Vegan Mushroom Kale Burger

A mushroom burger in a bun with mayo, lettuce, tomato slices, and red onion.

3.50 from 2 votes

This vegan mushroom kale burger recipe is rich in umami flavors with power-packed kale plus bulgur and almonds for a meaty texture. Baked without added oi, these delicious mushroom burgers are best if chilled for a few hours before baking, so they are well-suited for making a day ahead.

Prep Time40

Cook Time45

Chill Time1 30

Total Time2 55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 176kcal

Author: Denise Perrault

Ingredients

¼ cup bulgur
½ cup almonds raw, unsalted
1 small red onion diced (about ½ a cup)
1 pound mushrooms button, baby bella, or a mix of mushrooms, cut into quarters
3 cloves garlic peeled and sliced or minced
½ teaspoon thyme
2 cups kale roughly chopped or shredded
2 tablespoons sherry white wine or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons flax seeds ground
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place the dry bulgur in a small bowl and add ½ a cup of boiling water. Set is aside for 20 minutes until most of the water is absorbed.
Meanwhile, place the almonds in a food processor and grind them until they break down. Leave them there as that’s where you’ll be adding the rest of the ingredients.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Then add the onions and quartered mushrooms. Cook until the onions are soft and the mushrooms start releasing their moisture. This should take about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and thyme. Stir for about 30 seconds. Then add the kale.
Stir the ingredients until the kale softens and the moisture from the mushrooms has started to dissipate.
Add the sherry and soy sauce to deglaze the pan. Stir the ingredients for a few minutes until the pan is relatively clean on the bottom and the liquid has evaporated.
Sprinkle the skillet with the ground flax seeds and mix them in. This helps to soak up any remaining moisture.
Take the skillet off the heat, returning to the bowl of soaking bulgur. Drain the bulgur into a fine mesh strainer and squeeze out the water. Add the bulgur, the ingredients from the skillet, salt, and pepper to the food processor.
Process the ingredients for about 30 seconds to break up the larger pieces. After that, use the pulse feature to continue blending. You don't need the mixture to be perfectly smooth. Think blending with texture.
Line a baking tray or large baking dish with parchment paper. Divide the burger mixture into 4 – 6 equal portions and form burger patties. Place the burgers on the tray, separated.
The burger patties will be very soft, so handle them carefully. Place the burgers in the refrigerator and chill them for 1 ½ hours or longer.
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Bake the burgers until they start to firm and brown (about 30 minutes). Gently slide a spatula under the bottom of one of the burgers. If it is stuck to the bottom of the pan, then let the burgers bake for another 5 minutes before flipping them.
After flipping the burgers, bake them for another 15 minutes until they are firm in the middle and brown.

Video

Notes

If the mushrooms have a lot of liquid after cooking them, drain off the excess before adding the rest of the ingredients.
Store the burger mixture in a large bowl to save fridge space, then make the patties before baking them.
To freeze the burgers, bake them first, then thoroughly cool them. Wrap them individually so that they do not stick together. Cover them with foil if they begin to brown too much.
You can pan-fry rather than bake mushroom burgers. Use a heated, non-stick skillet and fry the burgers a few at-a-time for about 3 ½ - 5 minutes per side. Don't crowd the burgers in the pan. Space makes them easier to manipulate and flip. Consider a light spray of oil if your pan tends to stick.

Nutrition