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The One Ingredient Veggie Burger!

My “One Ingredient” veggie burger has been a long time in the making. In my experiments, I was able to create the perfect meaty flavor, but the texture was not working – all my trials ended up way too mushy. But one day I discovered the secret by accident: I was upset with another batch of mushy burgers and threw them in the refrigerator. When I checked on them the next morning, I was surprised to find that they solidified overnight – even after being reheated! Now that the texture is right, these veggie burgers are just about perfect.

The secret is to make a batch ahead of time and freeze them overnight. After freezing, the burgers hold together nicely. You can pop them in the oven, cook on the stovetop, or even grill them. They have a great “classic” burger taste – meaty, flavorful, and great texture.

burger1

Ingredients:

  • 5 ounces Crimini mushrooms, sliced
  • 16 ounce can of black beans – drained
  • 3 tablespoons rolled oats
  • 3 tablespoons diced cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons tamari
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • Whole wheat flour (if needed)

burgers2

Step One

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Drain the can of beans VERY well – you don’t want any extra moisture or the final burgers will be too mushy. Combine all ingredients (minus the whole wheat flour) into a food processor and pulse until everything is well incorporated. Texture is really important here and if it seems too runny, you can add a tablespoon or two of whole wheat flour to thicken the mixture.

Step Two

On a lightly greased baking sheet or silicone mat, form the mixture into 4-5 burger-sized rounds. Bake for approx. 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully flip the burgers – they will be very mushy at this point. Cook for another 12-15 minutes. They’ll still be slightly mushy, but should at least hold together. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature before freezing uncovered overnight.

Step Three

When ready to prepare, simply reheat the frozen burger. I’ve had best results with baking the burgers at about 350º until hot, but you can also cook them on the stovetop or even a grill. I like to serve on a sprouted Ezekiel bun with guacamole.

Note: Ezekiel buns are not a “one ingredient” food, but if you’ve read my manifesto, I do talk about simple, whole-grain breads and when/why they’re okay on The One Ingredient Diet.

13 Comments

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  1. Hey Andrew,

    Great blog, I can’t wait to buy all the ingredients to test your recipes.

    I see you use onion and garlic powder in this recipe. Since I don’t like “powder” things and prefer the fresh version, is it possible to replace them with fresh onions and garlic ? Or the taste will be altered ?

    Thanks

    Fabrice

    • Hi Fabrice, You could definitely use fresh garlic (that’s probably a better idea anyways). I’m not so sure about the onion though, you may just want to omit that if you don’t like powdered spices. Thanks for the good question!

    • Why don’t you like powdered spices? I do usually prefer fresh garlic, but I find that powdered spices definitely have their place in many recipes. If you’re worried about commercial powdered spices being overly processed (some brands contain ingredients like hydrogenated soy oil), it is possible to make your own – quite easily actually.

      Just slice your onions/garlic very thin and dehydrate (with a dehydrator or in a low temp oven) and then throw them in your food processor until powdered. Easy-peasy, and no extra additives.

      • Hi Joanne,
        Thanks for this informations !
        You are right I avoid commercial powdered spices, I could buy some in my organic food shop here in France but it’s overpriced.
        I’ll follow your recipe for sure to make some tasty things 🙂

  2. Hi. I just discovered your website and I can’t wait to start trying some of your recipes. Question on the veggie burger…I’m not a fan of mushrooms…any suggestions on what to use in its place? I don’t eat potatoes either. Thanks!

  3. We used to eat morningstar farm burgers about once a week. We gave up on processed foods several years ago and basically stopped eating veggie burgers….but oh boy did I miss them! I made a double batch of these earlier this week and they are so good!! We had enough for dinner for my family of 5, and then I’ve been eating the rest bunless, topped with avocado and tomato for quick lunches. This is going to be a staple around my house!

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