Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the textured vegetable protein and let simmer for 10-12 minutes. Drain the TVP and set aside.

Step 2

In the bowl of a food processor, add the cooked beans, oil, maple syrup, tomato paste, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, spices, liquid smoke, and water. Process for 10-20 seconds, scraping down the sides if needed and process again until it forms a purée. It doesn’t have to be completely smooth.

Step 3

Add the rehydrated TVP and process for 7-10 seconds, or until the TVP is very finely chopped, the mixture should look like bolognese sauce. You don’t want to have big chunks of TVP otherwise the burgers won’t hold together well.

Step 4

Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the vital wheat gluten. Mix using a wooden first, and then knead with your hands for 2-3 minutes to develop the gluten. The mixture should be soft and have a slight elasticity.

Step 5

Divide the mixture into 3 and form patties. Carefully wrap each burger in parchment paper and then in aluminum foil.

Step 6

Place the wrapped burgers in a pressure cooker (you can stack them) and pressure cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes. You can use a stovetop pressure cooker or an Instant Pot.

Step 7

Once cooked, unwrap the burgers and let cool 10 minutes. You can now pan-fry the burgers in a little bit of oil until golden brown on each side.

Step 8

Burgers will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. They will harden a bit in the fridge but will soften once heated.