What do you think of when someone says “veggie burger”? Those pitiful little hockey pucks from the frozen foods section of the grocery store? How about the mushy, oddly flavored ones from the local burger establishment meant to appease the semi-health conscious diner?
To add insult to injury, many commercially-prepared meatless burgers are full of preservatives, soy, sodium and even sugar. If that’s the case, you’re far better off with a regular burger made from grass-fed beef, bison, or lamb in our humble opinion. The end goal for us is always to eat as real as possible, avoiding fillers and preservatives.
For those of us trying to consume fewer animal products, look no further. Say goodbye to bland and blah–no wet sock mystery mush here! We are going to make your taste buds sing with this homemade, great-tasting, nutritional powerhouse.
The ingredients are versatile, so feel free to “clean out the fridge” when you get the hang of making these. Just make sure to follow the recipe a couple of times so you’re familiar with the correct consistency—not too wet or too dry. They freeze beautifully, so consider making a double batch for Meatless Mondays all month long!
Ingredients
1 small onion
1 red bell pepper
4 cloves garlic
One 8 ounce package white mushrooms
2 large carrots
2-4 large leaves fresh kale
1/2 cup raw walnuts (can also use almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or any combination as long as they are raw)
4 pieces Ezekiel Bread (toasted, cooled, and run through the food processor for breadcrumbs)
1/4-1/2 cup ground flax seeds (start with 1/4 cup and add more if the mixture is too wet and won’t hold together)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Steak seasoning
If you like a spicy flavor, add a half or whole fresh jalapeño to the mix!
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (DO NOT skip this step!)
- Gather all your ingredients, get a large mixing bowl, and get your food processor ready
- Toast the Ezekiel Bread well on a medium setting and let it dry out in the toaster for a bit while you work with your other ingredients.
- If needed, cut each piece of produce to fit in the processor as you go, and pulse each vegetable, one at a time, adding each ingredient to the large bowl after you process it. Make sure to pulse the veggies so you end up with a fine chop with texture, not watery mush.
- When finished with the veggie ingredients, cut the toast into quarters and pulse in the processor to make bread crumbs. Add to the bowl of veggies.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, steak seasoning, and ground flax to the bowl.
- Now it’s time to get messy! Wet your hands slightly and mix all ingredients together until well combined. Form into 6 LARGE balls and place on baking sheet. Use the palm of your hand to flatten and shape the patties. You should end up with six large patties that almost touch on the baking sheet. (The burgers will shrink some in the oven, so don’t be alarmed!)
- If the burgers are not holding together, add more ground flax, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until they hold together easily. The amount of water produced by the veggies can vary, so this amount can change each time you make the burgers.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, then GENTLY flip with a spatula.
- Bake an additional 20 minutes.
- Now, turn the oven down to 200 degrees F and bake another 30-40 minutes or until the burgers are browned, smaller in size, and holding together easily. Do not overbake—we want a slightly moist, toothsome burger, not a crispy hockey puck!
- Remove from the oven and serve on toasted Ezekiel Bread or whole food bun with all your favorite fixings. Try the patty with mashed avocado or goat cheese on Ezekiel Bread and grill the sandwich in a skillet with butter or coconut oil—our favorite!
Serve with a side of crunchy veggies, oven roasted cauliflower, or homemade baked sweet potato fries for a real Bistro treat!
Once cooled, freeze the burgers on a flat pan with parchment, then transfer to a freezer bag. Burger will keep for up to one month in the freezer or 3 days in fridge. To reheat from frozen, thaw in fridge overnight, then reheat in a ceramic or non-stick skillet. Alternatively, you can reheat in a 350 degree F oven for about 10-15 minutes.
