Mushroom Veggie Burgers

I was the most nervous about how this meal would turn out than I have been for just about any of the recipes I have created for and posted in this blog. First, I have only ever had one veggie burger in my life and that was from a restaurant. Second, it is Meatless Monday and I had no Plan B in case this didn't work out. Third, I had two girlfriends over for dinner tonight and I always strive to please guests.

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 16 ounces small portobellos, sliced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups quick cooking oats
• 1 packet vegetable soup/dip mix
• 1 egg

Heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions. Cook and stir until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in 1/4 cup water and the soup mix. Let stand 15 minutes. Place beans in food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer to bowl. Add oats and egg, mix well. Form mixture into 4 patties. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Heat 1 Tbsp in a skillet over medium heat. Add patties to skillet and cook 3-4 minutes per side, until browned.



I was definitely nervous. First, my blender is crap. It spins and chops whatever food is in the middle of the pitcher and tosses it to the sides, where it stays. I had to battle processing the mushrooms and the beans. Once I get a new blender I will have to resist the powerful urge to not toss my junk one right out the window. Once I had everything properly chopped and the patties formed, I was even more discouraged. They felt so mushy. Gross. They did get a little more solid once they sat in the fridge for a half hour though. Cooking them was not easy. The patties did not seem to want to hold together completely. They didn't crumble but they were splitting in half.

The final product was not bad at all. I was so relieved that they were even edible! My girlfriends enjoyed them, which made me even happier. I topped mine with some sour cream and tomatoes. The others added some cheddar cheese as well. Soph wasn't the hugest fan of the burger but she did eat about half of it, so not a complete fail.

Another successful Meatless Monday in the books!