Best Vegan Mushroom Burger

vegan mushroom burger topped with caramelized onions, tomatoes and lettuce.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Gluten-free - Dairy-free - Vegan

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 523kcal

Author: Andrea Soranidis

These gluten-free vegan mushroom burgers are flavorful, meaty and hearty. Top with caramelized onions for the best-ever meatless burger!

Print Recipe

Metric - US Customary

Ingredients

4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained 15.5 oz / 425 g
½ yellow onion minced
1 garlic clove grated
70 g shiitake mushrooms finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
A pinch of freshly-cracked black pepper
60 g gluten-free quick oats

For the caramelized onions:

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium yellow onions finely sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon good-quality balsamic vinegar

To serve:

4 burger buns
4 lettuce leaves
1 tomato sliced

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add in the onion, garlic, mushrooms and cumin, and stir-fry them for 5 minutes, adding a splash of water if necessary. Season with ¼ teaspoon (or to taste) of sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper.
Transfer the pinto beans in a large bowl and mash them thoroughly with a potato masher, alternatively, you can blend them in a food processor. Add in the mushroom mixture, followed by the parsley and quick oats, then mix everything together and adjust seasoning. If the mixture is too dry, add a splash of water, if it’s too wet add an extra tablespoon (5 g) of quick oats.
Use your hands or an ice cream scoop to form 4 patties. Arrange the patties on a baking tray covered with parchment paper and store them in the refrigerator to set for 30 minutes.
For the caramelized onions, start by heating the extra-virgin olive oil in a medium skillet over low heat. Add the onions and allow them to cook for 15 minutes, stirring them often to prevent them from burning. Once they have softened, add in the sugar and balsamic vinegar and let them cook for a further 10 minutes, season with a generous pinch of sea salt, then turn the heat off and set them aside until needed.
Brush a large skillet with the remaining extra-virgin olive oil and heat it over medium heat, then add the patties and cook them for 4 minutes on each side, until crispy and golden brown.
Remove the patties from the skillet and assemble your burgers. Layer one lettuce leaf, a slice of tomato, one burger and a generous dollop of caramelized onions over the base of each bun, top with the other half of the bun and serve.

Notes

Cooking tips:

For the best veggie burgers, make sure you drain and dry your beans thoroughly before mashing.
Make sure to form patties that are about 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick, because thin burgers might fall apart while you cook them.
When making caramelized onions, use a large saucepan. The wide base allows your onions enough room to cook without crowding so that the water released can easily evaporate.
When cooking the burgers in a skillet, there’s a little chance that they will crumble. If you want to avoid this possibility completely, bake them instead. Simply set your oven to 350 F/ 180 C, and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Freezing tips:

Place uncooked patties on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Store in the freezer for 1 hour. Once the burgers are frozen, you can transfer them onto a freezer-friendly container or in a ziplock bag.
When needed, place them directly in a hot oven ( 350 F /180 C) and cook until golden brown on both sides flipping them halfway.
You can also thaw them in the refrigerator, then sear them in a skillet.

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