I’ll confess, I don’t make vegetarian meals very often but when my vegetarian friends come to visit I want to make sure they’re great and not just a cop-out meal like a plain salad, or some form of fake “meat”. Yes, this burger does contain beans which can be overused when it comes to vegetarian meals, but it’s just one component of a really great meal. This burger, combined with a smokey, spicy houmous and lovely, melty goats cheese, is one that both vegetarians and meat loves alike will enjoy!
Vegetarian Bean Burger w/ Smoked Paprika Houmous
Print RecipeIngredients
- For the burger:
- 400g Cannellini Beans, washed and drained
- 150g Button Mushrooms
- 200g Breadcrumbs
- 1 x Onion
- 1 x Egg
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 1tsp Thyme
- 1tsp Salt
- 1tsp Pepper
- Plain Flour, for coating
- For the Houmous:
- 400g Chickpeas
- 1 Tbsp Tahini
- 2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 Tsp Chilli Flakes
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 6 x Garlic Cloves
- A Handful of Baby Spinach
- Soft Goats Cheese
Instructions
Place a large frying pan over a medium-low heat with a little olive oil, chop up the mushrooms and onion - it doesn't have to be too fine as they'll be going in the food processor anyway - and fry on a low, gentle heat until the mushrooms have browned and the onions are golden and translucent (usually around 10 - 15 minutes). Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
Wash and drain the cannellini beans and add into a large food processor along with the cooked onion and mushrooms, breadcrumbs, egg, lemon zest, thyme, salt and pepper. Using the pulse setting, blitz the mixture until it becomes a coarse paste. Some lumps are okay, so don't over blitz it.
Add lots of flour to the work surface and take the mixture and shape into four equal-sized burger patties. Lots of flour on the outside is good to stop the burgers sticking and to get a nice golden brown on the outside. The patties will feel like they might fall apart, but they'll gain more structure once cooked. Place to one side (in the fridge is preferable) while making the Houmous.
To make the Houmous, clean out your food processor and add in the chick peas, tahini, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, garlic cloves, and extra virgin olive oil. Blitz it until it becomes a nice and smooth and there are no lumps at all. Be sure to taste it and see if you need to add any seasoning like salt or a little pepper. Place to one side.
Add a little olive oil to a frying pan over a medium-high heat and allow the oil to heat up for a minute or two. Now add your burger patties to the pan and cooking on each side for 3 - 4 minutes until they become golden brown.
Cut the goats cheese into four equal slices and place on top of the burgers while still in the pan and cover with a lid or loosely with some kitchen foil and cook for another minute or so until the cheese starts to melt.
Serve in a lovely, soft burger bun with the Houmous and some baby spinach. This burger is ideal with some lovely sweet potato fries!
