These burgers are a great plan-ahead meal because the patties keep well in the fridge for a couple of days – and I encourage you to chill them for at least 30 minutes because this helps to keep them together better when cooked. They also freeze really well. The world of gluten-free buns has come a long way since I started eating gluten-free, so I tend to buy them these days, although there was once a time when the only way I could eat nice junk-free gluten-free buns was to make them myself (you'll find the recipe in my second cookbook, A Year in my RealFood Kitchen).
Ingredients
| 1 Tbsp | olive oil |
| 1 | onion, finely diced |
| 2 | cloves garlic, finely chopped |
| 250g | button mushrooms, trimmed & finely chopped |
| 1 tsp | finely chopped fresh thyme leaves |
| 1 tsp | paprika |
| 250g | tempeh, rough chopped |
| ¼ cup | gluten-free breadcrumbs |
| pinch | fine salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste |
| glug | olive oil, to cook |
| 4 | gluten-free buns, sliced in half |
| 1 large | ripe avocado, smashed in a bowl with a little lemon juice, salt & pepper |
| to serve | good-quality vegan mayonnaise, pesto, lettuce or microgreens, sliced red onion, tomato relish |
Directions
- Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil and onion and cook, stirring often, for 4–5 minutes or until tender and golden. Add garlic, finely chopped mushroom and thyme and cook, stirring often, for a good 5–8 minutes or more, until the mushrooms have released their juices and these have evaporated, so that the mushrooms are almost dry, tender and golden (this is important because you don't want any excess moisture or your patties won't hold together). Add paprika and cook for a further 20–30 seconds.
- Transfer to a food processor, add tempeh and breadcrumbs and pulse until finely ground. Season with salt and pepper. Shape into 4 large patties, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days if preparing ahead of time. If you don't have a food processor, finely chop the tempeh, add onion mixture and breadcrumbs then, using your hands, scrunch everything together until it holds its shape.
- Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add a splash of olive oil and cook the patties for 3–4 minutes on each side, or until golden. Grill buns on the cut side until golden. Spread a little mayonnaise and pesto onto the base of each burger bun, then add a patty, a few micro greens or lettuce, some onion slices. Top with smashed avocado and spread a little relish on the cut side of the top bun and place over.
Note: The patties can be frozen for up to 3 months – just defrost in the fridge overnight before using.
More of Emma's recipes:
- Smoky carrot & black bean tacos with corn & jalapeno salsa
- Tomato pilaf with black lentils & caramelised onion
Every Day by Emma Galloway, published by HarperCollins, is out now.
