Best-Ever Veggie Burger

Photo credit: Christine Han

Jenny Rosenstracht’s veggie burgers take some work but the good news is you can make a batch and then freeze them—so you have a 10-minute weekday meal. The brilliance of them is the balance of beans and mushrooms and rice; they don’t taste beany like so many veggie burgers. A light dusting of flour before you fry them gives them that meaty, craggy texture.

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 1/2 small yellow onion, roughly chopped

• 8 ounces mushrooms (I use baby bellas), including stems, chopped

• 1 cup cooked long- or short-grain brown rice (I often use Trader Joe’s precooked rice to save myself time)

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 large egg

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 small Japanese sweet potato (about 7 ounces) or baking potato, cooked, cooled, flesh scooped out, and broken into rough chunks

• 1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans, or 1 (15-ounce) can, rinsed and drained

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging

  For serving:

• 8 potato buns or brioche buns (for next-level burgers)

• Spicy mayo (3 tablespoons mayo mixed with 2 teaspoons sriracha; optional)

• Pickled Onions, regular bread-and-butter pickles or minced red onions

• Crunchy lettuce (optional)

• Avocado slices

Method:

1. Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a cast-iron skillet set over medium heat. After a minute, add the onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are crispy, 10 to 15 minutes. As the mushrooms cook, they will release a lot of water—you want all the liquid to evaporate from the pan. Set aside to let the mixture cool.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the brown rice, oats, cilantro, egg, soy sauce, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined, about ten 1-second pulses. (Don’t over process; you want the mixture to be textured—no more than eight to ten pulses.) Add the cooked sweet potato, beans, and cooled mushroom mixture. Pulse until blended but still textured, not even 10 seconds total.

3. Shape the mixture into 8 very thin 4-inch patties—think California-style. They will probably look mushy and unappetizing, and I implore you not to let any of your diners watch this part, but press on! (Also, just like with regular burgers, it’s easier to shape them when your hands are slightly wet.)

4. After shaping, place the patties on a plate, covered with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes if you have the time. (I’ve made them without chilling and they’re fine, just a little harder to handle in terms of flipping.) If you want to freeze them for a later date, wrap each in parchment paper and place them in a single layer in a resealable freezer bag, set the bag on a plate or cutting board (to stay flat), and freeze for up to 3 months. (You can remove the plate after a few hours.)

5. When you’re ready to eat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron or nonstick, over medium-high heat. Dredge each patty in flour, then fry until golden and crispy on each side, 7 to 8 minutes total. Serve on buns with your choice of toppings.