5g sea salt

Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend on medium speed for 30 seconds. Pause to scrape the sides with a spatula and blend again for another 10 seconds. Be careful to not overblend, as the cilantro will oxidize and lose its bright green color. Taste and adjust seasoning.

 

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BURGERS

5 Dairy-free burger buns

Dijon mustard, to taste

Tomato ketchup, to taste

Sweet Potato Walnut Cream, to taste

Scallion Pesto, to taste

Patties

1 Tomato, sliced

1 head lettuce, leaves picked

Sliced pickles, to taste

Assemble burgers by adding mustard and ketchup to each side of a bun. Then add sweet potato walnut cream and scallion pesto to taste, patty, some slices of tomato, lettuce leaves, and a few sliced pickles. Close burgers and enjoy.

 

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