mushroom, cashew & leek veggie burgers.

homemade mushroom, cashew and leek veggie burgers!
it's time for another try at a veggie burger recipe. my first attempt seemed successful but considering that i haven't made the recipe since, i suppose we couldn't have liked it too much.
after pouring over my "burger" board on pinterest, i referred again to veggie burgers every which way and chose to try a patty with cashews. there are quite a few recipes on the internet that are similar and apparently they are all based off a mother recipe created by cook's illustrated.
truthfully, this is a labor intensive recipe with many steps. i used half of the pans in our kitchen to make these burgers but it was worth it. the texture of the patties is dense and holds its shape in a bun. there's not many things worse than a veggie burger that squeezes out of the sides of the bun on your first bite.

mushroom, cashew & leek veggie burgers
(makes 6 patties)

1/3 cup red lentils
1/3 cup bulgur
4 tablespoons olive oil
8 crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 medium leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 teaspoon sage
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 eggs
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 cup bread crumbs

•cook the lentils in a pan covered with 1 cup of water. bring the lentils and water to a boil, then simmer until the lentils are tender and beginning to fall apart, about 20-25 minutes. drain any excess water, then set aside to cool.

•bring 2/3 cup water to a boil then stir in the bulgur. cover, remove from the heat, and let stand for 15-20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. set aside to cool.

•preheat oven to 375ºF.

•sauté the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of the oil at medium heat. cook until the mushrooms release their moisture and the fluid cooks off. set aside to cool.

•sauté the leeks, sage, and thyme over medium heat until tender and beginning to caramelize, approximately 12-15 minutes. add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another few minutes. combine the leek mixture and the mushrooms in a bowl.

•using a food processor, pulse the cashews, eggs, mustard, and pepper until combined. add the mushrooms, leeks, and half of the lentils and bulgur. pulse until roughly combined. return this mixture to the bowl, adding the remaining bulgur and lentils. work the breadcrumbs into the mixture until it just holds its shape.

•form the mixture into 6 patties.

•in an oven safe pan, sauté the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. cook the patties until browned on the bottom, about 2-5 minutes, and flip to cook the other side. transfer the pan into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the burgers are firm and cooked through.

(i will try to freeze a few uncooked patties wrapped in waxed paper. some of the other web based recipes suggest adding a little extra bread crumb to the patties that will be frozen as they will become wetter once they are thawed.)

2 comments:

  1. Wow, your mushroom, cashew & leek veggie burgers recipe is really amazing. By the way, I am just concern about your contents? Are you using organic ingredients or GMO?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i try to use as much organic and non-GMO ingredients as possible!

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