Mushroom-White Bean Burgers

This is a really good burger! I normally just call a veggie burger a 'hot sandwich' to avoid people saying that it doesn't taste like a beef burger, but these really have a great 'burger' texture and taste. The mushrooms, Worcestershire, tomato paste and Parmesan really give these patties a deep umami flavor. If you want, you could really flavor this up with herbs like thyme or parsley.

Ingredients (makes 4 burgers):

1 pound mushrooms (any kind)

1 whole shallot

2 Tablespoons vegetable broth

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce, or leave it out-it’s optional)

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1 (15 ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed (or pinto beans, kidney beans, any soft bean)

2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional-you could probably replace with nutritional yeast if you are plant based)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Vegetable oil cooking spray

½ cup fine bread crumbs

Directions:

Pulse the mushrooms and the shallot in the food processor until you get fine pieces, but not a mush.

Combine the mushrooms, shallot, veggie broth, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste in a large nonstick skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, on medium heat until the liquid in the skillet evaporates (about 8 minutes). Remove to a bowl and let cool.

Meanwhile, mash the beans in a large bowl with the back of a fork and stir in the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Place the breadcrumbs in a separate wide, shallow bowl.

Add the cooled mushroom mixture to the bean mixture and stir until you have a slightly wet and sticky burger mix. Shape into patties about ½ inch thick and coat in the breadcrumbs. Place on a parchment lined plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Wipe out the skillet you used for the mushrooms and place it on medium low to medium heat. Spray a spatula with cooking spray for easy flipping of the burgers.

Spray the skillet with cooking spray and add the patties, cooking about 4 minutes per side, until the outsides are crispy and just golden brown.

These are still delicate and will fall apart if not treated gently, so you want to move them directly to the bun or a plate of lettuce. Serve with traditional burger toppings.

PS-I ran this recipe through MyFitnessPal®, which I think is one of the greatest things ever, and it shows each burger as 214 calories, 38.5 grams carb, 1.6 grams fat, and 14.6 g protein.