The Perfect Veggie Burger

I wanted a burger for lunch so I looked at what I had available in my kitchen to make some with.

Little did I know I was about to create the best veggie burger I’ve ever had in 30 years! So I called it the perfect veggie burger. I think you’ll agree.

I decided on a sweet potato mushroom burger but I couldn’t find a recipe I liked so I made my own.

I think the secret to the flavor that takes this burger over the top is the combo of caramelized onion with the browned mushrooms. You could even add a little liquid smoke or liquid aminos to enhance the flavors even more.

So, I used what I happened to have handy and made a really yummy burger, 10 of them to be exact.

There are no hard and fast rules here. You just need to make sure the mixture you create will stick together as a pattie.

That means adding more grain if it doesn’t and a little water if it’s too heavy.

The perfect veggie burger is not only yummy, it’s also a nutrition powerhouse.

I’ve detailed the nutritional benefits below the recipe.

If you’re ready to have an ageless body, to get started click here!

I set aside the cooked mushrooms and sweet potato while I caramelize the onion. I like to cook my sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot, but you can bake or microwave them too.

I let the onion cook a little past what you see here and the flavor is so strong and smoky with no oil or water added to the onion. Just make sure to keep an eye on the pan and stir so they don’t burn. I cooked them over a medium flame, smae as the mushrooms.

I make a big bunch of brown rice and black beans in my Instant Pot on the weekend, so I always have some on hand.

After I took the rice out of the fridge and added it in, I decided I might as well add a few beans too. So this is everything in the bowl before I dumped it in the food processor.

No, it’s not your eyes, it’s a little blurry because I was putting the phone down before the pic was finished.

I wanted to get more of a meat pattie consistency so I set it to chop first and then puree for a little bit. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup keeps all the burgers uniform in size and it’s easy to pop them out in the pan just with a simple tap.

I used 2 pans with a little avocado oil to get a crispy outside and still have a soft center.

This is what your perfect veggie burger looks like if you smush them a little when you’re turning them. You can always push the edges back where they belong.

The Perfect Veggie Burgers are cooling on a plate before being individually bagged to be frozen.

Use your favorite burger toppings. Mine are avocado, tomato slices, romaine and broccoli sprouts. and a little catsup.

Ok, I’ll admit that cut sprouts look a little weird when you see them like that. But, oh boy, does this burger taste good!

Sweet Potato, Mushroom and Black Bean Burgers (The Perfect Veggie Burger)

Ingredients:

Sliced mushrooms 8 oz (use the stems)

1 large sweet potato- cooked but not peeled.

1 medium white or yellow onion sliced

1 clove garlic diced

1 cup cooked rice

1 cup cooked black beans

Salt

Pepper

olive or avocado oil

Directions:

Saute the mushrooms until nicely browned.

I sliced the mushrooms and the onions thick because they were going in the food processor anyway.

Put mushrooms in a bowl to cool and put the onion in the pan.

Stir frequently to keep the onion from sticking to the pan.

Cook until the onion starts to caramelize and have browned nicely.

Add the onion to the bowl with the mushrooms.

Chop the cooked sweet potato into cubes and add that to the bowl along with the raw garlic, cooked rice, and beans.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Put the mixture into a food processor and process until you have a slightly chunky mix similar to a burger pattie.

If it’s too mushy, add a little more rice if you have it, or add a little raw oats. If it’s too dry to hold together add a little water.

Heat a little oil in a large frying pan on medium high.

I use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to make all my burgers. I use Thin Buns so I want my burgers a little smaller than what you’d want in a traditional bun.

You can squish down the burger a little to fill your bun fully after it’s cooked. It will still be soft.

Scoop a 1/3 cup full out of the mixture, level it off and turn it upside down in the pan with a little tap for it to come out nicely. Use your hand or the bottom of the measuring cup to push it down to the size and height you’d like.

You might need to use 2 pans or do 2 batches.

Cook for about 4 minutes on each side.

With the oil, they should form a crispness on the outside but they will still be soft inside, so be careful flipping them. If you are cooking oil-free, watch your pan so they don’t stick.

When done, put them on a large plate to cool.

After they are cool, I put them in individual baggies and then put them all in a gallon zip lock bag in the freezer.

That way you have individual servings you can pull out for lunch.

You can microwave a frozen pattie for 45 seconds, or you can let it thaw and heat it in a pan to warm it.

Serve it with your favorite burger toppings.

The caramelized onions will give this burger a rich flavor along with the meatiness of the mushrooms.

I hardly taste the sweet potato which is normally the dominant flavor. Here it adds a softness and creaminess.

This made 10 burgers for me. You may get 9-11 depending on the size of your sweet potato, the exact weight of your mushrooms, size of the onion, and the rice and beans you add.

I don’t measure, I just throw stuff in, so the measurements are approximate. Don’t worry about being exact.

Experiment and use the ingredients you have on hand.

Post a comment if you make changes to the recipe you think others might enjoy! I’d love to hear your interpretation. I’m all about being creative in the kitchen.

Nutritional Benefits

Sweet Potatoes

High in vitamin A, C, B6, D, iron, and fiber. It will boost your immune system and it doesn’t spike blood sugar.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins and selenium. Mushrooms are also high in polysaccharides, sugar-like molecules that boost immune function.

Onion

Onions are excellent sources of vitamin C, sulphuric compounds, flavonoids, and phytochemicals. onions contain fiber and folic acid, a B vitamin that helps the body make healthy new cells.

Quercetin in onions is an antioxidant that may be linked to preventing cancer, reduces the symptoms of bladder infections, promoting prostate health and lowering blood pressure.

Black Beans

Black beans are high in fiber, B-vitamins, minerals and other heart-healthy nutrients.

So there you have it. You can eat the perfect veggie burger with all your favorite toppings, and get a really nutrition-packed meal too!

Health and nutrition are a big passion of mine because, without your health, all the success you can achieve is meaningless. In 1981 I started seriously studying health, nutrition, and the mind/body connection. I stopped eating meat in 1990 for health reasons and compassion for animals. In 1999 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2005, the day after Christmas, I lost my mother at the age of 69 to lung cancer. Since then, helping others to regain their health by making simple changes has become a driving force in my life.

Until next time, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Just comment on this post here or on Facebook.

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With over 40 years in sales and marketing, along with 45 years studying human behavior, Lynn Pierce, “The Voice of Women Empowered to Create an Ageless Body, Mind & Soul After 50” mentors soul-based entrepreneurs to reach your own personal version of success and an ageless lifestyle. Tell Lynn what the life of your dreams looks like, and she’ll create the blueprints to get you there, along with the sales system to fund it. Lynn is the author of, “Breakthrough to Success; 19 Keys to Mastering Every Area of Your Life”. Claim your free special report, “What Do You Stand For” here