White Bean Umami Burger

While the Black Bean Veggie Burgers mimic beef, I was going more for a ground chicken effect with this one.  The addition of mushrooms and liquid smoke turn Meatless Monday into a barbecue-ish meal.

I did think of this at the last minute and had to buy canned beans, but I recommend soaking and cooking your own for a better texture.  These came out goopy, and I debated renaming them Sloppy Veggie Burgers.  That doesn't sound very appetizing, so I left it.  If that happens with yours, fry them on a skillet like pancakes or falafels.  I did that with the leftovers and it worked fine.  You should definitely use fresh mushrooms instead of canned.  I only bought crimini, but feel free to mix it up with a little bit of several flavors, even soaking some dried shiitakes to amp up the flavor.

Another mistake I made with this recipe was to buy the big burger buns.  Gluten-free patties don't hold together in wide diameters.  Make eight smaller patties instead of the four in the photos and use the smaller buns.

2/3 C dry Navy or white beans
*1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 lb mixed mushrooms such as crimini, shiitake, or morel
*2 cloves garlic
1 egg
*1/4 C tapioca flour (sub breadcrumbs if not GF)
*1 tsp liquid smoke
salt, paprika, and pepper to taste

1.  Soak beans for 8-12 hours.  Drain, refill pot, and simmer 2 hours.  Drain.

2.  Into food processor, place onion, mushrooms, and garlic.  Pulse to break up.

3.  Add remaining ingredients, including the drained beans, and pulse to make a chunky mix that kind of looks like bean dip.  Refrigerate while oven is preheating.

4.  Preheat oven to 375º and liberally smear a foil-coated baking sheet with oil.  If pan-frying, start heating rimmed skillet and coat with a thin layer of oil.

5.  Scoop mix into 8 rounds on baking sheet or fry in batches on skillet.  Bake 15 minutes, until tops are set.  Carefully flip and bake another 15 minutes.  For frying, flip when bottoms are firm and crispy.

6.  Serve hot on toasted burger buns with whatever condiments you like.  I used barbecue sauce on mine.

Difficulty rating  :)