Aimee says: “This veggie burger has a great, firm texture – no mushiness! It’s packed full of flavour and cooks beautifully in the pan, the oven or even on the grill. The recipe makes four small patties or two large ones if you’re feeling hungry!”

Serves 2–4

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking the burgers
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp yeast extract or miso paste
120g shiitake or chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tbsp brown sauce
½ tsp mustard powder
1 x 400g can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
125g cooked rice
40g porridge oats
4–6 tbsp plain flour
a generous pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper

To serve:

2–4 vegan cheese slices
2–4 seeded burger buns
1 little gem lettuce, leaves separated and washed
1 beef tomato, sliced
vegan mayonnaise (see below)
ketchup
crispy bacon strips (see below)

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the onion and garlic for five minutes, until softened. Add the balsamic vinegar, yeast extract or miso paste and mushrooms and cook for a further eight minutes until brown and sticky.

Add all the remaining ingredients and use a potato masher to crush and combine everything together into a thick, chunky mixture. (You can also pulse the mixture in a food processor.) Shape the mixture into two large or four small patties.

To cook, heat a frying pan with enough oil to cover the base and fry over a medium heat for five minutes on each side, until slightly charred. Add the slices of cheese to the burgers whilst they are still warm in the pan and let the cheese melt slightly.

To serve, lay out the bases of the buns and place a cheesy burger on each. Top with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, ketchup, bacon slices and any other toppings you like, then pop the bun lid on top and enjoy.

Vegan Mayonnaise

Vegan mayo is easy to find in the supermarket but sometimes you just can’t beat homemade. It is so easy and you can add your own flavours such as garlic, herbs or chilli.

Makes approx. 400ml

Ingredients

120ml unsweetened soy milk, at room temperature
2 tsp white (distilled) vinegar
¼ tsp fine sea salt
juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp English mustard
250ml sunflower oil

Method

Add all the ingredients, except the oil, to a blender and blitz to combine. On medium speed, very slowly pour the oil in as you blend, until you have a thick mayonnaise consistency. It will thicken more as it cools.

Transfer to a container or jar and keep in the fridge for up to four weeks.

Crispy bacon strips

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp sea salt
4 sheets rice wrappers

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Mix the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, paprika and salt together in a shallow dish.

Stack two sheets of the rice paper on top of one another and soak in a bowl of cold water briefly to soften them. Using kitchen scissors, cut the sheets into bacon-sized strips.

Dip each strip into the mixture, coating the paper on each side, before laying on the prepared baking tray. Use a pastry brush, dipped into the mixture, to give them a second coating on the baking tray.

Bake for five to eight minutes, watching carefully to make sure they don’t burn. They should be crispy and textured with a good crunch. Serve immediately as they will lose their crunch after a few hours.

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