Whole Food Plant-based Burgers

Step 1

If needed, cook and cool brown rice. The recipe requires 1 C cooked rice, which is about ½ C dry. Leftover rice is perfect if you have some around.

Step 2

If needed, peel, cube and steam the sweet potato. Leftover cooked sweet potato works well too!

Step 3

Measure 2 C black beans. If using canned beans, drain and rinse them.

Step 4

Chop ½ C onion.

Step 5

Roughly chop 1 C mushrooms.

Step 6

Crumble 1 C extra firm tofu. The tofu I use doesn’t need to be pressed but if your tofu releases liquid when pressed, press if before using. You can use an extra 1 C of mushrooms in place of tofu if you prefer.

Step 7

In a food processor, add 1 C cooked brown rice, 1 C cooked sweet potato and 1 C crumbled tofu. Pulse until the rice and sweet potato are ground into a fine texture. There should be small flecks of rice, potato and tofu but it’ll be mostly blended.

Step 8

Remove the rice, potato and tofu into a mixing bowl. Then, add 2 C black beans, 1 C mushroom and ½ C onion to the food processor. Pulse until the mixture reaches a similar consistency to the rice and potato (well mixed with some small flecks of ingredients).

Step 9

Add the bean mixture to the mixing bowl with the rice and sweet potato.

Step 10

Stir the remaining ingredients into the mixing bowl: ½ C chickpea flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp chili powder, ¼ - ½ tsp black pepper and 3 tbsp nutritional yeast. Stir until everything is well combined.

Step 11

Prep a baking tray with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Step 12

This recipe makes 8 burgers, about ½ C in size. Use a ½ C measuring cup to form them, then transfer to your hands and shape them into flat, round patties.

Step 13

Place formed burgers on baking tray.

Step 14

Bake the burgers in a preheated oven set to 350 °F for 25-30 minutes, flipping once halfway through cooking. The burgers will be soft at the halfway point so flip carefully.

Step 15

Once out of the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes on the tray. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let the burgers sit for another 10-15 minutes before serving. This rest time is essential to allow the burgers to firm and hold together nicely!

Step 16

Serve on your favorite vegan hamburger bun, in a wrap or crumbled into a salad!